This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into 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.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved in writing by Wi-Lan Technologies Inc. may
void the user’s authority to operate this equipment. Wi-Lan Technologies Inc. can not accept
any financial or other responsibilities that may be the result of your use of this information,
including direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages. Refer to warranty documents
for product warranty coverage and specifics.
VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
STATEMENT OF WARRANTY
WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. products, except as otherwise stated in an applicable price list, are warranted against
defects in workmanship and material for a period of one (1) year from date of delivery as evidenced by WI-LAN
TECHNOLOGIES INC.’s packing slip or other transportation receipt.
WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.’s sole responsibility under this warranty shall be to either repair or replace, at its option,
any component which fails during the applicable warranty period because of a defect in workmanship and material, provided
PURCHASER has promptly reported same to WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. in writing. All replaced Products or parts
shall become WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.’s property.
WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. shall honor the warranty at WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.’s facility in Goleta,
California. It is PURCHASER’s responsibility to return, at its expense, the allegedly defective Product to WI-LAN
TECHNOLOGIES INC. PURCHASER must notify WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. and obtain shipping instructions
prior to returning any Product. Transportation charges for the return of the Product to PURCHASER shall be paid by WILAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. within the United States. For all other locations, the warranty excludes all costs of shipping,
customs clearance and other related charges. If WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. determines that the Product is not
defective within the terms of the warranty, PURCHASER shall pay WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. all costs of handling,
transportation and repairs at the prevailing repair rates.
All the above warranties are contingent upon proper use of the Product. These warranties will not apply (i) if adjustment,
repair, or parts replacement is required because of accident, unusual physical, electrical or electromagnetic stress, negligence
of PURCHASER, misuse, failure of electric power environmental controls, transportation, not maintained in accordance
with WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. specifications, or abuses other than ordinary use (ii) if the Product has been
modified by PURCHASER or has been repaired or altered outside WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.’s factory, unless WILAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. specifically authorizes such repairs or alterations; (iii) where WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES
INC. serial numbers, warranty date or quality assurance decals have been removed or altered.
WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. also reserves the right to make product improvements without incurring any obligation or
liability to make the same changes in Products previously manufactured or purchased. In no event shall WI-LAN
TECHNOLOGIES INC. be liable for any breach of warranty in an amount exceeding the net selling price of any defective
Product. No person, including any dealer, agent or representative of WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. is authorized to
assume for WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. any other liability on its behalf except as set forth herein. Nonpayment of any
invoice rendered within the stated payment terms automatically cancels any warranty or guarantee stated or implied. If any
payment is due WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. for services performed hereunder, it shall be subject to the same payment
terms as the original purchase.
WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF PRODUCTS INCLUDING
WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The warranties expressly stated herein are the sole obligation or liability on the part of WILAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. arising out of or in connection with the sale or performance of the products.
Products Manufactured by Others - For the products not manufactured by WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. the original
manufacturer’s warranty shall be assigned to PURCHASER to the extent permitted and is in lieu of any other warranty,
express or implied. For warranty information on a specific product, a written request should be made to WI-LAN
TECHNOLOGIES INC..
IN NO EVENT WILL WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. BE LIABLE TO PURCHASER FOR (i) FOR
REPROCUREMENT COSTS; (ii) SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; (iii) ANY DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
WITH THIS AGREEMENT, OR THE USE OF PERFORMANCE OF WI-LAN TECHNOLOGIES INC. PRODUCTS,
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE CAUSE OF ACTION IS IN CONTRACT, TORT, INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE,
OR ANY OTHER FORM.
No action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence, arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, may be
brought by either party more than eighteen (18) months after the cause of action has accrued, except that an action for
nonpayment may be brought within eighteen (18) months of the date of last payment.
7.2.1Command Line Interface Versus SNMP ...................................................................................... 68
7.2.2What is SNMP?............................................................................................................................ 69
7.2.3Security Considerations in SNMP ............................................................................................... 69
7.2.4Examples of Network Management Systems................................................................................ 69
7.2.5VIP 110-24 Management Information Base (MIB)...................................................................... 70
APPENDIX A – COMMAND SUMMARY (ALPHABETICAL) ................................................................. 71
APPENDIX B - COMMAND SUMMARY (FUNCTIONAL)....................................................................... 75
APPENDIX C - SPECIFICATIONS................................................................................................................ 81
APPENDIX D – CHANNEL FREQUENCY ASSIGNMENT....................................................................... 83
APPENDIX E – ETHERNET CONSOLE PROGRAM ................................................................................ 85
APPENDIX F – INTERCONNECT CABLES................................................................................................91
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
1 INTRODUCTION
The VIP 110-24 is the building block of the Wi-Lan Technologies Inc. proprietary “VINE” Network
topology. The VIP 110-24 is used to interconnect ethernet LAN’s (Local Area Networks) and WAN’s
(Wide Area networks) across large distances, creating a virtual single network. This unique network
topology can also be used to provide broadband internet access by a Service Provider or to
interconnect multiple nodes in a private network.
The VINE technology allows a complete wireless network to start with as little as two radios, and
gradually grow, a node at a time, into a very large and complex wireless network. New nodes can be
added at any time with the sole requirement that they must have line of sight connectivity to another
node already on the VINE. The new node, once attached, becomes a potential attaching point for
other nodes.
VINE uses time, frequency, and directional diversity to coordinate the Medium Access for all the
nodes. This well choreographed diversity allows multiple nodes to transmit without collisions in the
same geographical area. This results in a very high air time utilization which translates into superior
throughput performance.
VINE is designed to specifically address the following requirements:
• Gradual deployment and expansion
• Long distance between nodes
• Non-Line Of Sight (NLOS) connectivity through multiple hops
• Node by node Quality Of Service Options: Minimum and maximum user data rate settings
separate for inbound and outbound traffic
• Highly efficient air time utilization
• Efficient delivery of broadcast traffic (necessary for network management)
• Fair network availability under heavy loads (a few nodes with heavy load must not “choke”
the network availability to all other nodes)
• Independent RF data rates and power selection on each individual link.
• Self configuring allowing new nodes to be added with minimal configuration
The VINE network topology and protocol is explained in greater detail in chapter 3.
The VIP 110-24 is a Spread Spectrum transceiver that implements the VINE protocol. The radio
includes a 10/100-Base T Ethernet port for connection to the Local Area Network (LAN). Each radio
operates in a self-learning bridge mode. Any Ethernet station connected to the local LAN can see all
other stations connected to any of the other LANs at the remote sites. No special configuration of the
user stations is necessary, as each of them believes that there is just one Ethernet.
The VIP 110-24 is a Spread Spectrum radio operating in the “Industrial Scientific and Medical”
(ISM) band from 2.400GHz to 2.4835 GHz. Spread Spectrum technology allows operation without a
license with an output power of up to 23 dBm at speeds up to 11 Mbps (mega-bits per second).
With exception of the indoor power inserter, all of the VIP 110-24 electronics are included in a
watertight outdoor unit enclosure. A single CAT 5 cable carries the Ethernet data and DC power to
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
the outdoor enclosure. This architecture allows the radio to be mounted outdoors, in close proximity
to the antennas, resulting in the following benefits:
• The radio Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) is as close to the antenna as possible. The cable run
between the antenna and the outdoor unit is usually short and therefore cable losses at 2.4 GHz
are negligible. This improves the overall link margin.
• The unit Power Amplifier is also in close proximity to the antenna. All the power is delivered to
the antenna with minimal losses in the cable.
The VIP 110-24 also includes a number of unique features that make the unit easy to install and
operate:
• Spectrum analysis capability with a graphical display of the energy in the RF band
• Accurate measurement of the Receive Signal Strength (RSS)
• Antenna Alignment Aid output, at the outdoor unit, with an audio pitch proportional to the RSS
• Multitude of frequency channels allow operation anywhere in the band
• Dual antenna port to support store and forward operation in the unique VINE network topology
• Remote configuration, from a single station, of all radios in a network
• Capability of downloading firmware updates over Ethernet and RF links
• Support for Network Management tools (Telnet and SNMP)
Refer to section 5.1 for a “Quick Start” guide to set up the radios.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
2.1 Radio Components
Figure 2.1 below shows the components that are typically shipped with each VIP 110-24 radio.
AThis manual and floppy disk (or CD) with Econsole program (
BVIP 110-24 outdoor unit.
CPower Inserter Module with wall mount AC power supply
DAuxiliary port cable for RS-232 connection (
ECAT 5 cable for connection between VIP 110-24 radio and power inserter module (
FBracket for securing the VIP110-24 unit to an outdoor mast.
1
One hard copy manual is supplied with each shipment. An electronic version is available at
“www.ucwireless.com/manuals”.
2
Not supplied with standard radio kit. Available from Wi-Lan as optional equipment.
Table 2.1 - VIP 110-24 Components
1
2
)
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)
2
)
VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
2.2 Radio Connectors
Figure 2.2 shows the VIP 110-24 radio mounted on a mast. The radio is housed in a rectangular
enclosure with two N-female connectors at the top for connection to RF antennas, and two special
purpose connectors at the bottom for DC power, Ethernet data and control.
The function of each connector is described in the table below.
Figure 2.2
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
Table 2.2 – VIP 110-24 Connectors
CONNECTORTYPEFunction
AN-FEMALE2.4 GHz RF connector to the upstream (directional) antenna
BN-FEMALE2.4 GHz RF connector to the downstream (omni or sector)
antenna
CSwitchcraftAuxiliary port (3 pin) used as an antenna alignment aid
and
for RS-232 console port.
DSwitchcraft10/100 Base-T data interface and DC power input (8 pin).
Must be connected to the “Power Inserter Unit” with a CAT
5 cable.
An eight conductor CAT 5 cable must be connected between the VIP 110-24 and the Power Inserter
Unit. The wiring for this cable is shown in figure 2.3.
Table 2.3 shows the pin assignment of the three pin, auxiliary port connector. The unit is shipped
with a cover in this connector. The connector can be used during installation as a console port and
also as an audio antenna alignment aid. Wi-LAN has available two cables to convert from this nonstandar 3-pin connector to either a DE-9 connector (for RS-232 console) or to a standard audio jack
(for connection to a headphone). See Appendix F for cable diagrams.
Table 2.3 – Auxiliary Port Connector Pin Assignments
PinSignal NameAbbr.Direction
1Receive DataRDRadio Output
2Transmit DataTDRadio Input
3GroundGND
2.3 Power Inserter Unit
The Power Inserter Unit includes a power supply wired to a small plastic enclosure with two RJ45
connectors and a bi-color LED. The two RJ-45 connectors are labeled “To LAN” and “To radio”.
The following tables describe those connectors.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
Table 2.4 – Power Inserter Unit
Connector/LEDTypeFunction
To LANRJ-4510/100 Base-T to be connected to the Local Area Network. Use a
straight through cable to connect to a hub and a cross over cable
to connect directly to a computer. See table 2.5 for pin
assignments.
To radioRJ-45Carries the DC power and Ethernet signals to the VIP 110-24. See
table 2.6 for pin assignments.
LEDAmber/
Green
Amber: Indicates that the power inserter unit has DC power
from the wall supply but no power is being drawn by the VIP110-24.
Green: Indicates that the VIP 110-24 is drawing power.
WARNING
The Power Inserter connector labeled “To radio” includes DC voltage in two of the pins. It must not
be connected to a LAN as this voltage may damage some LAN cards.
The interconnect cable between the Power Inserter Unit and the VIP 110-24 carries the following
signals
1. DC voltage to supply power to the VIP 110-24.
2. 10 Base-T Ethernet data.
Both these signals are carried in a single CAT 5 cable. The system is designed to allow cable lengths
up to 100 meters (300 feet). Figure 2.3 shows the interconnect diagram for this cable and connector
types. Table 2.7 lists a few part numbers and sources of appropriate CAT 5 cable for this application.
Wi-Lan Technologies Inc. carries several pre-made cables of different lengths. See Appendix F for
connector diagrams, part numbers, and assembly instructions.
04-0010-34Superior EssexIndustrial shielded, weatherproof cable for
direct burial, aerial and other severe
environments
18-241-31(gray)
Superior EssexUnshielded outdoor rated cable
18-241-11 (beige)
5EXH04P24-BK-
CommScopeUnshielded outdoor rated cable
R-CMS-PV
2137113 (ivory)
General CableUnshielded outdoor rated cable
2137114 (gray)
BC1002BeldenUnshielded outdoor rated cable
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
3 VINE NETWORK TOPOLOGY AND OPERATION
3.1 Topology and Antenna Ports
The VIP 110-24 is the building block of the VINE wireless network. This unique architecture allows
nodes to be added to the network by establishing a connection to any node already on the network.
Once attached, the new node becomes the potential attaching point for other nodes.
The VINE network topology is a tree. The different node types in the tree are: “root”, “repeater”, and
“leaf”. Figure 3.1 below illustrates a possible network. Figure 3.2 shows a graph representation of
the same network.
The VIP 110-24 is equipped with two antenna ports. Antenna port A is assigned for communications
with that node’s “parent”. With exception of the root, each node in the VINE has one and only oneparent node. The antenna connected to port A is typically a high gain directional antenna pointing at
this parent node. The root node is the only radio without a parent node.
Antenna port B is assigned for communications with the node’s “children”. This antenna must
provide coverage to all of the node’s children. Depending on the geographic location of those
children the antenna connected to port B could be an omni, sector, or directional antenna. Leaf nodes
do not have children, so no antenna is connected to port B.
Each VIP 110-24 in a VINE network operates in a half duplex mode, i.e., it may either transmit or
receive at any given time. Transmissions consist of variable length packets. “Outbound” packets
flow “downstream” or away from the root (from parent to child). “Inbound” packets flow “upstream”
or towards the root (from children to parent).
3.2 Time Division Multiplexing
Within each “branch” in a VINE network (defined as the parent radio together with its “children” that
are one hop away), the parent services all its children by polling each one in turn. The poll/response
is very rapid with very short timeouts. When a radio does not have any traffic to transmit
downstream or upstream it takes very little time away from the polling cycle. This TDD scheme
allocates the available bandwidth to the active radios only.
In a VINE network with multiple repeaters, the various parent nodes in each branch run their master
cycles asynchronously from each other. However, the complete VINE has an underlying
synchronization mechanism that allows repeaters to switch between being a “parent” and a “child” at
the appropriate times.
Packets can flow up or down the tree, with each radio forwarding the packet through the appropriate
antenna or Ethernet port depending on its destination.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
I
I
I
1.2.2L
1.2.1L
2L
3L
root
1.2R
1R
Internet
4R
1.1L
Figure 3.1 – VINE network topology
root
Outbound
A
nbound
1R2L3L4R
Outbound
B
nbound
AA
1.1L1.2R4.1L4.2L4.3L
Outbound
B
B
AA
AAA
A
B
4.1L
4.2L
4.3L
nbound
AA
1.2.1L1.2.2L
“A” and “B” designate the antenna port of the VIP 110-24.
“A” is used for antennas pointing towards the node parent and
“B” is used for antennas pointing towards the node children
Figure 3.2 - VINE graph representation
Node naming convention for figure 3.2
1. Designate the root node as “root”.
2. Number all nodes one-hop away from the root (referred to as its “children”) sequentially starting at 1.
3. Name all the children of each repeater by giving them the parent number and appending a sequential
number starting at 1 (use a ‘.‘ to separate the parent designator from the child number).
4. Repeat step 3 until all nodes are named. Add an R or an L to the end of the designator to indicate whether
the radio is a repeater or a leaf.
3.3 New Node Attachment and validation
Besides polling the known child radios, nodes configured as root and repeater continuously search for
new child nodes. This is done by periodically broadcasting a “New Node Poll (NNP)” packet. When
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
a new leaf or repeater node is turned ON, it first listens for a short period, on antenna A, for NNP
packets from any potential parent. If the node receives NNPs from more than one parent it selects the
parent with the strongest signal. It then attempts to attach to the network by transmitting an “Attach
Request” packet in response to the next NNP packet from that parent.
When a parent receives an “Attach Request” from a new radio, it first authenticates the new node by
validating the “Network ID” supplied in the Attach Request packet. In this attachment handshake the
nodes also pass information about the RF link parameters (channel, speed and power) to be used in
the RF transmissions in each direction. Once attached, if the new node is configured as a repeater, it
will start broadcasting New Node Polls to search for children of its own.
