Wilan VIP 110-24 Operator's Manual

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VIP 110-24

Operator’s Manual

Rev: F

April, 2003

Wi-Lan Inc.

2891 Sunridge Way N.E. Calgary, Alberta

Tel: (403) 273 9133 www.wi-lan.com

FCC Notice

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.

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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)

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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................1

2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION........................................................................................................................3

2.1 R

2.2 R

2.3 P

2.4 O

3 VINE NETWORK TOPOLOGY AND OPERATION .............................................................................9

3.1 T

3.2 T

3.3 N

3.4 RF L

3.5 C

3.6 E

3.7 Q

4 ANTENNAS, SITE SELECTION, PATH ANALYSIS...........................................................................17

4.1 I

4.2 S

4.3 S

5 INSTALLATION AND SETUP ................................................................................................................31

5.1 B

5.2 B

5.3 F

5.4 U

6 COMMANDS..............................................................................................................................................43

6.1 C

ADIO COMPONENTS

ADIO CONNECTORS

OWER INSERTER UNIT

UTDOOR INTERCONNECT CABLE

OPOLOGY AND ANTENNA PORTS

IME DIVISION MULTIPLEXING

EW NODE ATTACHMENT AND VALIDATION

INK PARAMETERS

HANNEL ASSIGNMENTS

...............................................................................................................................3

...............................................................................................................................4

...........................................................................................................................5

...........................................................................................................7

...........................................................................................................9

...............................................................................................................9

.........................................................................................10

..........................................................................................................................11

.......................................................................................................................12

3.5.1 Point-to-point ...............................................................................................................................12

3.5.2 Point-to-Multipoint.......................................................................................................................12

3.5.3 Root-Repeater-Leaf ......................................................................................................................13

3.5.4 Small VINE network with up to three repeaters ...........................................................................14

3.5.5 Generic VINE network with multiple repeaters............................................................................14

THERNET BRIDGING

UALITY OF SERVICE

NTRODUCTION

ELECTING ANTENNA TYPE

............................................................................................................................15

............................................................................................................................16

......................................................................................................................................17

..................................................................................................................17

4.2.1 Directionality................................................................................................................................18

4.2.2 Gain ..............................................................................................................................................18

4.2.3 Polarization ..................................................................................................................................19

ITE SELECTION

....................................................................................................................................19

4.3.1 Line-of-Sight Path.........................................................................................................................20

4.3.2 Radio Horizon (Maximum Line-of-Sight Range)..........................................................................20

4.3.3 Point-to-Point Path Analysis........................................................................................................21

4.3.4 Antenna Orientation .....................................................................................................................27

4.3.5 Cable Loss (Attenuation) ..............................................................................................................27

4.3.6 Connector Loss.............................................................................................................................28

4.3.7 Other Considerations – Antenna Grounding................................................................................28

ENCH CHECK OUT (USING RADIO ETHERNET CONNECTION

ENCH CHECK OUT (USING RADIO AUXILIARY PORTS

IELD INSTALLATION

............................................................................................................................33

)................................................................31

)..........................................................................32

5.3.1 Antenna Installation .....................................................................................................................33

5.3.2 Antenna Alignment .......................................................................................................................34

5.3.3 Spectrum Analysis and channel selection.....................................................................................35

5.3.4 Output Power Limits (FCC) .........................................................................................................36

5.3.5 Output Power Limits (CE)............................................................................................................36

5.3.6 Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) Limitations....................................................................36

PGRADING THE FIRMWARE

. ................................................................................................................37

5.4.1 Description ...................................................................................................................................37

5.4.2 Installing new firmware through the Ethernet port ......................................................................38

5.4.3 Installing new firmware using Telnet ...........................................................................................40

5.4.4 Installing new firmware using the RS-232 serial port..................................................................41

5.4.5 Feature upgrades..........................................................................................................................42

ONFIGURATION TECHNIQUES

...............................................................................................................43

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6.2 C

6.3 C

6.4 M

6.5 B

6.6 I

6.7 I

6.8 E

6.9 F

6.10 M

OMMAND SYNTAX

ONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT COMMANDS

AJOR CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS

RIDGE MANAGEMENT COMMANDS

NTERNET PROTOCOL

NSTALLATION AND LINK MONITORING COMMANDS

VENT LOGGING COMMANDS

ILE UTILITIES

ISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS

.............................................................................................................................. 43

...................................................................................... 45

................................................................................................ 48

.................................................................................................... 52

ANAGEMENT COMMANDS

(IP) M

.............................................................................................................. 59

...................................................................................................................................... 60

.............................................................................................................. 63

........................................................................ 54

........................................................................... 56

7 NETWORK MANAGEMENT................................................................................................................. 67

7.1 T

ELNET

................................................................................................................................................. 67

7.1.1 General ........................................................................................................................................ 67

7.1.2 Starting a Telnet Session.............................................................................................................. 67

7.1.3 Telnet Security ............................................................................................................................. 68

7.2 SNMP .................................................................................................................................................. 68

7.2.1 Command Line Interface Versus SNMP ...................................................................................... 68

7.2.2 What is SNMP?............................................................................................................................ 69

7.2.3 Security Considerations in SNMP ............................................................................................... 69

7.2.4 Examples of Network Management Systems................................................................................ 69

7.2.5 VIP 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.

A This manual and floppy disk (or CD) with Econsole program (

B VIP 110-24 outdoor unit.

C Power Inserter Module with wall mount AC power supply

D Auxiliary port cable for RS-232 connection (

E CAT 5 cable for connection between VIP 110-24 radio and power inserter module (

F Bracket for securing the VIP110-24 unit to an outdoor mast.

One hard copy manual is supplied with each shipment. An electronic version is available at

“www.ucwireless.com/manuals”.

Not supplied with standard radio kit. Available from Wi-Lan as optional equipment.

Table 2.1 - VIP 110-24 Components

)

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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

CONNECTOR TYPE Function

A N-FEMALE 2.4 GHz RF connector to the upstream (directional) antenna

B N-FEMALE 2.4 GHz RF connector to the downstream (omni or sector)

antenna

C Switchcraft Auxiliary port (3 pin) used as an antenna alignment aid

and

for RS-232 console port.

D Switchcraft 10/100 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

Pin Signal Name Abbr. Direction

1 Receive Data RD Radio Output

2 Transmit Data TD Radio Input

3 Ground GND

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/LED Type Function

To LAN RJ-45 10/100 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 radio RJ-45 Carries the DC power and Ethernet signals to the VIP 110-24. See

table 2.6 for pin assignments.

LED Amber/

Green

Amber: Indicates that the power inserter unit has DC power

from the wall supply but no power is being drawn by the VIP 110-24.

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.

Table 2.5 – “To LAN” Ethernet Connector Pin Assignments

Pin Signal Name Abbr. Direction

1 Ethernet Tx Tx (+) Radio to Ethernet

2 Ethernet Tx Tx (-) Radio to Ethernet

3 Ethernet Rx Rx (+) Ethernet to Radio

4 (not connected)

5 (not connected)

6 Ethernet Rx Rx (-) Ethernet to radio

7 (not connected)

8 (not connected)

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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)

Table 2.6 – “To radio” Ethernet Connector Pin Assignments

Pin Signal Name Abbr. Direction

1 Ethernet Tx Tx (+) Radio to Ethernet

2 Ethernet Tx Tx (-) Radio to Ethernet

3 Ethernet Rx Rx (+) Ethernet to Radio

4 +18 VDC DCV (+) Power Inserter to Radio

5 +18 VDC DCV(+) Power Inserter to Radio

6 Ethernet Rx Rx (-) Ethernet to Radio

7 18 VDC ground GND(-) Power Inserter to Radio

8 18 VDC ground GND(-) Power Inserter to Radio

2.4 Outdoor Interconnect Cable

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.