This scheme allows any node to be added to the network by simply programming its “Network ID”,
pointing the antenna A to the appropriate parent, and turning the power ON. Within a few seconds
the new node establishes contact with the parent and the node is attached. There is no need to change
the configuration at any other node in the network.
3.4 RF Link Parameters
Within each link there are three configurable RF parameters: transmit power, RF speed and frequency
channel. These parameters are configured independently for each direction of the link. The
commands that allow programming these parameters are “rf-from-parent”, “rf-from-children”, “rf-toparent”, “rf-nnp-1” and “rf-nnp-2”.
The transmit power can be configured from 0 to 23 dBm in steps of 1 dB. For each link, the RF
transmit power should be kept as low as possible while still providing adequate link margin. This
reduces the potential for self-created interference with other radios in the VINE network that are
using the same channel. If there is no interference from other sources, a signal level at the receiver of
around –60 dBm provides ample margin for a reliable link.
The speed of the link can be configured to 1, 2, 5.5 and 11 Mbps. The RF speed should be configured
to 11 Mbps unless, after increasing the power to its maximum level, the link margin is still not
adequate. Reducing the RF speed improves the radio sensitivity, providing a better RF link margin.
The transmit power and speed (in each direction) are always stored in the configuration of the child
radio. Since each radio has one and only one parent, this scheme allows each radio to be responsible
to store the parameters for one link only.
The channel used in each link is selected and stored in the configuration of the receiver side of the
link (with some restrictions). This allows the receiver to select the most favorable channel based on
its local conditions, and then tell the radio at the other side of the link what channel to transmit. A
parent radio receives from all its children on antenna B, therefore the most favorable channel is
independent of which child is transmitting. This channel is selected, at the parent, with the command
“rf-from-children”. Parents include this channel number in the New Node Poll packet so that there is
no need to store this transmit channel at the child.
A child radio receives from the parent on antenna A. The local conditions at each child location may
be different, so a parent may transmit to different children on different channels. However, for a link
to get established in the first place, the parent must transmit the New Node Poll packets in a channel
known by the prospective children. To give the children a choice of channels the parent can be
configured to transmit NNPs in two separate channels (see commands “rf-nnp-1” and “rf-nnp-2”). At
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
the children, the receive channel is configured with the command “rf-from-parent”. For the child to
get attached, the child receive channel must match one of the two NNP channels of the parent.
3.5 Channel Assignments
In a VINE network, multiple radios in the same geographic area may be transmitting simultaneously.
Without careful coordination this could generate interference between links. The VIP110-24
capability of transmitting and receiving in different channels through its two antennas allows it to
optimize the channel assignment to avoid this potential interference.
The radio factory configuration sets the “outbound” and “inbound” channels to two non-overlapping
frequencies. For a generic VINE network with multiple repeaters, this approach, coupled with
directive antennas on antenna A, greatly reduces the potential for self generated interference (see
section 3.5.4). Even though this “channel plan” will work in any topology, there are some simpler
networks where it may be desirable to use a different channel plan. The following sections describe
some simple topologies and discuss the channel assignment considerations. The table below each
topology shows the commands required, at each node, to set the channel assignments.
3.5.1 Point-to-point
In a point to point network one radio is configured as the root (with the antenna on port B) and the
other as a leaf (with the antenna on port A). If there is no external interference at either end of the
link, and it is desired to conserve bandwidth, you may configure the radios to use the same channel in
both directions. If there is interference on difference regions of the spectrum, at each end of the link,
configure the radios to use different channels in each direction. Since channels are allocated 2 MHz
apart this allows centering the RF transmission anywhere in the ISM band.
c1
Root
B
c2
RootLeaf
rf-nnp-1 ch=c1rf-from-parent ch=c1
rf-from-children ch=c2
Leaf
A
3.5.2 Point-to-Multipoint
In the point to multipoint topology, the hub radio is configured as the root and receives from all its
children in a single “inbound” channel. All remote radios are configured as “Leaf”. The network
may be configured with up to two different outbound channels, which may or may not overlap with
the inbound channel. Configuring the root to send NNPs in two different outbound channels gives
each child the choice of two receive channels depending on the local conditions. If this second
outbound channel is not required, the transmission of NNP in a second channel may be disabled.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
c1
1L
A
Root
B
c3
c3
2L
c2
A
Root1L2L
rf-nnp-1 ch=c1rf-from-parent ch=c1
rf-nnp-2 ch=c2rf-from-parent ch=c2
rf-from-children ch=c3
3.5.3 Root-Repeater-Leaf
This is the simplest configuration involving a radio configured as a repeater. There are four channels
to consider. Since there are two possible “parents” (root and repeater) there may be simultaneous
transmissions and therefore the potential for collisions. The two possible (but unlikely) collisions are
the following:
1. At the repeater: while the repeater is trying to receive a packet from the leaf (on antenna B,
channel c3), the root transmits a “Data Poll” to the repeater (on channel c1). If antenna B of the
repeater is directional it may easily reject this unwanted transmission from the root. Otherwise
ensure that c1 and c3 are non-overlapping.
2. At the leaf: while the leaf is trying to receive a packet from the repeater, the root transmits a Data
Poll to the repeater. This could only be a problem if the leaf can “see” the root on its antenna A.
If that is the case ensure that channels c1 and c2 are non-overlapping.
Since those situations are unlikely, all channels could be identical. If any of those conditions might
occur, one simple approach is to assign a single frequency to the root/repeater links (c1=c4) and a
separate, non-overlapping frequency, to the repeater/leaf links (c2=c3). If there is local external
interference to be avoided all channels might be different.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
Root
c1
Rptr
B
c4
A
B
c2
c3
Leaf
A
RootRepeaterLeaf
rf-nnp-1 ch=c1rf-from-parent ch=c1
rf-nnp-1 ch=c2rf-from-parent ch=c2
rf-from-children ch=c4rf-from-children ch=c3
3.5.4 Small VINE network with up to three repeaters
For VINE networks that are larger than the simple cases described above, but still with a small
number of repeaters, one simple approach to avoid self-generated interference is to allocate nonoverlapping channel to each parent. Within each “branch” (made up of a parent and all its one hop
children) the same channel would be used for both inbound and outbound transmissions. Since the
VIP can support up to 4 non-overlapping channels, this scheme works in networks consisting of a
root and up to three repeaters.
3.5.5 Generic VINE network with multiple repeaters
When a VINE network grows in complexity and includes multiple repeaters, the potential for selfgenerated interference increases. The way to reduce or avoid this self-generated interference is to
allocate one channel to all outbound transmissions (from parents, through antenna B), and a separate,
non-overlapping channel, for all inbound transmissions (from children, through antenna A). Since
there may be some external local interference, this “channel plan” should also provide for a
“secondary” set of channels. An example of a channel plan is shown below. The default factory
configuration of the radios is set for this “channel plan”.
OutboundInbound
Primary:
Secondary:
When this frequency diversity approach (non-overlapping inbound and outbound channels) is coupled
the directional nature of the antennas connected to port A, the potential for self generated interference
is greatly reduced.
525
3515
The network in figure 3.1 shows why the inbound and outbound transmissions are assigned to
different channels. For example, repeater “4R” may perform an outbound transmission, through an
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
omni antenna, at the same time that leaf “3L” performs an inbound transmission to the root. If the
inbound and outbound were on the same frequency, there would be a collision at the root.
However, a transmission within any given “branch”, (defined as a parent radio together with its
“children” that are only one hop away) will not interfere with simultaneous transmissions in any other
branches. Any two simultaneous outbound transmissions in different branches will be received by the
intended nodes due to the high gain antennas attached to port “A” of the downstream radios.
Likewise, any two simultaneous inbound transmissions in different branches will be received by the
intended upstream nodes due to the high gain of the antenna A pointed directly at the upstream radio.
This scheme is further optimized by setting the transmit power in every link to achieve no more than
the adequate link margin for that particular link.
There may be specific situations where the diversity achieved through the dual frequency operation
and antenna directivity would not work. For example, if radios 1R, 1.2R, and 1.2.2L (figure 3.1)
were in a straight line, inbound transmissions from 1.2.2L could reach 1R and interfere with a
simultaneous inbound transmission from 1.1L. Those specific cases can be addressed with one or
more of the following techniques:
1. Power management: reduce the transmit power from 1.2.2L so that the signal at 1R is
significantly below the signal from 1.1L
2. Additional channels: Use the “primary” set of frequency channels between 1R and its children,
and the “secondary” (non-overlapping) set of channels between 1.2R and its children.
3. Antenna polarization: use horizontal antenna polarization between 1.2R and its children, and
vertical polarization between 1R and its children.
The VINE approach to frequency diversity allows deploying a system with radios transmitting
simultaneously in the same geographic area, using only two non-overlapping channels for the entire
RF network. This should be contrasted with a cell based approach where adjacent cells are typically
allocated to different frequencies and may require four to six non-overlapping channels.
3.6 Ethernet Bridging
The VIP 110-24 operates as an Ethernet bridge. As a bridge, the VIP 110-24 runs in “promiscuous
mode”, i.e., it examines all the Ethernet packets that are flowing in the local LAN. Since these
Ethernet packets contain a “source” and “destination” address, the radio quickly learns the addresses
of all the “local” stations connected to the LAN (all the “source” addresses of packets flowing in the
LAN are local).
Each VIP 110-24
addresses to all other radios. Therefore every VIP 110-24 holds an Ethernet table that includes one
entry for every Ethernet address connected to any of the LANs (this table can be examined with the
“show ethernet” command).
With this information on hand, each VIP 110-24 examines the destination address of every Ethernet
packet in the local LAN and makes one of the following decisions:
in the VINE periodically transmits the information about the local Ethernet
1. If the destination address is for a “local” station, discard the packet.
2. If the destination address is connected to a remote radio, queue that packet to be forwarded
through the appropriate RF port.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
3. If the destination address is unknown, “flood” the packet into the VINE network. The packet will
show up at every LAN connected to any radio in the VINE.
Each VIP 110-24 has capacity to store 500 entries in its Ethernet table. Entries are erased after a
certain amount of time to allow for stations to be moved between LANs and not show up in two
distinct LANs. The user can control this time-out with the “ethernet” command. If the table ever gets
full, entries that have been least used are erased to make room for new entries.
Bridging has two major advantages over routing:
1. There is absolutely no configuration required. The VIP 110-24 learns about all stations
automatically and routes the packets appropriately.
2. All layer 3 protocols (IP, IPX or others) can be bridged.
3.7 Quality of Service
The VINE protocol is ideal for bursty traffic that is typical in data communications. The available
data throughput is allocated on demand to the nodes that are “active”. If the network gets congested,
there are different QoS (Quality of Service) parameters that allow the network manager to give
priority to certain nodes. Nodes with a “committed information rate” (CIR) will always have access
to the committed bandwidth. When those nodes are not using their committed bandwidth, it becomes
available to be shared among all nodes. The unique VINE flow control mechanism adaptively shares
this excess bandwidth equally among all active nodes without a CIR.
In an Internet Access application, one of the nodes is connected to the wired Internet. In a VINE
network this node is designated as the “anchor”, and it is where a large majority of the traffic will
originate and converge. For these applications it is typically desirable (but not required) to make the
root node the anchor.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
4 ANTENNAS, SITE SELECTION, PATH ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction
NOTE
Basic instructions for connecting the antenna to the radio are given in
section 5. If the system is to be used at short to moderate ranges and
there are no major obstructions between antennas, the more detailed
information in this section may not be necessary.
Because VIP 110-24 radios communicate with each other by means of radio waves, all aspects of
antenna installation affect their performance significantly, namely:
• antenna type used
• clear line-of-sight path between antennas
• antenna orientation
• antenna placement
• antenna-to-antenna distance between radios
• distance between the radio and its antenna (antenna cable length)
Therefore antenna installation is a vital part of system installation. Improper installation may greatly
reduce system performance, possibly rendering the system inoperable.
This section discusses these issues and provides guidelines for selecting antenna type, selecting
antenna location, and achieving an optimally functioning installation.
4.2 Selecting Antenna Type
There are a vast number of antenna types designed for various general and special purposes, but
despite the huge variety, all designs essentially address two concerns, directionality and gain. These
selection criteria are discussed in the following paragraphs, along with a third criterion, polarization.
For the VIP 110-24, the three antenna types listed below will fulfill most installation requirements.
Antenna TypeGainWTI Model Number
Omnidirectional9 dBiOA2.4-9
Sector12 dBi2405H-90
Semi-Parabolic24 dBiDA2.4-24
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
4.2.1 Directionality
An antenna may be designed to receive and transmit in all directions. Such antennas are
omnidirectional. An example of an omnidirectional receiving antenna would be a television antenna
in a metropolitan area where each television station transmits its signal from a different location
relative to the receiver. Similarly, a centrally located television transmitter would use an
omnidirectional transmitting antenna.
The sensitivity and power of an omnidirectional antenna are unfocused; that is, they are spread
through a wide volume of space, so the advantage of being able to communicate in all directions is
traded off for limited sensitivity and power.
If it is determined that all signals of interest are coming from a definable direction, the
omnidirectional antenna can be replaced by a directional or sectoral antenna, which increases
sensitivity and power by focusing the beam in the desired direction.
In practice, even omnidirectional antennas take advantage of directionality by focusing their
sensitivity and power in the horizontal plane. Rather than waste performance by sending signals into
space or into the ground, the horizontal omnidirectional antenna redirects its power and sensitivity
from these directions, increasing performance in the horizontal plane.
An omnidirectional antenna is used with a VIP 110-24 unit for typical VINE networks where a given
radio must communicate with a variety of “downstream” radios in various directions.
In point-to-point applications, where the direction of communication is known and fixed, a highly
focused directional antenna can be used to provide maximum sensitivity and power. In addition,
because of its decreased sensitivity in all directions but the desired one, the directional antenna
improves performance by rejecting signals not coming from the desired direction. This provides an
effective increase in signal-to-noise performance.
A sector antenna has a wider “spread” than a directional (generally between 60 to 120 degrees) which
makes it a cross between an omnidirectional and a directional. This is useful in a point to multipoint
configuration where multiple sites are grouped in the same general area. The installer can then make
use of the higher sensitivity and power but also take advantage of the wider beam pattern and
improved front to back ratio.
4.2.2 Gain
“Gain” specifies the receive and transmit performance of any antenna compared to a standard
omnidirectional antenna (“spherical radiator”). The objective of a directional antenna design is to
achieve gain, improving sensitivity and effective radiating power to increase range or data rate.
Gain is measured and stated in decibels, abbreviated dB. The decibel is a unit used to indicate the
relative difference in power between two signals. For example, a signal 3 dB greater than another
signal has twice as much power. The decibel is a logarithmic unit so each doubling of decibels
represents a fourfold increase in power. Since 3 dB represents a doubling of power, 6 dB represents a
fourfold power increase, 12 dB represents a 16-fold increase, etc. For antenna performance, the unit
used is dBi, “i” standing for “isotropic,” which describes the standard spherical radiation pattern.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
One type of directional antenna available from Wi-Lan Technologies Inc. is called a “semi
parabolic”. This antenna has a gain of 24 dBi, representing power and sensitivity levels 256 times
greater than those of a standard omnidirectional antenna.
For omnidirectional coverage from fixed locations, Wi-Lan Technologies Inc. provides collinear
antennas. The collinear design achieves gain by increased focus in comparison with the dipole
design. The standard collinear antenna used with the VIP 110-24 provides 9 dBi gain, representing an
eight-fold power and sensitivity increase.
4.2.3 Polarization
Another important concept for antenna performance is polarization. An antenna radiates radio waves
that vibrate in a specific plane, normally horizontal or vertical. Polarization refers to the restriction of
wave vibration to a single plane.
NOTE
Do not confuse polarization with directionality. The plane of wave
vibration has nothing to do with the direction of wave propagation.
For example, an antenna that focuses its energy in the horizontal
plane may be vertically or horizontally polarized.
Designs such as the semi parabolic offer a choice of polarization. Mounting a semi parabolic antenna
with the elements horizontal provides horizontal polarization, while mounting the antenna with the
elements vertical provides vertical polarization. Similarly, the orientation of the radiating element of
the parabolic antenna determines polarization.