RJ 45

RADIO_ETH_TX+

RADIO_ETH_TX-

RADIO_ETH_RX+

VDC

RADIO_ETH_RX-

EN3C8F

Figure 2.3 – CAT 5 Outdoor Interconnect cable diagram

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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)

Table 2.7 – Indoor/Outdoor Unit CAT 5 cable

Part number Manufacturer Description

04-0010-34 Superior Essex Industrial shielded, weatherproof cable for

direct burial, aerial and other severe environments

18-241-31(gray)

Superior Essex Unshielded outdoor rated cable

18-241-11 (beige)

5EXH04P24-BK-

CommScope Unshielded outdoor rated cable

R-CMS-PV

2137113 (ivory)

General Cable Unshielded outdoor rated cable

2137114 (gray)

BC1002 Belden Unshielded 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 one parent 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)

1.2.2L

1.2.1L

root

1.2R

Internet

1.1L

Figure 3.1 – VINE network topology

root

Outbound

nbound

1R 2L 3L 4R

Outbound

nbound

1.1L 1.2R 4.1L 4.2L 4.3L

Outbound

A A A

4.1L

4.2L

4.3L

nbound

1.2.1L 1.2.2L

“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.

Root

Root Leaf

rf-nnp-1 ch=c1 rf-from-parent ch=c1

rf-from-children ch=c2

Leaf

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)

Root

Root 1L 2L

rf-nnp-1 ch=c1 rf-from-parent ch=c1

rf-nnp-2 ch=c2 rf-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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Root

Rptr

Leaf

Root Repeater Leaf

rf-nnp-1 ch=c1 rf-from-parent ch=c1

rf-nnp-1 ch=c2 rf-from-parent ch=c2

rf-from-children ch=c4 rf-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”.

Outbound Inbound

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

35 15

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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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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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 Type Gain WTI Model Number

Omnidirectional 9 dBi OA2.4-9

Sector 12 dBi 2405H-90

Semi-Parabolic 24 dBi DA2.4-24

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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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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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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 VIP 110-24 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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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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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

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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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 -104 1 -100

2 -110 2 -106

3 -114 3 -110

4 -116 4 -112

5 -118 5 -114

6 -120 6 -116

7 -121 7 -117

8 -122 8 -118

9 -123 9 -119

10 -124 10 -120

11 -125 15 -124

12 -126 20 -126

13 -126 25 -128

14 -127 30 -130

Path Loss

(dB)

15 -128 35 -131

20 -130 40 -132

25 -132 45 -133

30 -134 50 -134

35 -135 55 -135

40 -136 60 -136

45 -137 70 -137

50 -138 80 -138

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−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

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80

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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Table 4-2. Loss at 2.4 GHz for Standard Coaxial Cable Types

Cable Type Loss per 100 ft. (30 m)

RG-8 A/U 14.4 dB

Belden 9913 8.0 dB

LMR 195 19 dB

LMR 400 6.7 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 type Loss per connector

N-Type 0.25 dB

SMA-Type 0.25 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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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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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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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:

> load factory > node type=root > save-configuration

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:

Baud rate: 9600 Word length: 8 bits Parity: none Stop bits: 1

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 Vac).

6. The radios will perform power up calibration and diagnostic tests. Verify that radios identify

themselves with the correct serial number. At the end of the tests, the radios output the command prompt:

ucw-nnnnn #>

where nnnnn are the last five digits of the radio serial number.

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7. Set the “repeater” VIP 110-24 to its factory default configuration by typing the command:

> load factory > save-configuration

8. Configure the second radio (defined as the “root”) by typing the commands:

> load factory > node type=root > save-configuration

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 Type Gain WTI Model Number

Omnidirectional 9 dBi OA2.4-9

Yagi 17 dBi DA2.4-17

Dish Reflector 24 dBi DA2.4-24

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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:

>time-analysis channel=xx input=a-antenna dwell=xx

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)

Channel Frequency Antenna Gain

(MHz) 9 dBi 17 dBi 24 dBi

5 2410.0 23 22 21

6 2412.0 23 23 22

7 2414.0 23 23 22

8 2416.0 23 23 22

9 2418.0 23 23 22

10 to 30 23 23 23

31 2462.0 23 22 22

32 2464.0 23 20 19

33 2466.0 21 18 17

34 2468.0 20 17 16

35 2470.0 20 17 15

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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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

)

Antenna Gain (dBi): 9 17 24

Max. Output Power

MPE safe distance (cm)

23 23 23

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

Command Description

directory Lists all files stored in Flash PROM

delete-file filename deletes the specified file from the directory

download-file path/filename downloads 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 filename loads 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

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:

Baud rate: 9600 Word length: 8 bits Parity: none Stop bits: 1

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

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6. Issue the command:

>directory

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:

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:

Baud rate: 9600 Word length: 8 bits Parity: none Stop bits: 1

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

--------------------------------+----------------------------------------- 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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Field / Parameter Command

NODE node

IP ip-configuration

SNMP snmp

FLOW-RATES max-flow-rate

RF-LINKS rf-from-parent

ETHERNET ethernet

Single Node Reboot Timeout single-node-reboot-timeout

Antenna Alignment Aid antenna-alignment-aid

EVENT-LOG-LEVELS max-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.

Examples:

> max-flow-rate receive-kbps=1024 > maxfl tr=512 re=256

min-flow-rate

transmit-kbps=1…8000

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.

Examples:

>node net-id=2754 name=bank type=leaf location=”wall street” contact=964-5848

single-node-reboot-timeout

timeout-sec=30..3600

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.

Examples:

> snrt 60

rf-from-parent

channel=5..35 speed-mbps= 1, 2, 5.5, 11 power-dbm=0..23

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

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.

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.

>show

Current Time: 16:49:26.130 29-Nov-2001 PST Start Time: 16:17:08.000 29-Nov-2001 PST Temperature: 36C 96F

Radio Name Address Type Route Known since

----- -------- ----------- ---- ----- -------------self 2 towerA 00-00-2d-cb Repeater parent 3 main-office 00-00-2d-b7 ROOT 3 29-Nov 16:23:40 4 bank 00-00-2d-c3 Leaf 3 29-Nov 16:23:41

DIRECT LINKS: Node Name Ch Speed Pwr RSSI Km Total Pkts Last sec Max rate # Mbps dBm dBm Miles bytes kbps

----- ---- -- ----- --- ---- ----- ---------- -------- ------- to 3 main-office 25 11 18 -62 8.0 211274 0 0 from 3 main-office 5 11 18 -60 5.0 244245 88458 1271

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.

ip-configuration

address=<ip address> netmask=<string> gateway=<ip address>

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”.

Example:

> ipconfig add=207.154.90.81 netmask=255.255.255.0 gateway=207.154.90.2

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ping

destination=<string> count=0..500 size-bytes=32..1400

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.

Example:

> snmp manager=207.154.90.81 com=support access=gst

6.7 Installation and Link Monitoring Commands

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.

Examples:

>monitor-link node=main_bank02 >monitor-link clear=1

spectrum-analysis

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.

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).

To stop the test press any key.

Examples:

>test-rf-link node=#4 packet-len=100 repeat=2000 >test-rf #3

time-analysis

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.

Example:

>time-analysis input=b-antenna >tia in=a dis=t dwell=500

6.8 Event Logging Commands

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.

Examples:

>display-log region=all >display-log region=all length=300 min-level=2 max-level=6

max-event

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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Zone zone code offset

Pacific Standard Time PST -0800

Pacific Daylight Time PDT -0700

Mountain Standard Time MST -0700

Mountain Daylight Time MDT -0600

Central Standard Time CST -0600

Central Daylight Time CDT -0500

Eastern Standard Time EST -0500

Eastern Daylight Time EDT -0400

Greenwich Mean Time GMT 0000

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

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:

• RFC1157 - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) - ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1157.txt

• 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.