In setting up the VIP 110-24 system, either vertical or horizontal polarization can be used, as long as
polarization is the same at both ends of each link. For any given pair of line-of-sight antennas, it is
essential that they both have the same polarization. Differences in polarization among antennas –
called “cross-polarization” – can reduce signal considerably.
4.3 Site Selection
At the high operating frequencies of the VIP 110-24 system, radio waves travel in a nearly straight
line-of-sight path. This is in contrast to the lower-frequency radio waves used for AM broadcasting.
These waves bounce between the ionosphere and the earth’s surface to travel long distances and
operate over and around obstructions. Higher-frequency radio waves do not behave in this manner
and are greatly weakened by substantial obstructions or the absence of a direct path. Simply put, all
antennas communicating with each other in the radio network must be able to physically “see” each
other.
For this reason, a proper antenna site must meet the following criteria:
1. For optimum performance at maximum range, there must be a clear line-of-sight path among all
antennas that communicate directly with each other. At shorter ranges, some degree of
obstruction may be tolerated, but performance in the presence of obstruction is difficult to predict.
2. Elevating one or more of the antennas in the system increases maximum line-of-sight range,
called the radio horizon. If antennas are located at a greater range than the ground-level radio
horizon, a means must be available for elevating the antennas.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
3. All antennas must be properly oriented, and a directional antenna must be carefully aimed at its
target antenna to ensure communication at maximum range.
4. All antenna cables attenuate (reduce) signal strength in proportion to their length. Therefore, the
distance between the antenna and the radio is limited to a cable length that does not exceed the
maximum attenuation tolerated by the system. Since various cable types offer different
attenuation levels, maximum length depends on cable type. Generally speaking, because the VIP110-24 is an outdoor unit with the output port connected directly to the antenna, cable losses are
negligible and the radio will compensate, but there are limits to this compensation. See table 4-2
for sample cables and their respective attenuation values.
Each of these criteria is discussed at greater length in the following paragraphs.
4.3.1 Line-of-Sight Path
Because high-frequency radio waves are attenuated by obstructions, a clear line-of-sight path between
antennas is required for optimum performance at maximum range. For shorter ranges, a degree of
obstruction may be acceptable. For example, at less than maximum ranges the radio has some ability
to “penetrate” trees and other foliage. On the other hand, geographical features (hills) and large
buildings are likely to interfere with communications, and antennas must be elevated to “see” each
other above such objects.
Because of the uncertainties of radio communication, it is difficult to predict the results in conditions
where obstructions exist. The only valid advice is to try the proposed configuration and be prepared
to move or elevate the antennas.
4.3.2 Radio Horizon (Maximum Line-of-Sight Range)
In visual terms, the horizon is the point in the distance where an object drops out of sight because it is
blocked by the earth’s curvature. If the observer or object is elevated, the visual horizon is extended,
that is, the object can be seen at a greater distance before it drops out of view.
The same concept applies to radio signals: The radio horizon is the point in the distance where the
path between two antennas is blocked by the curvature of the earth. Like the visual horizon, the radio
horizon can be extended by elevating the transmitting antenna, receiving antenna, or both to extend
communication range.
The radio horizon can also be extended or shortened by certain phenomena such as refraction due to
atmospheric density and temperature inversions. Fog and rain, which reduce signal strength, can also
shorten the radio horizon although in the ISM band, this loss is negligible.
A reasonable approximation of the radio horizon based on antenna height can be obtained from the
graph in figure 4-1. (Note that this graph does not take atmospheric effects into account.) To use the
graph, set a straight edge so that it crosses the height of one of the antennas in the column on the left
and the height of the other antenna in the column on the right. The radio horizon in miles/km is
shown where the straight edge crosses the center column.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
Figure 4-1. Antenna Height and Radio Horizon Graph
If the radio horizon is well within maximum communication range of the system, this graph provides
a reasonable guide for antenna height. However, as maximum range of the system is approached,
results are less reliable because of atmospheric effects and other unpredictable phenomena. In such
cases, the more thorough point-to-point path analysis described in the next section should provide
more reliable results.
4.3.3 Point-to-Point Path Analysis
A full point to point analysis should consist of at a minimum, a background noise evaluation of all
locations where radios are to be installed, a determination of the minimum antenna height required to
obtain a “line-of-sight”, and a calculation of the expected RSS level to be received at each of the
locations. The background noise measurement is critical as it gives the operator a preview of the
potential performance variations and the feasibility of utilizing a particular radio at a location. For
example, if the background noise is found to be at the same level as the radio sensitivity (when set to
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
maximum speed), a tradeoff analysis can be conducted before installation to determine if lowering the
data rate will allow the radio sufficient link margin to operate. A line-of-sight is required to insure
the best performance from the radio. The calculations below will allow the operator to build towers
and other mounting areas to the correct height before the antennas are installed. The calculation of
the RSS level is useful for two purposes. The first and primary purpose to calculate the theoretical
RSS level at the receive radio is to determine the link margin at the site. This information, when
coupled with the background noise measurement, will tell the operator if a link can be established and
give a reasonable “a priori” estimate of the performance of the system. In addition to this, the RSS
level allows the operator to do a quick check on the integrity of the system installation by verifying
that the received RSS level is close to the calculated value.
A background scan is easily accomplished using the built in Spectrum Analysis tool of the VIP 110-
24. This should be done before any installation of any equipment is completed.
Although the graph of figure 4-1 provides a useful guide to antenna height requirements, a more
accurate determination of those requirements can be obtained by means of the analysis described in
the following steps.
NOTE
Computer programs available from many vendors can perform
portions of this procedure.
Requirements for this procedure are:
1. A topographical map of the installation site.
2. Graph paper, ten divisions per inch or equivalent metric scale
3. Straight edge
4. Calculator
Procedure:
1. On the topographic map, lot the precise location of each antenna site.
2. Draw a line between the sites; this line is the radio path.
3. On the graph paper, establish a vertical axis for elevation and a horizontal axis for distance. It is
usually easiest to make the vertical axis in feet or meters and the horizontal axis in miles or
kilometers.
4. Following the radio path line on the map, identify all obstructions. Most topographical maps
identify geographic information, such as hills and lakes, only. However, vegetation, buildings or
other structures that will interfere with radio transmissions must also be included.
5. Plot each obstruction on the graph, marking its elevation and distance from the sites. For dense
vegetation such as forests, add 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 m) to the ground elevation.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
An additional increment must be added to the height of each obstruction because of the earth’s
curvature. For each obstruction calculate this increment using the following formula:
d1×d2×C
=
d
K
Where:
(for US units:)
d=additional height increment in feet
d1=distance of the obstruction from the first site in miles
d2=distance of the obstruction from the second site in miles
C=.667 for US units
K=refractive index (use a value of 1.33).
(or for metric units:)
d=additional height increment in meters
d1=distance of the obstruction from the first site in km
d2=distance of the obstruction from the second site in km
C=.079 for metric units
K=refractive index (use a value of 1.33).
Add the “d” value to the height of each obstruction plotted on the graph.
Another increment must be added to the height of each obstruction because of the Fresnel zone (The
required increment is 60% of the first Fresnel zone radius). For each obstruction calculate the
increment using the formula:
d1×d2
d=C
F×D
Where:
(for US units:)
d=60% of the first Fresnel zone radius in feet
d1=distance of the obstruction from the first site in miles
d2=distance of the obstruction from the second site in miles
C=1368 for US units
F=2400 (frequency in MHz)
D=total path length in miles (d1 + d2).
(or for metric units:)
d=60% of the first Fresnel zone radius in meters
d1=distance of the obstruction from the first site in km
d2=distance of the obstruction from the second site in km
C=259 for metric units
F=2400 (frequency in MHz)
D=total path length in km (d1 + d2).
Add the “d” value to the height of each obstruction plotted on the graph.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
Determine ideal antenna height by drawing a line on the graph between the sites and across the top of
the obstruction heights. Note the elevation at each antenna site.
The following section will show how to calculate the RSS level expected at the radio and to
determine the theoretical link margin at the sight.
Determine free-space path loss, using either table 4-1, the graph of figure 4-2, or the formula
following figure 4-2.
Table 4-1. Free-Space Path Loss at 2.4 GHz
Distance
(miles)
Path Loss
(dB)
Distance
(km)
1-1041-100
2-1102-106
3-1143-110
4-1164-112
5-1185-114
6-1206-116
7-1217-117
8-1228-118
9-1239-119
10-12410-120
11-12515-124
12-12620-126
13-12625-128
14-12730-130
Path Loss
(dB)
15-12835-131
20-13040-132
25-13245-133
30-13450-134
35-13555-135
40-13660-136
45-13770-137
50-13880-138
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
−95
−97
−99
−101
−103
−105
−107
−109
−111
−113
−115
−117
Path Loss (dB)
−119
−121
−123
−125
−127
−129
−131
−133
−135
−137
−139
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
−95
−97
−99
−101
−103
−105
−107
−109
−111
−113
−115
−117
Path Loss (dB)
−119
−121
−123
−125
−127
−129
−131
−133
−135
−137
−139
05101520253035404550556065707580
Path Loss at 2.4 GHz
Path Loss at 2.4 GHz
28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50
24 26
Path Length (miles)
Path Length (km)
Figure 4-2. Free-Space Path Loss at 2.4 GHz
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
−L=C+
Where:
(for US units)
-L=loss in dB
C=6.6 for US units
D=path length in miles
F=2400 (frequency in MHz)
(or for metric units)
-L=loss in dB
C=32.5 for metric units
D=path length in km
F=2400 (frequency in MHz)
For example, for a distance of 10 miles
−L=
−L=−
Calculate effective radiated power (ERP) at the transmit antenna. Since the VIP 110-24 is housed in
an outdoor enclosure, there is usually no transmission line loss as the antenna is generally connected
directly to the radio connector. However, if an additional cable is used between the radio and the
antenna cable, the cable loss (attenuation) must be included in order to calculate the correct RSS
level.
20log(D)+20 log(F)
36.6+20(1)+20(3.38)
124 dB
WR 2411 output power=+ 23 dBm
Cable attenuation=- 2 dB
Transmit antenna gain=+ 17 dB
Effective Output Power=+ 38 dBm
NOTE: Table 4.2 lists attenuation values for various cables.
Calculate the RSS level at the receive radio using the formula:
RSS = Pt - Lp + Gr
Where:
Pt=Output power from the transmit antenna
Lp=path loss
Gr=Gain of the receive antenna
For example, for the above system at a distance of 10 miles, with transmit output power of 38 dBm,
and a receive antenna gain of 24 dB, the equation would be:
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
RSS = 38 dBm - 124 dB + 24 dB
= -62 dBm
Calculate link margin by subtracting radio sensitivity from the calculated RSS level.
Calculated RSS level at receiver=-62 dBm
Sensitivity of 2411 at 11 Mbps=-81 dB
link margin=+19 dB
This figure, link margin, is the amount of signal received by the radio that is above the minimum
required for the radio to meet its performance characteristics. This value is important since it gives
the operator an indication of how much signal fade the system can tolerate. Signal fading may be
caused by multiple radio paths (reflections) atmospheric conditions such as rain, temperature
inversions, fog, etc., and may last anywhere from a few moments to several hours and cause as much
as 20 to 30 dB of signal strength loss. Although it is possible to operate a system with a link margin
as low as 5 dB, as general rule of thumb it is recommended that all systems have a link margin of
better than 20 dB.
4.3.4 Antenna Orientation
Antennas at each end of a communications link must be mounted similarly in terms of polarity, and
directional antennas must be carefully oriented towards each other. The choice of polarization –
horizontal vs. vertical – is in many cases arbitrary. However, interfering signals from such devices as
cellular phones and pagers are generally polarized vertically, and an excellent means of reducing their
effect is to mount system antennas for horizontal polarization. Of those antennas in section 4.2 for
VIP 110-24 systems, the directional antennas can be mounted for horizontal or vertical polarization,
while the omnidirectional antennas use only vertical polarization. Horizontally polarized
omnidirectional antennas are available as a special purchase.
Orientation of directional antennas is critical because their sensitivity is greatly reduced outside a
fairly narrow angle. Performance of the system can be seriously degraded by mis-aligned directional
antennas. The VIP 110-24 has a built in feature that allows the operator to use an audio to assist in
aligning the antenna. Refer to chapter 5 on the use of this built-in antenna alignment feature.
4.3.5 Cable Loss (Attenuation)
The VIP 110-24 is housed in a watertight enclosure so that it may be mounted in very close proximity
to the antenna. Using short cables to connect the radio to the antenna reduces signal losses. Table 4.2
shows loss per 100 feet (30 meters) at 2.4 GHz for typical antenna cable types.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
Table 4-2. Loss at 2.4 GHz for Standard Coaxial Cable Types
Cable TypeLoss per 100 ft. (30 m)
RG-8 A/U14.4 dB
Belden 99138.0 dB
LMR 19519 dB
LMR 4006.7 dB
To determine total cable loss for your installation, perform the following calculation:
For US units, multiply length in feet by the loss figure and divide by 100.
For metric units, multiply length in meters by the loss figure and divide by 30.
For example, for a 75-foot length of Belden 9913, the loss is:
75 x 8.0
100
= 6.0 dB
4.3.6 Connector Loss
Loss is introduced with each pair of cable connectors. Attenuation losses of some standard cable
types are shown in the following table:
Connector typeLoss per connector
N-Type0.25 dB
SMA-Type0.25 dB
The loss of each pair of connectors on all cables must be included to determine the total signal loss
(attenuation) between the antenna and ODU.
4.3.7 Other Considerations – Antenna Grounding
WARNING
VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
As an elevated metal object with a wire connection below, an antenna is an excellent lightning
attractor, and an effective ground must be provided to deflect lightning strikes to ground. An
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
additional advantage of effective system grounding is the minimizing of electrical noise and
interference, which can significantly degrade system performance.
Grounding involves providing a good, very low resistance connection from the antenna and radio to
earth ground to provide a better path for lightning and electrical noise than that through the
equipment. The following points should be taken into account in setting up system grounding:
• The antenna should be mounted on a mast or tower that is well grounded to earth.
• All antenna lead connectors should be correctly installed to provide a good, solid connection to
the cable shield.
• Threaded couplings mating antenna lead connectors should be clean and tight; bayonet type
connectors should not be used.
• Weatherproof connectors must be used for outdoor connections to prevent corrosion, which will
interfere with grounding.
• All power and antenna grounds should be made common at a single point such as an equipment
rack, cabinet enclosure chassis, or antenna tower. This single-point ground should have a solid
ground connection to earth.
• If the unit is installed indoors, a surge arrestor or lightning protector should be installed at the
point where the antenna cable enters the building or cabinet. The lightning protector should be
properly grounded at the single-point chassis ground. Carefully follow the installation
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the protection device. Appropriate lightning
protectors are available from Wi-Lan Technologies Inc.
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
5 INSTALLATION AND SETUP
The VIP 110-24 units are shipped pre-configured to operate as “repeaters”. It is recommended that an
initial check be performed on the bench before a field installation.
For this bench check out you need two VIP 110-24 units. One of the radios will be configured as the
“root” of the network and the other as a “repeater”. The first approach described below uses the
“Ethernet Console Program” to emulate the terminal across an Ethernet connection. The second
approach uses two terminals connected to the auxiliary port of the radios. Since the radio are to be
mounted close to the antenna and the use of the serial port will be inconvenient, UCW recommends
the use of the ethernet console program to communicate with and configure the radios.
5.1 Bench Check Out (using radio Ethernet connection)
In order to use the Ethernet connection you need the “Ethernet Console Program” (Econsole)
provided in a floppy disk. See Appendix E for installation instructions for Econsole. Once Econsole
is installed, perform the following steps.
1. Connect the PC Ethernet port to the “To LAN” connector of the Power Inserter Unit of the
repeater radio. Use an Ethernet crossover cable if connecting the PC directly to the Power
Inserter Unit, or use a straight cable if connecting through a hub.
2. Connect each Power Inserter Unit to the respective VIP 110-24 using a CAT 5 cable as defined in
section 2.
3. At the root radio connect the radio Antenna B port (N type connector) to an appropriate 2.4 GHz
band antenna using an RF coaxial cable.