Command Parameters Functional Group

antenna-alignment-aid output

node

change-password enable-configuration Configuration Management (6.3)

clear-log region Event Logging (6.8)

console-speed-bps baud-rate-bps File Utilities (6.9)

copy-file

date date

delete-file filename

directory format

display-configuration source Configuration Management (6.3)

display-environment Installation and Link monitoring (6.7)

source destination

time zone

Installation and Link monitoring (6.7)

File Utilities (6.9)

Miscellaneous (6.10)

File Utilities (6.9)

display-log region

download-file source

ethernet speed

help command Miscellaneous (6.10)

history Miscellaneous (6.10)

Event Logging (6.8) length id min-level max-level

File Utilities (6.9) destination

method

Bridge Management (6.5) timeout-sec multicast-timeoout-sec

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Command Parameters Functional Group

ip-configuration address

IP Management (6.6) netmask gateway

license key Miscellaneous (6.10)

load-configuration source Configuration Management (6.3)

lock Configuration Management (6.3)

logout Miscellaneous (6.10)

max-event save

Event Logging (6.8) print

max-flow-rate transmit-kbps

Major Configuration Parameters (6.4) receive-kbps

min-flow-rate transmit-kbps

Major Configuration Parameters (6.4) receive-kbps

monitor-environment channel

Installation and Link monitoring (6.7) input

monitor-flow Installation and Link monitoring (6.7)

monitor-link node

Installation and Link monitoring (6.7) clear

node network-id

Major Configuration Parameters (6.4) name type anchor location contact

ping destination

IP Management (6.6) count size-bytes

single-node-reboot-timeout timeout-sec Major Configuration Parameters (6.4)

reboot Miscellaneous (6.10)

rf-from-children channel Major Configuration Parameters (6.4)

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Command Parameters Functional Group

rf-from-parent channel

Major Configuration Parameters (6.4) speed-mbps power-dbm

rf-nnp-1 channel

Major Configuration Parameters (6.4) power-dbm

rf-nnp-2 channel

Major Configuration Parameters (6.4) power-dbm enable

rf-to-parent speed-mbps

Major Configuration Parameters (6.4) power-dbm

run filename

set-default-program filename

File Utilities (6.9)

save-configuration destination Configuration Management (6.3)

show-tables table

Bridge Management (6.5) format

snmp authentication-traps

IP Management (6.6) manager community access delete

spectrum-analysis input

display dwell-time-ms

test-rf-link node

packet-length-bytes repeat-delay-ms

time

time date zone

time-analysis channel

input display dwell-time-ms

unlock enable-configuration

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Miscellaneous (6.10)

Installation and Link monitoring (6.7)

Configuration Management (6.3)

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Command Parameters Functional Group

version Miscellaneous (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

Command Parameters Values

change-password enable-configuration <string>

display-configuration source

load-configuration source

lock

save-configuration destination

unlock enable-configuration <string>

current

main alternate factory

main

alternate factory

main

alternate

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Command Parameters Values

Factory Configuration

max-flow-rate transmit-kbps 1..10000 10000

receive-kbps 1..10000 10000

min-flow-rate transmit-kbps 1..8000 10

receive-kbps 1..8000 10

node network-id 0..4,294,967,295 0

name ASCII string (11 max) ucw-serial no.

type

root

repeater repeater leaf

anchor 0, 1 0

location ASCII string (25 max)

contact ASCII string (25 max)

single-node-reboot-

timeout-sec 30..3600 600

timeout

rf-from-children channel 5..35 25

rf-from-parent channel 5..35 5

speed-mbps 1, 2, 5.5, 11 11

power-dbm 0..23 18

rf-nnp-1 channel 5..35 5

power-dbm 0..23 18

rf-nnp-2 channel 5..35 35

power-dbm 0..23 18

enable 0, 1 0

rf-to-parent speed-mbps 1, 2, 5.5, 11 11

power-dbm 0..23 18

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Bridge Management Commands

Command Parameters Values

ethernet speed

timeout-sec 5..1800 30

multi-cast-timeout-sec 5..3600 600

show-tables table

format

auto 10hdx 10fdx 100hdx off

radio-nodes

ethernet-stations flow-control

count

times

Internet Protocol (IP) Management Commands

Command Parameters Values

Factory Configuration

auto

ip-configuration address ip address

netmask ip address

gateway ip address

ping destination ip address

count 0..500 (def 4)

size-bytes 32..1400

snmp manager ip address

community ASCII string (9 max)