4. At the repeater radio connect the radio Antenna A port to an appropriate 2.4 GHz band antenna
using an RF coaxial cable.
5. Connect the two Power Inserter Units to a power outlet. Make sure that the power supplies are
rated for the appropriate voltage (110 or 220 Volts AC).
6. At the PC open a DOS window and invoke the Econsole program by typing:
> econ
If only one radio is connected to the LAN, ECON will establish a connection with that radio. If
more than one radio are in the same LAN ECON provides a list of all radios found (see
Appendix E for more detailed instructions on the use of Econsole). Once a connection to the
radio is established, the radio outputs the prompt:
ucw-nnnnn #>
where nnnnn are the last five digits of the radio serial number (if the radio had previously been
configured the prompt will be the radio “name”).
7. Set the “repeater” VIP 110-24 to its factory default configuration by typing the commands:
> load factory
> save-configuration
> logout
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
8. Move the Ethernet cable from the repeater power inserter to the power inserter connected to the
root radio. At the DOS window invoke once again the Econsole program. Configure the second
radio (defined as the “root”) by typing the commands:
9. Once a radio is configured as the root it will establish a RF communication with the second radio.
To verify this connection type:
> show radio-node
Verify that the two radios are listed with the correct serial numbers. The output also displays the
transmit RF power and Receive Signal Strength (RSSI) in both link directions.
10. Once the link is established, Econsole can be used to configure the local or the remote radio. In
order to switch the Econsole connection, logout of the current connection and re-invoke
Econsole:
> logout
> econ
Econsole will list the two radios and give a choice to connect to either. Section 6 describes the
command language used to further modify the radio’s operating parameters.
5.2 Bench Check Out (using radio auxiliary ports)
1. Connect each VIP 110-24 Auxiliary Port to a terminal, or a PC running a terminal emulation
program. Configure the terminal settings as follows:
9. At the terminal connected to the repeater radio enter the command:
> show radio-node
Verify that the root node is listed with the correct serial number. The output also displays the
transmit RF power and Receive Signal Strength (RSSI) in both link directions.
10. The terminal connected to each radio can be used to further modify the radio’s operating
parameters. Section 6 describes the command language used to perform those functions.
5.3 Field Installation
NOTICE
The antennas for the VIP 110-24 must be professionally installed on permanent structures for outdoor
operations. The installer is responsible for ensuring that the limits imposed by the applicable
regulatory agency (Federal Communications Commission, FCC, or CE) with regard to Maximum
Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) and Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) are not
violated. These limits are described in the following sections.
5.3.1 Antenna Installation
The VIP 110-24 is typically attached to a pole (with the clamp provided) with the antenna connectors
facing up. For optimum performance the radio must be mounted in close proximity to the antenna
with a cable run typically under 2 meters (6 feet). For the VIP 110-24, Wi-Lan Technologies Inc.
provides the three antenna types listed below:
Antenna TypeGainWTI Model Number
Omnidirectional9 dBiOA2.4-9
Yagi17 dBiDA2.4-17
Dish Reflector24 dBiDA2.4-24
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Antennas at each end of the link must be mounted such that they have the same polarization, and
directional antennas must be carefully oriented towards each other. The choice of polarization
(horizontal vs. vertical) is, in many cases, arbitrary. However, many potentially interfering signals
are polarized vertically and an excellent means of reducing their effect is to mount the system
antennas for horizontal polarization.
Of those antennas listed above, the two directional antennas can be mounted for horizontal or vertical
polarization, while the omnidirectional antenna can only be mounted for vertical polarization.
Horizontally polarized omnidirectional antennas are available upon special request.
Proper grounding of the antenna is important for lightning protection as well as to prevent electrical
noise interference from other sources. The antenna should be mounted to a mast or tower that is well
grounded to Earth. Use threaded connectors to mate to the antenna lead connectors and check that all
connectors are clean and tight. Use weatherproof connectors in all outdoor couplings. We
recommend using “rubber mastic tape” like Scotch 2228 from 3M to further weatherproof outdoor
connections.
In locations where it is warranted, install lightning protectors at the N type connectors leading to the
antennas. You may also want to install a surge arrestor/lightning protection on the Ethernet cable
where it connects to the equipment rack. The lightning protectors should be properly grounded.
Carefully follow the installation instructions provided by the manufacturer of the lightning protection
device used.
5.3.2 Antenna Alignment
When mounting the high gain antenna (24 dBi), the proper antenna alignment is extremely important
since the beam-width of the antenna is very narrow. Once you perform a rough alignment and the
link is in operation, you can use the “monitor-link” and “antenna-alignment-aid” commands to fine
tune the alignment. Before using those commands type:
> show
to list the existing links and identify the remote radio number that you want to align the antenna to. In
a typical VINE network, the high gain antenna is on port A pointing at the parent. In this case the
parent is always radio #3. However you can also use these tools to align antenna B to point to any
specific child.
Once you know the remote radio number (N) type the command:
> monitor-link #N
in order to update, every half second, the link statistics including the RSSI level at both ends of the
link. The antenna can then be aligned so that the RSSI is maximized.
Since in many applications the antenna is on a tower where it is not practical to have a terminal
nearby, the VIP 110-24 has an additional “antenna alignment aid” available at the outdoor unit. This
feature uses the three pin “Auxiliary port” connector to output an audio signal with a pitch
proportional to the receive signal strength. Wi-LAN provides a special cable adapter that converts the
three-pin connector into a standard female audio jack. Use this cable to connect the three-pin
connector to a pair of standard headphones while aligning the antenna. At a terminal session issue the
command:
>aaa audio #3 (aaa is an abbreviation for “antenna-alignment-aid”)
and then align the antenna until you hear the highest audio pitch.
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Once the antenna is aligned you may type the command:
>aaa off
to turn off the audio signal and revert the auxiliary port connector to console mode.
5.3.3 Spectrum Analysis and channel selection
Radio operation in unlicensed bands has the potential of suffering from interference from other
equipment operating in the same band. The use of directive antennas (used for the upstream
connection), greatly reduces the potential for interference. In addition, the VIP 110-24 includes
several features, described below, to identify and overcome sources of interference.
The VIP 110-24 can be commanded to perform a spectrum analysis of the ISM band and report the
results in either a graphical or tabular form. The command:
>spectrum-analysis input=a-antenna dwell=xx
instructs the radio to scan the entire band, dwelling on each channel for a programmable amount of
time, and record the highest signal level in that channel. This feature can be used to perform a site
survey and identify the best receive channel for the specific link.
Note that even though the VIP 110-24 channels are spaced 2 MHz apart, the receiver RF bandwidth is
approximately 18 MHz. Therefore the RSSI value reported for each channel represents the total
energy in an 18 MHz band centered around that channel. For this reason, a narrow band transmitter
will show up in the spectrum analysis report as a lobe with 18 MHz bandwidth. Conversely, you do
not need to find a quiet 18 MHz wide region in the spectrum analysis report to select a quiet channel,
i.e., any single channel sample that shows a low “noise” level, is a good candidate to select a s a
receive channel.
Once a potential receive channel has been identified using the spectrum analysis tool, a “timing
analysis” may also be used to confirm that the selected channel is indeed clear. The command:
instructs the radio to dwell on the specified channel for the specified amount of time. After taking
several samples the radio displays the signal level detected in that channel over time.
At installation time you may also want to use the command:
>monitor-environment
This command sets the radio in receive only mode dwelling consecutively in each of the channels
shown in the “display configuration” report. For each packet received the radio identifies its source
and whether the packet is a “new node poll” (NNP) or otherwise. Among all the sources that
broadcast new node polls in the “rf-from-parent” channel, the radio identifies the one with the
strongest signal. This is indicated with the “>>” characters in the left column of the report. When the
monitor environment mode is exited (by depressing any key), the radio will first attempt to attach to
that potential parent. Refer to section 6 for more details about this command.
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5.3.4 Output Power Limits (FCC)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations limit the maximum Effective Isotropic
Radiated Power (EIRP) for spread spectrum systems operating in the 2.4 GHz band. Close to the band
edges, the output power must be limited to avoid spilling over into the FCC protected band from
2.4835 GHz to 2.500 GHz. The table below takes these considerations into account and shows the
maximum allowed output power for the various antennas
Maximum Output Power (dBm)
ChannelFrequencyAntenna Gain
(MHz)9 dBi17 dBi24 dBi
52410.0232221
62412.0232322
72414.0232322
82416.0232322
92418.0232322
10 to 30232323
312462.0232222
322464.0232019
332466.0211817
342468.0201716
352470.0201715
5.3.5 Output Power Limits (CE)
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) regulations impose a limit of 20 dBm
as the maximum Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) for direct sequence spread spectrum
systems operating in the 2.4 GHz band. The installer must reduce the output power of the VIP 110-24
so that this limit is not exceeded. The antenna gain, cable and connector losses must be taken into
account when computing the maximum output power.
5.3.6 Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) Limitations
The installer must mount all transmit antennas so as to comply with the limits for human exposure to
radio frequency (RF) fields per paragraph 1.1307 of the FCC Regulations . The FCC requirements
incorporate limits for Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) in terms of electric field strength,
magnetic field strength, and power density.
Antenna installations must be engineered so that MPE is limited to 1 mW/cm
limit for "uncontrolled environments". The table below specifies the minimum distance that must be
maintained between the antenna and any areas where persons may have access, including rooftop
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
walkways, sidewalks, as well as through windows and other RF-transparent areas behind which
persons may be located.
Minimum Distance calculation to
avoid Antenna Radiation Hazard (exposure of 1 mW/cm
2
)
Antenna Gain (dBi):91724
Max. Output Power
MPE safe distance (cm)
232323
11*28*63*
*NOTE: For fixed location transmitters, the minimum separation
distance is 2 m, even if calculations indicate a lower MPE distance.
5.4 Upgrading the Firmware.
5.4.1 Description
The operational firmware for the VIP 110-24 is stored in Flash PROM and can be easily updated.
The Flash PROM can hold multiple versions of the firmware simultaneously. The table below lists
some of the “File Utility” commands used to download and manage the various files stored in Flash
PROM. A more detailed explanation for each command can be found in section 6.
File Utility command summary
CommandDescription
directoryLists all files stored in Flash PROM
delete-file filenamedeletes the specified file from the directory
download-file path/filenamedownloads the specified file from the PC path/filename
into the Flash PROM
set-default-program filename
Sets the indicated filename as the default program to run
after power up
run-file filenameloads the indicated program into RAM and executes it.
New firmware versions are made available from time to time at the following Wi-Lan Technologies
Inc. website:
http://www.ucwireless.com/software/vip11024.shtml
The firmware files are named:
vipNN_NN.bin (binary file for downloads through the Ethernet port)
vipNN_NN.dwn (ascii file for download through the serial port, or via Telnet)
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where NN_NN is the firmware version number. The website contains instructions for transferring the
files into your PC.
A new file can be downloaded into the radios in one of three ways: (1) Using the “econ” program
running in a PC connected to the same physical LAN as one of the radios in a VINE network. This is
the fastest method and allows you to download to every radio in the VINE from the same PC. (2)
Using a Telnet session from anywhere on the Internet. This requires the radio to have been preconfigured with an IP address. (3) Using a terminal emulator program (e.g. HyperTerminal) running
on a PC connected through the serial port to the radio RS-232 auxiliary port. This method only
allows you to download to that specific radio.
The next three sessions explain in detail how to download a new file using each method.
5.4.2 Installing new firmware through the Ethernet port
This procedure assumes that the new firmware needs to be installed in all radios of a working VINE
network. The upgrade is performed from a single PC connected via Ethernet to any one of the radios
in the network. Note that new firmware does not need to be compatible with the firmware currently
running. You can still download incompatible firmware and restart the whole network from a single
location.
1. If you have not done so, install the utility program “econ” in the PC. This utility program is
distributed with the radios and can also be downloaded from the website. Please refer to
appendix E for instructions on how to install this utility.
2. Make sure the file with the new firmware (file vipNN_NN.bin) is available in the PC.
3. Start the econsole utility by typing “econ” from a DOS window. Verify that the econ version is
1.06 or greater (if not download the latest version from the website). Econ will send a
“discovery” message and display all the radios that can be seen. Verify that all radios in the
network are listed. Then select one of the radios to log-on to that particular radio.
4. Issue the command:
>version
If the radio firmware version is 1.03, you must use the instructions found on Application Note
137. This application note can be found on our web site at: www.ucwireless.com/appnotes/. For
version 1.04 or higher proceed as follows.
5. Issue the command:
>directory
to view a list of files stored in Flash PROM as well as the available free space. Verify that the
free space in flash PROM is larger than the size of the vipNN_NN.bin file in the PC. If there is
not enough space in Flash PROM delete one of the program files to make up space (use command
>delete filename).
6. If the radio configuration has been password protected, you must first unlock the protection with
the command:
>unlock enable-configuration=password
(when the configuration is unlocked, the radio prompt ends with the characters ‘#>. In locked
mode the prompt does not include the ‘#’ character).
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7. Issue the command:
>download path/vipNN_NN
where path/ is the directory in the PC where the vipNN_NN.bin file is stored. The path/
extension is not required if the file is in the same directory as the ECON program. As the
download proceeds econ displays a line showing the current percentage complete.
8. Once the download is complete, issue the command:
>set-default-program vipNN_NN
in order to make the new file the default program to run after a reset.
9. Issue the command:
>single-node-reboot-timeout 60
in order to speed up the network recovery after rebooting the root node below (this step is not
necessary if the new firmware is known to be compatible with the old one but it does not hurt in
either case).
10. Depress the “F4” key (“F6” for Econ versions 1.05 and 1.06) to log-off the session with the
current radio. “Econ” displays the list of all radios from the initial discovery phase. Select the
next radio and repeat steps 4 through 9.
11. Once all radios in the network have the new program, log onto the root radio (using econsole) and
issue the command:
>reboot
to cause the root radio to restart using the new firmware.
12. If the new firmware is compatible with the old one, all radios will reattach to the root in a short
time (with the root running the new version and all other radios running the old version).
If the new firmware is incompatible with the old one, the non-root radios may not attach to the
root. In this case, after 60 seconds, the non-root radios that did not reattach will reboot. Those
radios will now execute the new firmware and be able to attach to the root. In either case the
whole network should be back up and running in less than two minutes.
13. After waiting an appropriate amount of time press <CR>. Econsole automatically attempts to
reconnect to the root radio. Once a new session with that radio is reopened issue the command:
> version
and check that the root radio is indeed executing the new version. Then issue the command:
>show
to verify that all nodes in the network have reattached.
14. Depress the “F4” key (“F6” for Econ versions 1.05 and 1.06) to log-off the session with the
current radio. “Econ” displays the list of all radios from the initial discovery phase. Select a
different radio and issue the command:
>version
and check if that radio is running the new or old version. If the radio is already running the new
version repeat this step with the next radio. Otherwise perform the next step.
15. If the radio is running the old version issue the command:
>reboot
Wait a few seconds for the radio to perform its start up code and reattach to the network. Then
press <CR>. Econsole automatically attempts to reconnect to the same radio again. Once a new
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session with that radio is reopened issue the command:
> version
and check that the radio is indeed executing the new version.
16. Repeat the previous two steps until all the radios are running the new firmware.
Note that the file downloads are executed with the network in full operation. The only downtime in
the network occurs when the radios are rebooting. The radio configuration is kept intact when a new
version is started. The downtime for the radio being restarted, and all its children, is typically less
than twenty seconds. When upgrading to an incompatible version, the downtime will be less than two
minutes.
5.4.3 Installing new firmware using Telnet
Telnet is a protocol that allows you to conduct a remote radio command session from a local host.
The radio must have been pre-configured with an IP address and be reachable, over the network, from
the local host. Refer to section 7 for details on how to configure a radio IP address and initiate a
Telnet session. The Telnet terminal emulation must have the capability of sending an ASCII file to
the remote machine. The following description assumes you are using Hyperterminal as the local
Telnet terminal emulation.
1. Verify that the new software is available in the local machine. The download software for
upgrade via Telnet must have a “.dwn” extension, e.g., vip01_05.dwn.
2. Initiate a Telnet session with the radio as described in section 7.
3. If the radio configuration has been password protected, you must first unlock the protection with
the command:
>unlock enable-configuration=password
(when the configuration is unlocked, the radio prompt ends with the characters ‘#>. In locked
mode the prompt does not include the ‘#’ character).
4. Issue the command:
>directory
to view a list of files stored in Flash PROM as well as the available free space. Verify that there
is enough free space in flash PROM for the new file. The space required will be the size of the
vipNN_NN.dwn file divided by 2.5. If there is not enough space in Flash PROM delete one of
the program files to make up space (use command >delete filename).
5. Start the download process by typing:
>download-file destination=vipNN_NN method=inline
where NN_NN file is new version of software being installed.
6. The radio will return with the following:
“Send the file ... if incomplete, end with a line with just a period”
When you get this prompt, go to “Transfer-Send Text file…” in Hyperterminal and select the file
to be installed. The file must have a “.dwn” extension.
7. After the file is successfully installed issue the command:
>directory
to insure that the file has been loaded into memory.
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8. Issue the command:
>set-default-program filename=vipNN_NN
where NN_NN file is new version of software being installed.
9. Issue the command:
>reboot
to restart the radio with the new software. Close the Telnet session, wait a few seconds and open
a new session with the same radio.
10. Issue the command:
>version
to insure the radio is running the latest version.
5.4.4 Installing new firmware using the RS-232 serial port
On occasion, it may be necessary to install new firmware using the RS-232 port. This is generally a
less desirable method as the download time is much longer and you can only update the radio that is
directly connected to the PC, i.e., remote updates are not possible.
The serial upgrade uses a PC with a terminal emulator. Any emulator can be used, however, it must
have the facility to download a text file on demand. In the example below, the emulator used is
Windows Hyperterminal.
1. Connect the VIP 110-24 Auxiliary Port (3 pin circular connector) to a terminal, or a PC running a
terminal emulation program. A special adapter cable is supplied by Wi-LAN. Configure the
terminal settings as follows:
2. Verify that the new software is available in the PC. The download software for the serial upgrade
must have a “.dwn” extension, e.g., vip01_05.dwn.
3. To have the shortest download time possible, set the radio to use the highest RS-232 speed
allowable on the PC. In this example, a download speed of 57600 baud will be used. Set the
console speed of the radio to 57600 baud by issuing the command:
>console-speed-bps 57600
4. Change the baud rate of the PC to match the radio. Remember that with Hyperterminal, you must
disconnect the session and re-connect before the changes will take effect. Verify the PC
communicates with the radio again.
5. If the radio configuration has been password protected, you must first unlock the protection with
the command:
>unlock enable-configuration=password
(when the configuration is unlocked, the radio prompt ends with the characters ‘#>. In locked
mode the prompt does not include the ‘#’ character).
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6. Issue the command:
>directory
to view a list of files stored in Flash PROM as well as the available free space. Verify that there
is enough free space in flash PROM for the new file. The space required will be the size of the
vipNN_NN.dwn file divided by 2.5. If there is not enough space in Flash PROM delete one of
the program files to make up space (use command >delete filename).
7. Start the download process by typing:
>download-file destination=vipNN_NN method=inline
where NN_NN file is new version of software being installed.
8. The radio will return with the following:
“Send the file ... if incomplete, end with a line with just a period”
When you get this prompt, go to “Transfer-Send Text file…” in Hyperterminal and select the file
to be installed. The file must have a “.dwn” extension.
9. After the file is successfully installed issue the command:
>directory
to insure that the file has been loaded into memory.
10. Issue the command:
>set-default-program filename=vipNN_NN
where NN_NN file is new version of software being installed.
11. Issue the command:
>reboot
to restart the radio with the new software. Remember to change the PC Hyperterminal settings
back to 9600 baud and disconnect/re-connect the session.
12. Issue the command:
>version
to insure the radio is running the latest version.
5.4.5 Feature upgrades
The VIP 100-24 has the ability to turn ON or OFF optional features and capabilities. This is done via
the use of the “license” command. This command requires a “key” that is specific to a particular
radio serial number and capability. To obtain a feature key, you must supply the specific model
number, the serial number, and the feature desired. Please contact your local distributor for a list of
optional features available for your radio.
Refer to Section 6.10 under “license” for the specific use of the license command.
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6 COMMANDS
6.1 Configuration techniques
There are three ways to configure the radio. One uses the auxiliary port at the bottom of the unit and
consists of an asynchronous RS-232 link used for issuing configuration commands and monitoring
the local radio status and performance. This port is always set to operate with the following
parameters:
This console port allows configuring and monitoring only the local radio, i.e. you can not monitor and
configure any of the remote radios reachable through RF.
A preferred configuration method uses the Ethernet connection to the radio to perform the
configuration. This approach has the advantage that any radio reachable across the Ethernet, or the
RF link, can be configured from a single PC. Additionally the Ethernet connection is more readily
available indoors than the console port.
In order to use the Ethernet connection to configure the radios the “Ethernet Console Program”
(Econsole) needs to be installed at a PC. This PC must be connected to the LAN where one or more
VIP 110-24 is connected. From this PC it is then possible to configure not only the radios directly
connected to the LAN, but also all other radios reachable through one or more RF hops. Refer to
Appendix E for instructions on the installation of Econsole.
The third configuration method is using Telnet from a remote location. Telnet is explained in more
detail in section 7.
After power up the radio performs several diagnostic and calibration tests. At the end of these tests it
outputs the command prompt. The default prompt is:
ucw-nnnnn #>
where nnnnn are the last five digits of the radio serial number. If a node “name” has been assigned to
the node, the prompt will be that name.
The “help” command provides a list of all the commands available. To get more detailed help for a
specific command, type “help command-name”. Appendix A lists all the commands available.
The radio keeps a history of several of the previously issued commands. Those commands can be
viewed by pressing the up-arrow and down-arrow keys on the keyboard. Any of those previously
issued commands can then be edited and reentered by pressing the <Carriage Return> key.
6.2 Command syntax
The command interpreter in the VIP 110-24 is designed to accommodate both a novice as well as an
expert operator. All commands and parameters have descriptive names so that they are easily
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remembered and their meaning is clear. In order to be descriptive however, those commands are
sometimes long. As the operator becomes familiar with the command language, typing the complete
words could become cumbersome. The VIP 110-24 command interpreter recognizes any
abbreviations to commands and parameter names, as long as they are unambiguous. If an ambiguous
command is entered, the radio will output all possible choices.
Commands have the following generic form:
command parameter=value parameter=value
Following is a brief list of syntax rules:
• Words (for commands, parameters, or values) can be abbreviated to a point where they are
unambiguous.
• Some commands or parameters consist of compound words separated by an hyphen. With
compound words, the hyphen is optional. Additionally each word in a compound word can be
abbreviated separately. For example, the following are all valid abbreviations for the command
“save-configuration”: “save”, “savec” s-c” “sc”.
• The parameter and value lists are context sensitive, i.e., in order to solve ambiguities the
command interpreter only considers parameters valid for current command, or values valid for the
current parameter.
• The arguments “parameter=value” must be entered with no blank spaces on either side of the ‘=’
sign. Those arguments (parameter/value pairs) can be listed in any order.
• Even though parameters can be listed in any order, there is a “natural” order known by the
command interpreter. This allows the user to specify parameter values without having to type the
parameter names. For example the command
>spectrum-analysis input=a-antenna display=table
can be entered as (using abbreviation rules as well):
>spa a t
• Using the preceding rule, for commands that have a single argument, the “parameter name” part
of the argument is always optional, i.e., you can enter:
>command value
For example the command:
>show-tables table=radio-nodes
can be shortened to any of the following:
>show-tables radio-nodes
>show radio
>show rn
>sh
• Not all parameters associated with a command need to be specified. Depending on the command,
when a parameter is omitted it either assumes a default value or keeps the last value assigned to
that parameter.
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The following sections describe the various commands grouped according to their functionality. A
summary list of all commands are contained in Appendices A and B.
6.3 Configuration Management Commands
A “radio configuration” consists of a set of programmable parameters that define the radio operation
with regard to a variety of operating modes. The radio holds four configurations at all times,
identified as “current”, “main”, “alternate”, and “factory”.
The “main” and “alternate” configurations are both stored in non-volatile memory. They can be
loaded into the “current” configuration with the “load” command. On power up the radio loads the
“main” configuration from non-volatile memory into the current configuration.
The “current” configuration is the set of parameters currently being used and can be modified by the
operator through several commands. This configuration is volatile. If the current configuration has
been modified it should be saved using the “save” command. Otherwise the modifications will be
lost if power is removed.
The “factory” configuration can not be modified by the operator and is used to return the radio to the
factory default condition. It is useful as a starting point to create a customized configuration.
The access to change the radio configuration can be password protected. This password is set by the
user with the “change-password” command. Once a password is set, issue the “lock” command to
prevent any unauthorized changes to the configuration. Once locked, the configuration can only be
modified by issuing the “unlock” command with the correct password.
When the configuration is unlocked, the radio prompt ends with the characters ‘#>’ to remind the user
that the configuration is unlocked. In locked mode the prompt does not include the ‘#’ character.
Once a password is set, the radio will automatically lock the configuration after 10 minutes without
any commands being issued.
The configuration management commands are listed below:
change-password
enable-configuration=”ASCII string”
This command allows the user to set or change a password used to “lock” and “unlock” access
to the commands that change the radio configuration. The VIP 110-24 is shipped with no
password which allows access to all commands. Once a password is set and the configuration
is locked, the password is needed to unlock the access to those commands. After changing the
password you should also issue the “save-configuration” command to save the new password in
non-volatile memory.
Examples:
> change-password enable-configuration=bh7g8
The VIP 110-24 is shipped with no password. If the “change-password” command is issued make
sure you do not forget the password. Once locked, without a password, the radio must be returned to
the factory to be unlocked.
WARNING
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display-configuration
source= current or main or alternate or factory
Displays all the parameter values for the specified configuration. If the source is not specified
it defaults to “current”. A sample output is shown below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- NODE Name: Bank Network ID: 42
Type: Leaf Location: Wall Street
Anchor: No Contact: Greenspan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- IP Address: 207.154.90.81 | SNMP Manager Community Access
Netmask: 255.255.255.0 | 1 207.154.103.12 public g
Gateway: 207.154.90.1 | 2 207.154.103.18 public gst
| 3
Time Zone: PST | 4
--------------------------------+----------------------------------------- FLOW RATES(kbps): TX RX | RF-LINKS: Ch Spd Pwr Ant
Minimum 10 10 | * To Parent: 11 23 A
Maximum 10000 10000 | * From Parent: 5 11 23 A
| From Children: 25 B
Max Cycle (ms): 100 | NN Poll 1: 5 18 B
Max Bytes/cycle: 76000 | NN Poll 2: 35 18 B
--------------------------------+----------------------------------------- ETHERNET | Single Node Reboot Timeout (sec): 900
Station t/o (sec): 30 | Antenna Alignment Aid: Off
Multicast t/o (sec): 600 |
Speed: Auto (10 FD) | EVENT-LOG-LEVELS - Print: 3 Save: 5
A few notes about this display:
1. The Network ID field is only displayed if the configuration is unlocked. Otherwise it will
be blank.
2. The “asterisks” in the RF-LINKS field indicate which links are active for the current
configuration. In the example above, since the radio is configured as a “leaf”, only the
links “to” and “from” the parent are relevant.
The following table maps the parameters displayed to the command that is used to change those
parameters. Refer to the command for additional information about those parameters.
Examples:
> display-configuration source=current
> discon
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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
Field / ParameterCommand
NODEnode
IPip-configuration
SNMPsnmp
FLOW-RATESmax-flow-rate
RF-LINKSrf-from-parent
ETHERNETethernet
Single Node Reboot Timeoutsingle-node-reboot-timeout
Antenna Alignment Aidantenna-alignment-aid
EVENT-LOG-LEVELSmax-event
min-flow-rate
rf-to-parent
rf-from-children
rf-nnp-1
rf-nnp-2
load-configuration
source=main or alternate or factory
Loads the specified configuration into the current set of parameters controlling the radio
operation. If no source is specified it defaults to the “main” configuration.
Examples:
> load-configuration source=factory
> load
lock
This command locks the access to all the commands that can alter the radio configuration.
Once locked use the “unlock” command to regain access to those commands. Note that a
password must be set prior to the “lock” command being issued (the radios are shipped with no
password), otherwise the lock command has no effect. If a password is set, the radio
automatically “locks” the configuration at the end of 10 minutes with no command activity.
save-configuration
destination=main or alternate
Saves the current set of radio operating parameters into one of the two non-volatile
configurations. If the destination is not specified it defaults to main.
Examples:
> save-configuration destination=alternate
> save
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unlock
enable-configuration=”ASCII string”
This command, with the correct password, unlocks the access to the commands that allow the
radio configuration to be altered.
Examples:
> unlock enable-configuration=bh7g8
6.4 Major Configuration Parameters
These commands change several operating parameters of the radio that are part of the radio
“configuration”. When entering commands with multiple parameters, if a parameter is not
included, that parameter keeps its current value.
max-flow-rate
transmit-kbps=1…10000
Specifies the maximum data rate that the radio will accept from its Ethernet port to be offered
into the VINE RF network, even during idle periods.
receive-kbps=1…10000
Specifies the maximum data rate that the anchor radio will accept from its Ethernet, addressed
to this specific node, even during idle periods.
Specifies the minimum data rate that the radio will accept from the Ethernet port to be offered
into the VINE network, even during congested periods. This is equivalent to the “Committed
Information Rate (CIR)” in a frame relay environment.
receive-kbps=1…8000
Specifies the minimum data rate that the anchor radio will accept from its Ethernet, addressed
to this specific node, even during congested periods. This is equivalent to the “Committed
Information Rate (CIR)” in a frame relay environment.
Examples:
> min-flow-rate transmit-kbps=500
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node
network-id=0…4,294,967,295
The network ID is a network wide value that needs to be the same for all the nodes in the
network. When a new node attempts to attach to the network, it transmits the network ID. The
parent radio checks if this network ID matches its own network ID. If this check fails the new
node is not admitted into the network.
name=”ASCII string”
Gives the node a meaningful name for further reference. This name will be used as the
command prompt. It is also used to identify the node in a variety of commands and displays.
The name field can be up to 11 characters with no spaces. If spaces are desired, you may
include the whole name in quotation marks.
type=root or repeater or leaf
The node type defines the operation of the radio within the VINE network (see section 3). The
type can be set to one of three values:
root: The root radio is the logical hub of the network and controls the network timing. There
must be only one root in a VINE network. The root radio is the only radio in the VINE
network that has no “parent”. The root radio periodically transmits “new node polls” to
acquire new children.
repeater: The repeater nodes are subsidiary to the root or other repeaters. A repeater node acts
as a slave to its parent and as a master to its children. Repeaters also keep searching for
new child nodes by performing “new node polls”.
leaf: A leaf node is just like a repeater except that it does not perform new node polls. This
results in a slight optimization of network timing.
anchor=yes or no
Some network applications have the characteristic that the traffic to all radios is originated at a
single node in the network. That same node is also the destination of all traffic transmitted by
all other radios. This is the case for an Internet Access application for example. For these
applications this special node should be designated as the “anchor” (only one node in the
network should be the anchor). The anchor node enforces the receive flow rates that are
specified with the “min-flow-rate” and “max-flow-rate” commands for each radio.
It is generally more efficient to make the anchor node the same as the root node although it is
not necessary to do so.
location=”ASCII string”
Optional parameter to define the location of the node. This field is displayed in the “Displayconfiguration” output and also reported through SNMPThis field is used for information only. .
The location string can be up to 25 characters with no spaces. If spaces are desired, you may
include the whole string in quotation marks.
contact=”ASCII string”
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Optional parameter to define the contact for maintenance purposes. This field is displayed in
the “Display-configuration” output and also reported through SNMP. This field is used for
information only. The contact string can be up to 25 characters with no spaces. If spaces are
desired, you may include the whole string in quotation marks.
After power up, a non-root radio attempts to get attached to a parent radio by responding to a
“new node poll” transmitted periodically by the root and repeater radios. If a radio fails to get
attached (or drops an existing attachment), it will perform a complete reset after the timeout
specified in this command.
Similarly, if a root radio has no children for the timeout specified by this command, it will
perform a reset.
This feature is useful if a command is issued to a remote radio changing its parameters in such a
way that breaks the link to its parent. In that case the remote radio will drop its attachment to
the network, wait for the “single-node-reboot-timeout” and then perform a reset. As a result,
the radio reverts to the saved configuration, allowing it to get reattached to the network.
This command configures the channel, speed, and transmit power used in the RF transmissions
from the parent to this node. When the radio gets attached to the network, it passes these values
to the parent, which will use them in all future RF transmissions to this radio.
Note that for the radio to get attached, the channel selected by this command must match one of
the two “new node poll” channels of the parent. See commands rf-nnp-1 and rf-nnp-2.
Example:
> rffp ch=15 sp=2 po=10
rf-nnp-1
channel=5..35
power-dbm=0..23
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A node configured as a root or repeater periodically transmits “new node poll” (NNP) packets
in one, or optionally two, channels. Nodes that are not yet in the network respond to these poll
packets in order to get attached.
This command configures the channel and power used for transmissions of NNP packets (the
speed is always 2 Mbps). NNP transmissions in a second channel can be turned on using the
“rf-nnp-2” command. Note that the children of this radio must have the “rf-from-parent”
channel match one of the two NNP channels.
Once a node is attached to the network, the speed and transmit power for the RF links between
this node to the child are configured, at the child radio, with the “rf-from-parent” and “rf-toparent” commands.
Examples:
> rfnnp1 ch=15 po=18
rf-nnp-2
channel=5..35
power-dbm=0..23
enabled=0 or 1
A node configured as a root or repeater periodically transmits “new node poll” (NNP) packets
in one, or optionally two, channels. Nodes that are not yet in the network respond to these poll
packets in order to get attached.
This command configures the optional second channel and power used for transmissions of
NNP packets (the speed is always 2 Mbps). The “enable=0 or 1” parameter allows the
transmissions in this second channel to be turned off or on. Having a parent transmit NNPs in
two channels gives the children two receive channel choices. Note that the children of this
radio must have the “rf-from-parent” channel match one of the two NNP channels.
Once a node is attached to the network, the speed and transmit power for the RF links between
this node to the child are configured, at the child radio, with the “rf-from-parent” and “rf-toparent” commands.
Examples:
> rfnnp2 ch=35 po=18 en=1
rf-from-children
channel=5..35
This command configures the channel for transmissions by this radio’s children to this radio.
These packets are received on antenna B. The selected channel number is passed to the
children in the “new-node-poll” packets.
During installation, use the spectrum analysis command to determine the local interference seen
by antenna B. Then select a channel based on the noise/interference levels reported.
Examples:
> rffc 15
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rf-to-parent
speed-mbps= 1, 2, 5.5, 11
power-dbm=0..23
The RF speed and transmit power settings for each link are always stored in the child radio.
This command configures the speed and transmit power used in the RF transmissions from this
radio to its parent.
Example:
> rftp sp=2 p=16
6.5 Bridge Management Commands
Bridge management commands set and display the specific operating characteristics relating to the
operation of the radios as a network.
ethernet
speed=auto or 10hdx or 10fdx or 100hdx or off
Sets the ethernet port speed to auto-negotiate, 10Mbps half-duplex (10hdx), 10 Mbps fullduplex (10fdx), 100 Mbps half-duplex (100hdx) or turns the ethernet port off.
In installations requiring very long outdoors CAT5 cable, operation at 100 Mbps may become
unreliable. For this reason the auto-negotiate setting allows only 10 Mbps half or full-duplex.
For operation at 100 Mbps you need to specify that speed explicitly.
When the ethernet port is turned “off” no traffic is accepted from the ethernet port, but the radio
continues to operate over RF normally. This is useful for a radio configured as a repeater, if the
operator wants to turn off the user but needs to keep the service for radios downstream. Note
that once the ethernet port is turned off, it can only be turned back on through an RF connection
or the RS-232 console port.
timeout-sec=5..1800
Sets the time the radio will retain, in its internal table, Ethernet addresses obtained from the
network.
multi-cast-timeout-sec=5..3600
Sets the time the radio will retain, in its internal table, Ethernet multi-cast addresses obtained
from the network.
Examples:
> ethernet speed=10fdx timeout=100
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show-tables
table=radio-nodes or ethernet-stations or flow-control
fomat=counts or times
This command displays a variety of information about the overall VINE network. The contents
of the different tables are described below.
radio-nodes table
This display has three sections, listing first the current time, start time and temperature, then the
radio table itself and finally statistics about the links to its direct neighbors.
The “Current Time” and “Start Time” are shown in the format above if the “date” and/or “time”
commands have been issued, or the unit has been able to catch a Network Time Protocol packet
(NTP) since it was powered up. Otherwise the Start Time shows as 00:00:00 and the Current
Time displays the number of hours since the unit was powered up.
In the “radio table” there is one entry per radio in the whole VINE network. The first entry is
always the radio itself and has an index of 2 (index 1 reserved for broadcast traffic). If the
radio is not the root node the second entry (index 3) is always this node’s parent. The
remaining entries are for all other radios in the network. The “Route” column shows the direct
neighbor that packets are routed to when the packet final destination is the radio entry.
The subsequent table shows statistics for the links to each of this radio direct neighbors.
ethernet-stations table
This table can be displayed in two formats, “counts” (default) and “times”.
>show ethernet
Ethernet Stations:
--Discard-- --Forward- # MAC address IP address Radio from to from to
0 ff-ff-ff-ff-ff-ff 0 0 0 0 183
1 00-d0-39-00-2d-cb -2 0 0 209 165
2 00-a0-cc-66-8e-a6 207.154.90.171 2 136 54 139575 172
3 00-d0-39-00-2d-c3 4 0 0 0 0
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>show ethernet times
Ethernet Stations:
# MAC address IP address Radio MC Time added Idle
0 ff-ff-ff-ff-ff-ff 0 29-Nov 16:17:08
1 00-d0-39-00-2d-cb -2 29-Nov 16:17:08 0.01
2 00-a0-cc-66-8e-a6 207.154.90.171 2 29-Nov 16:17:15 0.00
3 00-d0-39-00-2d-c3 4 29-Nov 16:23:41 9.18
Both formats lists all the ethernet stations attached to any of the radios in the whole VINE
network. The tables lists the MAC (Ethernet) address of the station, and, if known, the IP
address. The “Radio” column the radio (as an index into the radio-nodes table) where that
station is physically attached.
The first entry in the table tracks broadcast traffic while the second entry is always the address
of the radio itself.
The “counts” format shows the cumulative number of ethernet packets that have been seen with
that MAC addresses in the “source” (from) or the “destination” (to) fields. In bridge mode the
radios are in “promiscuous” mode and look at all the ethernet packets in the Local Area
Network. The radios “discard” the packets that are known to be local, but “forward” all other
packets into the VINE RF network. These are accounted separately in the report.
The “times” format indicates whether that entry is for a “multicast” (MC) address, shows the
time when the station was added to the table, and how long since that address has been seen.
When the “idle” time exceeds the time specified by the “ethernet” command, that entry is
deleted from the table.
6.6 Internet Protocol (IP) Management Commands
The IP Management commands configure the radio IP protocol parameters which allow the radio to
be monitored and configured through Telnet and SNMP. Refer to section 7 for a more detailed
explanation on those two applications.
This command configures the radio IP address, netmask and gateway. The IP configuration is
optional and the radios are shipped with these parameters left blank. Once the IP configuration
has been initialized, the radios will reply to “ping” packets. The IP configuration is also
required in order to use the “ping”, “snmp” and “telnet” features.
Since all nodes in a VINE network are bridged together they all belong to the same “internet
network”.
This command causes the radio to “ping” the destination address and display the results. The
“ping” packet consists of an ICMP packet with a length specified by the “size-bytes”
parameter. The destination is any valid IP address. When the destination host receives the
packet it generates a reply of the same size. Upon receiving the reply the radio displays the
round trip delay. This process is repeated the number of times specified by the “count”
parameter (default to 4).
Example:
> ping 207.154.90.81 count=10 size=100
snmp
The radio runs an SNMP agent which allows up to four IP addresses to be specified as valid
SNMP managers. This command configures those IP addresses and the type of access allowed.
You can issue the command up to four times to specify each separate IP address manager. The
radios are shipped with all entries blank. While no entries are specified, the unit accepts SNMP
“get” requests from any IP address with the “public” community. Once one or more entries are
specified, the radio only responds to requests from the specific IP addresses listed. This list of
authorized managers is also used for validating Telnet requests.
Refer to section 7 for an overview of Network Management using SNMP and Telnet.
manager=<ip address>
Specifies one valid IP address where the SNMP manager or Telnet session will run.
community=<string>
Any string of up to 9 characters. For SNMP requests the “community” field in the request
packet from this IP address must match this parameter. For a Telnet session the username
entered when initiating the session from this IP address must match this string. If this
parameter is not specified it defaults to “public”. Note that you must always enter the
“manager” IP address in the same command line that sets the “community” value.
access=g or gs or gst or gt
SNMP access type authorized for this IP manager. Specify as any combination of three letters:
g (get), s (set) and t(trap). If this parameter is not specified it defaults to “get”. Note that you
must always enter the “manager” IP address in the same command line that sets the “access”
value.
authentication-traps=0 or 1
Specifies whether an “authentication trap” should be generated if a SNMP request is received
that can not be honored (due to invalid IP address, community or access fields). When enabled,
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all IP managers that have “trap” access will receive this trap.
delete=1..4
Allows deleting one entry in the SNMP table. The number 1..4 refer to the entry number as
listed in the “display configuration” report.
These commands are useful as installation aids and also for monitoring link statistics after the link is
established.
antenna-alignment-aid
output=audio or off
node= node-name or #node-number
With the antenna alignment aid set to “audio” the radio outputs, through the auxiliary port, an
audio signal with a pitch proportional to the Receive Signal Strengh (RSS) level of packets
received from the specified node. Wi-LAN provides a special cable adapter that converts the
three-pin auxiliary port connector into a standard female audio jack. Use this cable to connect
the auxiliary port to a pair of standard headphones while aligning the antenna.
The node parameter selects the remote radio that the antenna needs to be pointing to. You can
specify either the node name or the node number (preceded by the # character), as listed by the
“show” command. In order to align antenna A (at a leaf or repeater node), set the node
parameter to #3, which is always the parent radio.
In a typical VINE application antenna B is a widebeam antenna that may not require careful
alignment. However, in some situations antenna B can be a directional antenna and it may be
desirable to point it precisely to one of the node’s children (point to point application for
example). In that case set the “node” parameter to the child radio that you desire pointing the
antenna B to. In this case the RF link to the child needs to be up before the alignment aid can
be turned ON.
When the command to turn the audio output ON is issued, the radio displays a line indicating
which antenna is being aligned. Additionally the radio plays one of two short tunes identifying
antenna A or B.
While the antenna alignment is set to “audio” the RS-232 console output is not available.
When the antenna alignment output is set to “off” the auxiliary port output reverts to RS-232
console.
The antenna alignment output setting (“audio” or “off”) can also be saved as part of the radio
configuration. When the radio powers up with the alignment set to audio, the node number
defaults to #3 (parent node). This is useful to take a pre-configured radio to an installation site
with no need to turn the antenna alignment ON (through a terminal) after power up.
Example:
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>aaa audio #4
>aaa off
display-environment
When a non-root radio is powered up it automatically performs a “monitor-environment”
procedure (through antenna A and on the selected outbound channel), to identify the best parent
candidate. The “display-environment” command displays a report of the environment as seen
by the radio at the time it got attached to the network. Refer to the “monitor-environment”
command for details about this report.
monitor-environment
channel=0..50
input=a-antenna or b-antenna
The “monitor-environment” command sets the radio in receive only mode and collects packets
through the specified antenna. If the channel number is not specified, the radio dwells
consecutively in each of the channels that are currently specified (shown in the “display
configuration” report). Otherwise it will set the receiver continuously to the specified channel.
For each packet received the radio identifies its source and whether the packet is a “new node
poll” (NNP) or otherwise. While in this mode the radio refreshes a report periodically that
includes, for each source, a separate line with the statistics of the NNP packets and other
packets. These statistics include a cumulative count of packets received and the Received
Signal Strength (RSS) of those packets.
Among all the sources that broadcast new node polls in the “rf-from-parent” channel, the radio
identifies the one with the strongest signal. This is indicated with the “>>” characters in the left
column of the report. When the monitor environment mode is exited (by depressing any key),
the radio will first attempt to attach to that potential parent.
While the radio is in the monitor environment mode, it is detached from the network. For this
reason this mode can not be invoked from a remote radio. Additionally, a radio configured as
the root is not allowed to go into monitor environment mode since this would bring down the
whole network.
Example:
>monitor-environment ch=25 in=b
>monenv
monitor-flow
This command continuously displays the ethernet data rates between this radio and all the other
radios in the VINE network. It is particularly useful in applications with an “anchor” mode. In
that case, performing a “monitor-flow” at the anchor, allows tracking the current data rates in
the whole network. At the anchor the output also includes the information on the max and min
flow rates of each node.
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monitor-link
node= node-name or #node-number
clear=0 or 1
This command continuously displays link statistics with any of this radio’s direct neighbors.
The neighbor node is identified either by the node name or by the node number (as displayed
with the “show” command) preceded by the # character. The statistics include, for each
direction of the link, the channel, speed, transmit power, RSSI, link distance and cumulative
number of packets sent and lost.
The “clear=1” parameter clears the cumulative counts in the report.
input=a-antenna or b-antenna
display=graph or table
dwell-time-ms=0..1000
This command performs a scan of all the channels in the band, dwelling on each channel for the
specified amount of time (defaults to 20 milliseconds). While on each channel it measures the
RSSI for that channel and stores its peak value. It then displays the data collected in a
graphical or table formats (defaults to “graph”).
During the test the RF input into the radio can be selected between one of the two antennas.
Note that even though the VIP 110-24 channels are spaced 2 MHz apart, the receiver RF
bandwidth is approximately 18 MHz. Therefore the RSSI value reported for each channel
represents the total energy in an 18 MHz band centered around that channel. For this reason, a
narrow band transmitter will show up in the spectrum analysis report as a lobe with 18 MHz
bandwidth. Conversely, you do not need to find a quiet 18 MHz wide region in the spectrum
analysis report to select a quiet channel, i.e., any single channel sample that shows a low
“noise” level, is a good candidate to select as a receive channel.
If this command is issued remotely, the dwell time should be kept below 80 ms. This is
because while a spectrum analysis is being performed, the radio does not respond to polls from
the parent, or poll its children. If the command takes too long to execute, the node will be
dropped from the VINE network and the report will not be received by the remote station.
Examples:
>spectrum-analysis input=b-antenna
>spa dwell=500
test-rf-link
node=node-name or #node-number
packet-length-bytes=1…1500
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repeat-delay-ms=0…3000
This command performs an RF link test between any two radios in the VINE network. The
radio where the command is issued initiates the test by transmitting test packets to the radio
identified by the “node” parameter, which may be several hops away. The destination “node”
is identified either by the node name or by the node number (as displayed with the “show”
command) preceded by the # character. When the destination node receives a test packet, it
checks if it has missed any, and sends a reply packet back to the originating radio.
The test packets can be of any length specified by the user (defaults to the maximum length).
The “repeat-delay-ms” parameter specifies the time between packets. It defaults to zero, which
result in transmitting a new packet immediately after the reply to the previous packet is
received. The radio waits up to two seconds for the reply, then declares the packet missed and
restarts transmissions.
The originating radio continuously reports the cumulative count of packets transmitted, missed
packets at the remote radio and missed packets on the reply link (cumulative count as well as a
percentage of the total), and turn around time statistics (minimum, maximum and recent
average).
channel=0..50
input=a-antenna or b-antenna
display=graph or table
dwell-time-ms=1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500
This command measures the RSSI for a single channel over a period of time. Each “sample”
consists of the maximum RSSI measured during the dwell time specified (defaults to 20
milliseconds). After collecting 60 samples the RSSI values are displayed graphically or
numerically (defaults to “graph”).
In this test the RF input into the radio can be selected between one of the two antennas.
The VIP 110-24 keeps track of various significant events in an “event log”. This event log holds up
to 500 events. The first 100 entries in the log are filled sequentially after power up and are not
overwritten. The remaining 400 entries consist of the last 400 events recorded. All events are timetagged with system time.
Events are classified in different categories from level 0 (catastrophic error) to 7 (information).
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clear-log
region= all-events or reboot-reasons
This command clears the contents of the system event log from the specified “region”. After a
code upgrade it is recommended to clear the reboot reasons since the pointer in non-volatile
memory pointing to the reason message may no longer be valid.
display-log
region=end or beginning or all-events or reboot-reasons
length=1..500
id=0..200
min-level=0..7
max-level=0..7
This command outputs to the terminal the specified “region” of the event log. The “length”
parameter specifies the number of events to output (defaults to 10). The remaining parameters
provide filters to leave out specific events. If the “id” parameter is specified, only the event
identified by that id will be displayed. The “min-level” and “max-level” settings allow the user
to display only the events with the specified category range.
The “reboot-reasons” region of the event log consist of the last four events that that caused the
radio to reboot. These events are stored in non-volatile memory. The time tag in these events
is the time the radio was up since it was rebooted, not the time of day.
Sets the event severity level that should be saved or displayed. These two parameters are saved
as part of the configuration
save=0..7
Only events of the specified level or below will be saved in the event log.
print=0..7
Events of the specified level or below will be output to the terminal as they occur.
Examples:
>max-event print=6
6.9 File Utilities
The VIP 110-24 maintains a file system that allows multiple programs to be stored in either nonvolatile flash PROM or volatile RAM. New programs can be downloaded into the VIP110-24
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memory through the auxiliary port, through the Ethernet port, or to remote radios across RF links in a
VINE network.
One of the programs in flash PROM is designated as the default program to run after reboot. On
power up that program is copied from PROM into RAM and the code runs out of RAM.
Both sections of memory (non-volatile flash PROM and volatile RAM) are segregated into two
“directories”. The non-volatile flash PROM is called “flash” signifying the flash PROM and the
volatile RAM is called “tmp” signifying the temporary status of the program. Use the “directory”
command to view the programs loaded and whether they are in non-volatile or volatile memory.
Any program can be invoked with the command “run” without making it the default file. This is
useful when upgrading the software over an RF link as a way to ensure that the new code is working
correctly before making it the default.
console-speed-bps
baud-rate-bps=9600 or 19200 or 38400 or 57600 or 115200
Sets the Auxiliary port of the radio to the specified baud rate. This setting is not saved in the
radio configuration, the auxiliary port always powers up set for 9600 baud.
This command is useful to speed up the download process over the auxiliary port. Before
issuing the download command, use this command to change the radio console speed to the
highest baud rate supported by the PC. Then change the terminal settings to match the radio
speed. Issue the download command described below and initiate the transfer at the terminal.
Examples:
>console-speed-bps baud-rate-bps=115200
copy-file
source=filename
destination=filename
Copies the input-file into the output-file. If the memory location is not defined (flash or tmp),
the command assumes the flash directory.
Examples:
>copy-file tmp/vip01_02 vip01_02
delete-file
filename=filename
Deletes the specified file from RAM or Flash PROM. If the memory location is not defined
(flash or tmp), the command assumes the flash directory.
Examples:
>delete-file filename=vip01_03
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directory
format=short or full
Lists all the files currently stored in flash PROM and RAM, their size, the sectors occupied and
the MD5 checksum (full version). It also indicates which of the files is the default program.
Files stored in flash PROM have the flash/ prefix. Files stored in RAM have the tmp/ prefix.
Examples:
>directory full
download-file
source=path/filename
destination=filename
method=inline or binary
Downloads a program file from a PC to the VIP 110-24.
To download a file through the Ethernet port or across RF links you need to be running the
Econsole program on a PC attached to a radio through the Ethernet port. In this case the
program file must be in binary format (with extension .bin). The path/ in the source parameter
is the PC directory where the file resides. The program file is transferred to the VIP 110-24 and
is stored in the radio memory under the name specified by the destination parameter. If the
destination parameter is omitted, the file will be stored in Flash PROM with the same name as
the source. Note that the “.bin” extension is not needed in the command. The download
“method” to use must be “binary” (which is the default).
Example:
>download C:\ucw\vip01_12
download the file vip01_12.bin from the PC directory C:\UCW into the VIP110-24
flash/vip01_12
If the download is performed from a terminal connected to the Auxiliary port, the file is in
ASCII format and has the extension .dwn. The download method must be “inline”. The source
parameter is not needed since, after issuing the command, the user must initiate the transfer of
the file from the terminal.
Example:
>download destination=vip01_12 method=inline
After issuing the command initiate the file transfer using the terminal facilities..
run
filename=filename
Executes the specified file. The file is first copied into RAM and then the program is executed
out of RAM. If the radio is rebooted or power cycled, the radio reverts back to the program
defined as the default boot program. If the memory location is not defined (flash or tmp), the
command assumes the flash directory.
Examples:
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>run vip01_04
set-default-program
filename=filename
Sets the specified file as the default program to be loaded upon reboot or power cycle. Since
the default program must reside in flash memory, the “flash/” prefix is assumed and is not
required for the command.
Examples:
>set-default-program vip01_04
6.10 Miscellaneous commands
date
The VIP 110-24 will set the internal radio date and time automatically by decoding Network
Time Protocol (NTP) packets in the Ethernet LAN. The “zone” parameter specified with the
“date” or “time” command will then be used to display the date/time in local time. The “zone”
value is saved as part of the radio configuration.
If NTP packets are not available, the user can initialize the radio date and time with either the
“date” or “time” commands. The parameters for both commands are identical, but the
parameter order is different. The date command can be entered as:
> date 16-may-2000 10:32:06
date=day-month-year
Sets the date used by the radio. The day / month / year parameter may be separated by any
valid separator (‘-‘ ‘/’ etc.)
time=hh:mm:ss
Sets the radio time in hours, minutes and seconds. Use colons to separate the three fields.
zone=zone-code or offset
Sets the time zone to be used by the radio to translate the NTP time to local time. It can be
specified by an offset from GMT (-0800 or +0200 for example), or as a “zone-code”. The valid
“zone-codes” and the respective offsets are shown below:
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Zonezone codeoffset
Pacific Standard TimePST-0800
Pacific Daylight TimePDT-0700
Mountain Standard TimeMST-0700
Mountain Daylight TimeMDT-0600
Central Standard TimeCST-0600
Central Daylight TimeCDT-0500
Eastern Standard TimeEST-0500
Eastern Daylight TimeEDT-0400
Greenwich Mean TimeGMT0000
help [command-name]
If no command is specified, displays the complete list of commands. If a command is specified
it displays the valid parameter and corresponding values for that specific command.
Examples:
>help monitor-link
history
Displays the previous commands entered.
license
key=< ASCII string>
The “license” command is used to turn ON or OFF a set of optional features or capabilities. The
key is a 35-character string combination of ASCII letters, numbers, and hyphens. The key must
be input with the syntax as shown in the example below, including hyphens, for the radio to
accept it. The characters can be input as upper or lower case.
After entering the key you must reboot the radio for the feature, enabled by the key, to take
effect.
Each key is unique for a particular radio serial number and capability, i.e. a key generated to
turn ON a capability on one serial number will not work on another radio.
Example:
>license key=02EL1-ZGZ42-G0000-00C54-81WAJ-C9BEK
logout
Closes the current Econsole session.
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reboot
Resets the radio causing the software to perform a complete start up sequence. This is
equivalent to power cycling the radio off and on.
time
time=hh:mm:ss
date=day-month-year
zone=zone-code or offset
This command is identical to the “date” command explained above except for the order of the
parameters. It allows the time and date to be entered as:
> time 10:32:06 16-may-2000
version
Displays the radio model and software version.
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7 NETWORK MANAGEMENT
The VIP radio operates as part of a network environment with many devices. Whether operated by an
Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the Information Technology (IT) department of a business, there is
often a need to supervise and manage the network from a central Network Operations Center (NOC).
This chapter describes the features of the VIP 110-24 that are useful for this purpose.
7.1 Telnet
7.1.1 General
Telnet, which stands for Telecommunications Network, is a protocol that allows an operator to
connect to a remote machine giving it commands interactively. Once a telnet session is in progress,
the local machine becomes transparent to the user, it simply simulates a terminal as if there was a
direct connection to the remote machine. Commands typed by the user are transmitted to the remote
machine and the responses from the remote machine are displayed in the telnet simulated terminal.
7.1.2 Starting a Telnet Session
In order to start a telnet session with a VIP radio you first need to configure the VIP with a unique
valid IP address. This is done with the ip-configuration command described in section 6.6. This
initial configuration must be done using either the RS-232 console port or the ECON program.
Once the VIP has an IP address, you must start the telnet application at the local machine and
establish a connection with the IP address of the VIP. If the local machine is a PC running Windows,
you can start Telnet through Hyperterminal as follows:
1. Start the Hyperterminal application (in a typical Windows installation Hyperterminal can be
found from the Start button under Programs/Accessories/Communications…)
2. From the File menu choose New Connection.
3. In the Name field enter any name you wish and press the OK button. This will open the
“Connect To” window.
4. In the last field, titled “Connect using:”, select TCP/IP (Winsock). The fields above will
change to Host Address: and Port Number:.
5. In the Host Address field, type the IP address of the VIP radio, then press the OK button.
6. TCP will now attempt to connect to the specified device. If successful the radio will request a
login name with the prompt login:
7. Type public followed by the Enter key
The VIP will now display its prompt command and you may type any commands as described in
section 6.
If after entering the public login name, the terminal displays the message “Login Failed”, this may be
due to the VIP being configured to be managed from only some specific IP addresses. This is
explained in the following section.
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7.1.3 Telnet Security
The remote management capability through Telnet opens the possibility for an unauthorized user to
login to any VIP accessible through the Internet. The VIP configuration can be password protected
with the use of the lock and unlock commands. If further security is desired you can specify up to
four source IP addresses that are authorized to initiate Telnet sessions with the VIP. When configured
in this way, the VIP will reject Telnet requests from all IP addresses that are not in the authorized list.
The authorized source IP addresses for Telnet are the same addresses that are authorized to perform
SNMP management. They are entered using the snmp command described in section 6.6 and can be
viewed with the display-configuration command. When this list is empty, you can initiate a Telnet
session from any IP address with the login name public. When this list is not empty, Telnet sessions
can only be initiated from the listed hosts. Additionally, for each host, the login name must match the
string listed for the community field.
If you wish to use this security feature you need know the IP address of the local machine. On a PC
running Windows, one way to find its IP address is to open a DOS window and issue the command:
>ipconfig
7.2 SNMP
7.2.1 Command Line Interface Versus SNMP
Configuration settings on the VIP 110-24 are displayed and modified using a command line interface,
which can be accessed using either the RS-232 console port, the ECONSOLE program, or via a
TELNET session.
In a NOC environment, there is a need for an automated monitoring system to collect on an ongoing
basis information from devices in the network for three purposes:
1) to build an inventory of all the devices of the network
2) to keep track of all devices on the network and raise alarms when any device becomes
unreachable (device failed, link down, etc)
3) to maintain statistics on traffic levels in order to implement usage-based charging, or to determine
where congestion exists in the network, so that the network can be expanded to accommodate
growth
Command line interfaces are not very suitable for these purposes, and the VIP 110-24 supports the
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to assist in these tasks. SNMP is a simple,
transaction-based (command/response) protocol, which allows a variety of third-party software
products to query network devices and collect data for these purposes.
For a generic introduction to the SNMP protocol, we recommend the book "The Simple Book - An
Introduction to Internet Management" by Marshall T Rose (P T R Prentice-Hall, 1994).
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7.2.2 What is SNMP?
The SNMP protocol is described in the following documents:
• RFC1155 - Structure and identification of management information for TCP/IP-based internets -
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1155.txt
• RFC1213 - Management Information Base for Network Management of TCP/IP-based internets:
MIB-II - ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1213.txt
SNMP is a specification for the interaction (protocol) between the SNMP agent embedded in a
network device, and the SNMP manager software running on another machine in the network.
The data provided by the SNMP agent in a network device is described by a document called the MIB
(Management Information Base). MIB-II describes the basic information provided by all devices,
and additional documents describe optional extensions for components that may not exist in most
devices.
Devices may also provide non-standard MIB groups. In order for a network management system to
make use of these extended features, the MIB description must be obtained from the device
manufacturer and loaded into the management station.
SNMP data travels in IP packets, using the UDP port 161 for the agent, so in order to use SNMP, the
device must have an IP address.
7.2.3 Security Considerations in SNMP
SNMP was designed before the Internet grew commercial, and the original design was not secure.
Later versions intended to provide security, but grew cumbersome and complex. As a result, most
devices provide secure operation in a non-standard way.
The original SNMP design as embedded in the protocol, assigns network devices to named
communities. Any transactions exchanged between the agent and the manager include the name of the
community to which they both belong. The agent has a list of which access rights (set, get, trap) it
will grant for each community of which it is a member.
In the VIP 110-24, this has been re-interpreted: The radio has a list of up to 4 management stations
from which it will accept requests, and for each one - identified by its IP address - it is indicated what
access rights it is granted, and which community string it must use. Requests from all other sources
are ignored. Refer to the snmp command in section 6.6 for details on how to configure the radio for
management using SNMP..
If no management stations are listed, get-requests with the community public will be accepted and
responded to from any IP address.
7.2.4 Examples of Network Management Systems
Some of the most common network management systems are listed below. All of them provide many
similar features, including network status displays showing key devices on a map, where the devices
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change color if they have alarms, and with provisions for activating a remote paging device if there is
a problem.
WhatsUp Gold (Ipswitch Inc)
http://www.ipswitch.com/
USD 800 (approx)
SNMPc (Castle Rock Computing, Inc)
http://www.castlerock.com/
USD 900 to USD 2700 (approx, depending on options)
OpenView (Hewlett-Packard)
http://www.openview.hp.com/
USD 3,000 to USD 10,000
The OpenView product line has been revamped; HP is now positioning it not as a turnkey
software product, but as a custom adapted application to be bought through a value-added
implementation partner.
Multi-Router Traffic Graphing
http://www.mrtg.org/
This is a free, open-source software, capacity planning tool.
7.2.5 VIP 110-24 Management Information Base (MIB)
The VIP 110-24 implements only the core MIB-II. A management station will see 3 interfaces in the
interfaces group:
1 - VINE bridge
2 - Ethernet
3 - Radio
The first of these represents the attachment of the SNMP agent to the bridged network. Only IP traffic
seen by the embedded host is counted.
The ethernet device (ifIndex=2) represents the traffic passing through the radio's ethernet port. This is
what should be tracked by MRTG.
The third device represents the wireless transceiver. If will appear as down if the radio does not have
a working link to a neighbor (a root node must have at least one child, all other nodes must have a
parent). This is useful for confirming the loss of a link. The traffic counts show all packets to and
from the radio, including handshaking between adjacent radios, as well as data being relayed from
this radio's children to its parent and vice versa
.
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APPENDIX A – Command Summary (alphabetical)
This appendix lists all commands in alphabetical order. The table contains the functional group of the
command. Further information about the command can be found in appendix B or section 6.
IP Management (6.6)
manager
community
access
delete
spectrum-analysisinput
display
dwell-time-ms
test-rf-linknode
packet-length-bytes
repeat-delay-ms
time
time
date
zone
time-analysischannel
input
display
dwell-time-ms
unlockenable-configuration
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Installation and Link monitoring (6.7)
Installation and Link monitoring (6.7)
Miscellaneous (6.10)
Installation and Link monitoring (6.7)
Configuration Management (6.3)
VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
CommandParametersFunctional Group
versionMiscellaneous (6.10)
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APPENDIX B - Command Summary (functional)
This appendix lists all commands organized in the respective functional groups. Parameters that are
part of the radio configuration are identified by having an entry under the “Factory Configuration”
heading. When entering a command, if a parameter that is part of the radio configuration is omitted,
the value for that parameter is not modified.
For commands that are not part of the radio configuration, if a parameter is omitted, the value for that
parameter defaults to the value indicated in bold.
Configuration Management Commands
CommandParametersValues
change-passwordenable-configuration<string>
display-configurationsource
load-configurationsource
lock
save-configurationdestination
unlockenable-configuration<string>
current
main
alternate
factory
main
alternate
factory
main
alternate
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Major Configuration Parameters
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CommandParametersValues
Factory
Configuration
max-flow-ratetransmit-kbps1..1000010000
receive-kbps1..1000010000
min-flow-ratetransmit-kbps1..800010
receive-kbps1..800010
nodenetwork-id0..4,294,967,2950
nameASCII string (11 max)ucw-serial no.
type
root
repeater
repeater
leaf
anchor0, 10
locationASCII string (25 max)
contactASCII string (25 max)
single-node-reboot-
timeout-sec30..3600600
timeout
rf-from-childrenchannel5..3525
rf-from-parentchannel5..355
speed-mbps1, 2, 5.5, 1111
power-dbm0..2318
rf-nnp-1channel5..355
power-dbm0..2318
rf-nnp-2channel5..3535
power-dbm0..2318
enable0, 10
rf-to-parentspeed-mbps1, 2, 5.5, 1111
power-dbm0..2318
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Bridge Management Commands
CommandParametersValues
ethernetspeed
timeout-sec5..180030
multi-cast-timeout-sec5..3600600
show-tablestable
format
auto
10hdx
10fdx
100hdx
off
radio-nodes
ethernet-stations
flow-control
count
times
Internet Protocol (IP) Management Commands
CommandParametersValues
Factory
Configuration
auto
ip-configurationaddressip address
netmaskip address
gatewayip address
pingdestinationip address
count0..500 (def 4)
size-bytes32..1400
snmpmanagerip address
communityASCII string (9 max)
accessg, gs, gt, gst
authentication-trapso, 1
delete1..4
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CommandParametersValues
antenna-alignment-aidoutput
off
audio
nodenode-name or
#node-number
display-environment
monitor-environmentchannel0..50
inputa-antenna
b-antenna
monitor-flow
monitor-linknodenode-name or
#node-number
clear
no
yes
spectrum-analysisinput
a-antenna
b-antenna
Factory
Configuration
off
display
graph
table
dwell-time-ms1…1000 (def: 20)
test-rf-linknodenode-name or
#node-number
packet-length-bytes1…1500
repeat-delay-ms0…3000
time-analysischannel0..50
input
a-antenna
b-antenna
display
graph
table
dwell-time-ms1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50,
100, 200, 500
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Event Logging Commands
CommandParametersValues
clear-logregion
display-logregion
length1..500 (def 10)
id0…200
min-level0…7 (def: 0)
max-level0…7 (def: 7)
max-eventsave0..75
print0..73
all-events
reboot-reasons
end
beginning
all-events
reboot-reasons
File Utilities
Factory
Configuration
CommandParametersValues
console-speed-bpsbaud-rate-bps
copy-filesourcefilename
destinationfilename
delete-filefilenamefilename
directoryformat
download-filesourcepath/filename
destinationpath/filename
methodbinary
run-filefilenamefilename
set-default-programfilenamefilename
9600, 19200, 38400
57600, 115200
short
full
inline
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Miscellaneous Commands
CommandParametersValuesFactory
Configuration
datedatedd-mmm-yyyy
timehh:mm:ss
zoneoffset or codeGMT
helpcommand
history
licensekey<35 character string>
logout
reboot
timetimehh:mm:ss
datedd-mmm-yyyy
zoneoffset or codeGMT
Version
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APPENDIX C - Specifications
RF Specifications
RF Frequency Band2.410 GHz to 2.470 GHz (center frequencies)
RF Signal Bandwidth (-20 dBc)18 MHz
RF Channels31 (4 non-overlapping)
Transmitter Output Power0 to 23 dBm (programmable)
Modulation Typedirect sequence spread spectrum
RF Data Rates (one way)1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps
Receiver Sensitivity (10-6 BER)-89 dBm (@ 1 Mpbs)
-86 dBm (@ 2 Mbps)
-84 dBm (@ 5.5 Mbps)
-81 dBm (@ 11 Mbps)
Data Interfaces
Auxiliary PortRS-232
Ethernet Port10/100 BaseT (auto-negotiate)
Power Requirements
Input Voltage (Outdoor Unit)+10 to +28 Volts DC
Input Voltage (AC)110 VAC or 220 VAC
Power Consumptionless than 5 Watts
Environment
Temperature-35 to +65 Degrees C
Max. Humidity90% non-condensing
Mechanical:
Dimensions4.72" wide x 8.66” high x 2.0” deep (120mm W x 220 H x 51 D)
Weight2.4 lbs. (1.1 Kg).
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APPENDIX D – Channel Frequency Assignment
Frequency
Channel
52.410152.430252.450
62.412162.432262.452
72.414172.434272.454
82.416182.436282.456
92.418192.438292.458
102.420202.440302.460
112.422212.442312.462
122.424222.444322.464
132.426232.446332.466
142.428242.448342.468
(GHz)Channel
Frequency
(GHz)Channel
Frequency
352.470
Number of
Non-Overlapping
Channels
Suggested Channel AllocationFrequency Separation
(MHz)
(GHz)
35, 20, 3530.0
45, 15, 25, 3520.0
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APPENDIX E – Ethernet Console Program
EConsole v2.01 for Windows
Copyright (C) 2001 UC Wireless, Wi-LAN
Short description
The ethernet console program was developed in order to accommodate the remote configuration of a
radio, i.e. the configuration in cases where the physical access to the radio is not feasible, or it is
cumbersome. The software consists of two parts: the client and the server. The client runs on the
administrator's PC, while the server runs on the radio.
The communication is done via a TCP-like protocol. There is an acknowledgment for every packet
that is sent, as well as a retransmission mechanism when a packet gets lost.
Each radio allows multiple sessions, i.e. more than one client can be connected concurrently to the
same server (radio). Nevertheless, for performance reasons, it is not recommended to have more
concurrent sessions than they are really needed, and definitely not more than the maximum number
which currently is 4.
System requirements
• Win95, Win98, Windows ME, WinNT, Win2000, WinXP
• NetBIOS installed
• WinPCap installed
Note: With regard to Windows NT platform, the code has been tested with versions 4.0, or newer. There is also
a Linux beta version
Installation for Windows
In order to install the WinPCap library, if not already installed, just click on the WinPCap.exe.
Support and updates for this library can be found at http://netgroup-serv.polito.it/winpcap/. It is
strongly suggested to uninstall older versions of the library and reboot the machine before installing
the new one. NetBIOS is a software component that comes by default with all Windows system, so
you don't have to install it. To start the Econsole, simply open a MS-DOS window and type econ. For
available command line arguments, please read the "input arguments" section.
Included files
• win_readme.doc The file that you are reading
• econ.exe The EConsole client
• WinPCap The Windows installer for the WinPCap library
• input_script.txt A sample input script file, that contains a list of radio commands.
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Input arguments
You can provide the following arguments in the command line, even though none of them is required.
Input file
There are two sources for the input commands: the keyboard, or a text file. The second option is
useful when you are running the same set of commands periodically, so you want to avoid retyping
them every time you want to execute them. If there is an input file in the command line, then the
keyboard will be deactivated and only the function keys will be available. If the specified file cannot
be found, the application will be terminated.
example:
C: > econ -i input.txt
Sample input file:
help
# this is a comment - note that the character # must appear as the fist character
time
date
# the following is a local command specifying a delay in seconds
. delay 10
time
. delay 1.5
version
logout
As you probably noticed from the above file, all the lines are interpreted as radio command, unless:
a) They start with the character ‘#’ which implies a comment
b) They start with the character ‘.’ which implies a local command. Currently there is only one local
command, namely the delay < time in secs>
Important note
new line character, there must be one command per line and after the final logout command you must have an extra empty
line.
: All the input scripts should end with the logout command. Since all the commands are terminated with the
Output file
When you want to capture the output of a session into a text file, you can pass the filename as an
argument. If the file does not exist it will be created, otherwise it will be overwritten.
example:
>econ -o output.txt
Radio MAC address
If you are interested in a specific radio, you can pass its MAC address and let the client ignore any
response from other radios. That's very handy when you are always getting connected to the same
radio and you want to avoid the manual selection of a preferred one. Very useful also in case you are
using scripts for fully automated procedures.
example:
>econ -r 00:78:24:22:BA:4F
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Radio Serial Number
The same functionality as above (see Radio MAC address) can be achieved by providing the radio
serial number, instead of the radio physical address. Note that you should not include the initial UC
characters of the serial number (i.e. type 11078 instead of UC11078)
example:
>econ -r 11787
Local Physical Address
Even though econsole identifies the PC local physical address automatically, there are some cases in
which the user wants to specify the local address on his/her own. These cases usually arise when there
are multiple NIC cards with the same names under WinNT operating system. In such case, the econ
might pick up the wrong MAC address, and therefore the user should supply manually the physical
address as a command line argument.
example:
>econ -m 00:78:24:22:BA:4F
Inverse Screen Colors
You can change the default settings (white texture on black background) by providing the -b option,
which will change the settings to black characters on white background.
example:
>econ -b
Change the console window size
Currently you can specify two values, either 25 or 50. These values indicate the number of lines of
the MS-DOS window.
example:
>econ -l 50
Help
Function keys, including F1, are activated after you get connected to a radio. If you want to get help
from the command line, you can use the -h argument.
example:
>econ -h
Syntax:
econ <argument list>
argument list = argument list | argument | {}
argument = -o outputfile | -i inputfile | -r MAC address
Examples
Let's say you want to read a list of commands from the text file called in.txt, and capture the output to
a text file called out.txt. You are also interested only in a specific radio with MAC address equal to
00:78:24:22:BA:4F. In that case, you will start the EConsole with the following arguments (the
arguments order is irrelevent):
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>econ -i in.txt -o out.txt -r 00:78:24:22:BA:4F or
If you are reading from the keyboard, and you are simply interested in capturing the output of the
session, use the following syntax:
>econ -o out.txt
Since no input file was specified, it is assumed that the keyboard will be used for input, and ALL
radios will participate in the discovery process.
Function Keys
Currently there are 6 different function keys.
F1 - Online help - gives a short description of the other function keys and the input arguments
F2 - Active/deactivate diagnostic messages. Initially diagnostic messages are not shown, therefore
if you want to see them you should press F2. Diagnostic messages include warnings, and
retransmission info in order to get an idea of the connection's speed/integrity. Error messages
are always shown.
F3 - Terminates the current session and closes the application.
F4 - Close the session with the current radio and display the results of the initial discovery phase
to allow the user to connect to a new radio.
F5 - Reverse/Restore screen settings. Initially the screen displays white letters on black
background, but you can reverse it to black letters on a white background.
F6 - Increases the console window buffer. This introduces a side bar which enables the user to
scroll up and down. Available in Windows NT Only.
Troubleshooting & Updates
Common problems
1. Failed to open adapter
This usually happens when you haven't installed properly the WinPCap library, or you have
and older version of it. Please visit http://netgroup-serv.polito.it/winpcap/to get the latest
version. You should also make sure that your Ethernet adapters are working properly.
2. Cannot find radio(s) even though they are running properly
Make sure that:
• The ethernet cables are OK
• You are getting connected to the right network segment (i.e. try all ethernet adapters)
• You are using the right MAC address. The system tries to identify the adapter physical
address through some NetBIOS calls in the Win9X case, or some NDIS queries in the
WinNT/Win2000 case. If NetBIOS is not installed, the econ will probably use the wrong
local host MAC address. Also if there are more than one Ethernet adapter installed with
the same name, this might cause problem in the WinNT case.
Resolution: Use the command line argument to specify the correct physical local address.
You can see all the local physical address by executing the ipconfig -all command. Example:
>econ -m 00:78:24:22:BA:4F
3. Find a radio but not getting connected
Check if the maximum number of sessions has been reached. The maximum number of
sessions on the server side is limited to four, therefore you should NOT connect to the same
- 88 -
VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
radio multiple times if not absolutely necessary. When the number of sessions reaches the
limit the radio will ignore any new discovery messages.
Another reason might be a unreliable RF link causing a high packet loss. Since during the
discovery phase there isn't any retransmission mechanism, it is quite possible that you
managed to "see" the radio, but you weren't able to connect to it, because the connection
request packet was lost. In such case, try to connect again.
4. High drop rate - screen freezes momentarily - connection times out
There are two possible causes.
1. The link between the client (PC) and the server (radio) is very weak. If the packet drop rate is
more than 20%, then the connection is problematic.
2. There are multiple sessions opened on the same server. With many concurrent sessions the
server response may be noticeably slower. Always close the session gracefully by executing
the logout radio command, and not by closing the MS-DOS console. If the logout command
is not issued the session at the server will remain open for an additional 15 minutes. Use the
list long command to find out the number of open sessions.
5. If I leave the client inactive for half an hour, and try to type a new command, I get an unable to
transfer packet message or I get a "session timeout - application will be closed" message.
An open session times out after 15 minutes of inactivity on the server side, and 30 minutes on
the client side.
Report a bug & Updates
Please visit htttp://www.ucwireless.com/ for more info.
Acknowledgments
The WinPCap
form as part of the Econsole. The following copyright notice applies to that library.
/*
* Copyright (c) 1999, 2000
* Politecnico di Torino. All rights reserved.
*
* Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
* modification, are permitted provided that: (1) source code distributions
* retain the above copyright notice and this paragraph in its entirety, (2)
* distributions including binary code include the above copyright notice and
* this paragraph in its entirety in the documentation or other materials
* provided with the distribution, and (3) all advertising materials mentioning
* features or use of this software display the following acknowledgement:
* ``This product includes software developed by the Politecnico
* di Torino, and its contributors.'' Neither the name of
* the University nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse
* or promote products derived from this software without specific prior
* written permission.
* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
* WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
* MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
*/
library was obtained from “Politecnico di Torino” and the code is distributed in binary
- 89 -
VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
- 90 -
VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
APPENDIX F – Interconnect cables
The following section describes the interconnect cable pin outs for the radio. There are three basic
types, the CAT5 data/power cable providing DC power and ethernet to the radio, the auxiliary RS232 interface, and the antenna alignment audio interface. These cables can be manufactured by the
user using the supplied wiring diagrams or may be purchased through Wi-Lan Technologies Inc.
Auxiliary RS-232 Cable
(Wi-Lan Technologies Part Number C1064-006)
2
3
5
DE9-M Connector
15
96
Back side
(Looking at solder
cups)
Rx Data
Tx Data
GND
1
2
3
EN3C3F Connector
2
3
Back side
(Looking at solder
cups)
1
(see instructions for assembly the EN3C3F connector on the next page)
- 91 -
VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
g
prop
3
ductors reach to end o
CAT5 Power/Ethernet Cable
This cable can be ordered as Part Number C1062-005-XX where XX is the cable length. Connector
kits containing the RJ-45 and ENC8F connectors are also available (Part Number SCK1062-005).
NOTES: 1. Use
2. Remove cable filler gel from conductors before inserting into Item #2.
. Insure that all eight con
ITEM #2
RADIO_ETH_TX+ 1
RADIO_ETH_TX- 2
RADIO_ETH_RX+ 3
RADIO_ETH_RX- 6
RJ 45 Plu
W/OR
1 8
NO TAB
VDC 4
VDC 5
GND 7
GND 8
BR
er crimp tool for Item #2 connection
ITEM #1
WHT/ORN
ORN
WHT/GRN
WHT/BRN
WHT/BLUE
GRN
BLUE
BRN
Solder Cups
f interior channel before crimping Item #2
ITEM #3
2
1
4
6
5
3
7
8
W/GR
4
5
6
7
GRN
3
W/OR
2
1
OR
8
BR
REAR VIEW
W/BL
W/BR
BL
ITEM
PART NO.
5EXH04P24-BK-R-CMS-PV1
AT8X8SC-2224
2
EN3C8F (fig. A)3
MATERIAL
MANUFACTURER
- 92 -
DESCRIPTION
Cable, CAT5, Outdoor, Solid Cond.CommScope
Plug Connector, 8 Cond., RJ45-typeAllen Tel
8 Pin Field Connector, FemaleSwitchcraft
VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)
T
Instructions for assembly of the Switchcraft EN3CxF Connectors
hree pin connector is shown. Use same process for 8 pin.
- 93 -
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