access g, gs, gt, gst

authentication-traps o, 1

delete 1..4

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Command Parameters Values

antenna-alignment-aid output

off audio

node node-name or

#node-number

display-environment

monitor-environment channel 0..50

input a-antenna

b-antenna

monitor-flow

monitor-link node node-name or

#node-number

clear

yes

spectrum-analysis input

a-antenna

b-antenna

Factory

Configuration

off

display

graph

table

dwell-time-ms 1…1000 (def: 20)

test-rf-link node node-name or

#node-number

packet-length-bytes 1…1500

repeat-delay-ms 0…3000

time-analysis channel 0..50

input

a-antenna

b-antenna

display

graph

table

dwell-time-ms 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50,

100, 200, 500

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Event Logging Commands

Command Parameters Values

clear-log region

display-log region

length 1..500 (def 10)

id 0…200

min-level 0…7 (def: 0)

max-level 0…7 (def: 7)

max-event save 0..7 5

print 0..7 3

all-events

reboot-reasons

end

beginning all-events reboot-reasons

File Utilities

Factory Configuration

Command Parameters Values

console-speed-bps baud-rate-bps

copy-file source filename

destination filename

delete-file filename filename

directory format

download-file source path/filename

destination path/filename

method binary

run-file filename filename

set-default-program filename filename

9600, 19200, 38400 57600, 115200

short

full

inline

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Miscellaneous Commands

Command Parameters Values Factory

Configuration

date date dd-mmm-yyyy

time hh:mm:ss

zone offset or code GMT

help command

history

license key <35 character string>

logout

reboot

time time hh:mm:ss

date dd-mmm-yyyy

zone offset or code GMT

Version

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APPENDIX C - Specifications

RF Specifications

RF Frequency Band 2.410 GHz to 2.470 GHz (center frequencies)

RF Signal Bandwidth (-20 dBc) 18 MHz

RF Channels 31 (4 non-overlapping)

Transmitter Output Power 0 to 23 dBm (programmable)

Modulation Type direct 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 Port RS-232

Ethernet Port 10/100 BaseT (auto-negotiate)

Power Requirements

Input Voltage (Outdoor Unit) +10 to +28 Volts DC

Input Voltage (AC) 110 VAC or 220 VAC

Power Consumption less than 5 Watts

Environment

Temperature -35 to +65 Degrees C

Max. Humidity 90% non-condensing

Mechanical:

Dimensions 4.72" wide x 8.66” high x 2.0” deep (120mm W x 220 H x 51 D)

Weight 2.4 lbs. (1.1 Kg).

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APPENDIX D – Channel Frequency Assignment

Frequency

Channel

5 2.410 15 2.430 25 2.450

6 2.412 16 2.432 26 2.452

7 2.414 17 2.434 27 2.454

8 2.416 18 2.436 28 2.456

9 2.418 19 2.438 29 2.458

10 2.420 20 2.440 30 2.460

11 2.422 21 2.442 31 2.462

12 2.424 22 2.444 32 2.464

13 2.426 23 2.446 33 2.466

14 2.428 24 2.448 34 2.468

(GHz) Channel

Frequency

(GHz) Channel

Frequency

35 2.470

Number of

Non-Overlapping

Channels

Suggested Channel Allocation Frequency Separation

(MHz)

(GHz)

3 5, 20, 35 30.0

4 5, 15, 25, 35 20.0

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APPENDIX E – Ethernet Console Program

EConsole v2.01 for Windows

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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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)

>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

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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

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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)

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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)

DE9-M Connector

Back side

(Looking at solder

cups)

Rx Data

Tx Data

GND

EN3C3F Connector

Back side

(Looking at solder

cups)

(see instructions for assembly the EN3C3F connector on the next page)

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VIP 110-24 Operator’s Manual (rev E)

prop

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

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

W/GR 4

GRN

W/OR

REAR VIEW

W/BL

W/BR

ITEM

PART NO.

5EXH04P24-BK-R-CMS-PV1

AT8X8SC-2224

EN3C8F (fig. A)3

MATERIAL

MANUFACTURER

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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)

Instructions for assembly of the Switchcraft EN3CxF Connectors

hree pin connector is shown. Use same process for 8 pin.

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Wilan VIP 110-24 Operator's Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual