4RF Aprisa SR User manual

February 2013
Version 1.5.3a

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Aprisa SR User Manual
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 4RF Limited. All rights reserved.
This document is protected by copyright belonging to 4RF Limited and may not be reproduced or
republished in whole or part in any form without the prior written permission of 4RF Limited.
Trademarks
Aprisa and the 4RF logo are trademarks of 4RF Limited.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Java
and all Java-related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the
United States and other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
Disclaimer
Although every precaution has been taken preparing this information, 4RF Limited assumes no liability for
errors and omissions, or any damages resulting from use of this information. This document or the
equipment may change, without notice, in the interests of improving the product.
RoHS and WEEE Compliance
The Aprisa SR is fully compliant with the European Commission’s RoHS (Restriction of Certain Hazardous
Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)
environmental directives.
Restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS)
The RoHS Directive prohibits the sale in the European Union of electronic equipment containing these
hazardous substances: lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs),
and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
4RF has worked with its component suppliers to ensure compliance with the RoHS Directive which came
into effect on the 1st July 2006.
End-of-life recycling programme (WEEE)
The WEEE Directive concerns the recovery, reuse, and recycling of electronic and electrical equipment.
Under the Directive, used equipment must be marked, collected separately, and disposed of properly.
4RF has instigated a programme to manage the reuse, recycling, and recovery of waste in an
environmentally safe manner using processes that comply with the WEEE Directive (EU Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment 2002/96/EC).
4RF invites questions from customers and partners on its environmental programmes and compliance with
the European Commission’s Directives ([e-mail]).

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Aprisa SR User Manual
Compliance General
The Aprisa SR digital radio predominantly operates within frequency bands that require a site license be
issued by the radio regulatory authority with jurisdiction over the territory in which the equipment is
being operated.
It is the responsibility of the user, before operating the equipment, to ensure that where required the
appropriate license has been granted and all conditions attendant to that license have been met.
Changes or modifications not approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
Equipment authorizations sought by 4RF are based on the Aprisa SR radio equipment being installed at a
fixed location and operated in point-to-multipoint or point-to-point mode within the environmental profile
defined by EN 300 019, Class 3.4. Operation outside these criteria may invalidate the authorizations and /
or license conditions.
The term ‘Radio’with reference to the Aprisa SR User Manual, is a generic term for one end station of a
point-to-multipoint Aprisa SR network and does not confer any rights to connect to any public network or
to operate the equipment within any territory.
Compliance European Telecommunications Standards Institute
The Aprisa SR radio is designed to comply with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute
(ETSI) specifications as follows:
12.5 kHz Channel
25 kHz Channel
Radio performance
EN 300 113-2
EN 302 561
EMC
EN 301 489 Parts 1 & 5
Environmental
EN 300 019, Class 3.4
Safety
EN 60950-1:2006
Frequency band
Channel size
Power input
Notified
body
136-174 MHz
12.5 kHz, 25 kHz
12 VDC
400-470 MHz
12.5 kHz, 25 kHz
12 VDC

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Aprisa SR User Manual
Compliance Federal Communications Commission
The Aprisa SR radio is designed to comply with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
specifications as follows:
Radio performance / EMC
47CFR part 90 Private Land Mobile Radio Services
47CFR part 15 Radio Frequency Devices
Safety
EN 60950-1:2006
Frequency band
limits
Channel
size
Power
input
Authorization
FCC ID
406.1 to 454.0 MHz
456.0 to 470.0 MHz
12.5 kHz
12 VDC
Part 90 Certification
UIPSRN0400012A
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Compliance Industry Canada
The Aprisa SR radio is designed to comply with Industry Canada (IC) specifications as follows:
Radio performance
RSS-GEN
RSS-119
EMC
This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian
standard ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à
la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Safety
EN 60950-1:2006
Frequency band
limits
Channel
size
Power
input
Authorization
IC ID
406.1 to 430.0 MHz
450.0 to 470.0 MHz
12.5 kHz
12 VDC
RSS-119
6772A-SRN400

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Aprisa SR User Manual
RF Exposure Warning
WARNING:
The installer and / or user of Aprisa SR radios shall ensure that a separation distance
as given in the following table is maintained between the main axis of the terminal’s
antenna and the body of the user or nearby persons.
Minimum separation distances given are based on the maximum values of the
following methodologies:
1. Maximum Permissible Exposure non-occupational limit (B or general public) of
47 CFR 1.1310 and the methodology of FCC’s OST/OET Bulletin number 65.
2. Reference levels as given in Annex III, European Directive on the limitation of
exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz)
(1999/519/EC). These distances will ensure indirect compliance with the
requirements of EN 50385:2002.
Frequency (MHz)
Maximum Power
(dBm)
Maximum Antenna
Gain (dBi)
Minimum Separation
Distance
(m)
136
+ 37
15
2.5
174
+ 37
15
2.5
330
+ 37
15
2.5
400
+ 37
15
2.5
470
+ 37
15
2.3

Contents | 5
Aprisa SR User Manual
Contents
1. Getting Started .......................................................................... 11
2. Introduction.............................................................................. 13
About This Manual...............................................................................13
What It Covers ............................................................................13
Who Should Read It ......................................................................13
Contact Us.................................................................................13
What’s in the Box ...............................................................................13
Aprisa SR Accessory Kit ..................................................................14
Aprisa SR CD Contents ...................................................................14
Software ............................................................................14
Documentation ....................................................................14
3. About the Radio ......................................................................... 15
The 4RF Aprisa SR Radio........................................................................15
Product Overview ...............................................................................16
Network Coverage and Capacity .......................................................16
Remote Messaging........................................................................16
Repeater Messaging ......................................................................17
Product Features ................................................................................18
Functions ..................................................................................18
Performance ..............................................................................18
Usability ...................................................................................18
Architecture...............................................................................19
Product Operation.................................................................19
Physical Layer.............................................................................19
Data Link Layer / MAC layer ............................................................19
Channel Access ....................................................................19
Hop by Hop Transmission.........................................................20
Network Layer ............................................................................21
Packet Routing.....................................................................21
Security ...........................................................................................22
Interfaces.........................................................................................23
Antenna Interface ........................................................................23
Ethernet Interface .......................................................................23
RS-232 Interface..........................................................................23
USB Interfaces ............................................................................23
Front Panel Connections .......................................................................24
LED Display Panel ...............................................................................25
Normal Operation ........................................................................25
Single Radio Software Upgrade.........................................................25
Network Software Upgrade .............................................................26
Test Mode .................................................................................26

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Aprisa SR User Manual
4. Product Options ......................................................................... 27
Dual Antenna Port...............................................................................27
Protected Station ...............................................................................28
Operation..................................................................................28
Configuration Management .............................................................29
Switch Over ...............................................................................29
Switching Criteria .................................................................29
Hardware Manual Lock............................................................30
Remote Control....................................................................30
Installation ................................................................................31
Mounting............................................................................31
Cabling ..............................................................................31
Power ...............................................................................31
Maintenance ..............................................................................32
Changing the Protected Station IP Addresses .................................32
Protected Station Software Upgrade ...........................................32
Replacing a Protected Station Faulty Radio ...................................33
Spares ......................................................................................34
Replacing a Faulty Protection Switch ..........................................34
Data Driven Protected Station.................................................................35
Operation..................................................................................35
Switch Over ........................................................................36
Configuration Management ......................................................36
Installation ................................................................................37
Mounting............................................................................37
Cabling ..............................................................................38
Power ...............................................................................38
Duplexer Kit......................................................................................39
USB RS-232 Serial Port..........................................................................40
USB RS-232 operation.............................................................40
Cabling Options ....................................................................40
5. Implementing the Network ........................................................... 41
Network Topologies .............................................................................41
Point-To-Point Network ..........................................................41
Point-to-Multipoint Network.....................................................41
Point-to-Multipoint with Repeater 1............................................41
Point-to-Multipoint with Repeater 2............................................41
Initial Network Deployment ...................................................................42
Install the Base Station..................................................................42
Installing the Remote Stations .........................................................42
Install a Repeater Station ...............................................................42
Network Changes................................................................................43
Adding a Repeater Station ..............................................................43
Adding a Remote Station ................................................................43

Contents | 7
Aprisa SR User Manual
6. Preparation............................................................................... 45
Bench Setup......................................................................................45
Path Planning ....................................................................................46
Antenna Selection and Siting ...........................................................46
Base or Repeater Station.........................................................46
Remote station ....................................................................47
Antenna Siting .....................................................................48
Coaxial Feeder Cables ...................................................................49
Linking System Plan......................................................................49
Site Requirements...............................................................................50
Power Supply..............................................................................50
Equipment Cooling .......................................................................50
Earthing and Lightning Protection .....................................................51
Feeder Earthing....................................................................51
Radio Earthing .....................................................................51
7. Installing the Radio ..................................................................... 52
Mounting..........................................................................................52
Required Tools............................................................................52
DIN Rail Mounting ........................................................................53
Rack Shelf Mounting .....................................................................54
Wall Mounting.............................................................................54
Installing the Antenna and Feeder Cable ....................................................55
Connecting the Power Supply .................................................................56
External Power Supplies.................................................................56
Spare Fuses................................................................................57
Additional Spare Fuses............................................................58

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Aprisa SR User Manual
8. Managing the Radio..................................................................... 59
SuperVisor ........................................................................................59
Connecting to SuperVisor ...............................................................59
Management PC Connection .....................................................60
PC Settings for SuperVisor .......................................................61
Login to SuperVisor................................................................65
Logout of SuperVisor..............................................................66
SuperVisor Page Layout...........................................................67
SuperVisor Menu..........................................................................71
SuperVisor Menu Access ..........................................................72
SuperVisor Menu Items............................................................73
Standard Radio............................................................................74
Terminal ............................................................................74
Radio ................................................................................84
Serial ................................................................................94
Ethernet .......................................................................... 100
Security ........................................................................... 108
Maintenance...................................................................... 122
Events ............................................................................. 135
Software .......................................................................... 142
Network Status .................................................................. 158
Protected Station....................................................................... 165
Terminal .......................................................................... 166
Maintenance...................................................................... 179
Events ............................................................................. 183
Software .......................................................................... 186
Command Line Interface ..................................................................... 202
Connecting to the Management Port ................................................ 202
CLI Commands .......................................................................... 205
Viewing the CLI Terminal Summary........................................... 206
Changing the Radio IP Address with the CLI................................. 206
In-Service Commissioning .................................................................... 207
Before You Start............................................................................... 207
What You Will Need.................................................................... 207
Antenna Alignment............................................................................ 208
Aligning the Antennas ................................................................. 208
9. Maintenance ............................................................................209
No User-Serviceable Components ........................................................... 209
Radio Software Upgrade...................................................................... 210
Network Software Upgrade ........................................................... 210
Upgrade Process ................................................................. 210
Single Radio Software Upgrade....................................................... 211
File Transfer Method............................................................ 211
USB Boot Upgrade Method ..................................................... 212
Software Downgrade............................................................ 213

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Aprisa SR User Manual
10. Interface Connections ................................................................214
RJ45 Connector Pin Assignments............................................................ 214
Ethernet Interface Connections ............................................................. 214
RS-232 Serial Interface Connections........................................................ 215
Protection Switch Remote Control Connections .......................................... 215
11. Alarm Types and Sources ............................................................216
Alarm Types.................................................................................... 216
Alarm Events ............................................................................ 216
Informational Events................................................................... 219
12. Specifications ...........................................................................220
RF Specifications .............................................................................. 220
ETSI Compliant.......................................................................... 220
Frequency Bands ................................................................ 220
Channel Sizes .................................................................... 220
Product Range ................................................................... 220
Transmitter....................................................................... 221
Receiver .......................................................................... 221
Modem ............................................................................ 222
Data Payload Security .......................................................... 222
Interface Specifications ...................................................................... 223
Ethernet Interface ..................................................................... 223
RS-232 Asynchronous Interface....................................................... 224
Protection Switch Specifications............................................................ 224
Power Specifications.......................................................................... 225
Power Supply............................................................................ 225
Power Consumption.................................................................... 225
Power Dissipation ...................................................................... 226
General Specifications........................................................................ 227
Environmental .......................................................................... 227
Mechanical .............................................................................. 227
Compliance.............................................................................. 227
13. Product End Of Life ...................................................................228
End-of-Life Recycling Programme (WEEE) ................................................. 228
The WEEE Symbol Explained .......................................................... 228
WEEE Must Be Collected Separately ................................................. 228
YOUR ROLE in the Recovery of WEEE................................................ 228
EEE Waste Impacts the Environment and Health .................................. 228
14. Abbreviations ...........................................................................229
15. Index......................................................................................230

Getting Started | 11
Aprisa SR User Manual
1. Getting Started
This section is an overview of the steps required to commission an Aprisa SR radio network in the field:
Phase 1:
Pre-installation
1.
Confirm path planning.
Page 46
2.
Ensure that the site preparation is complete:
Power requirements
Tower requirements
Environmental considerations, for example, temperature control
Mounting space
Page 49
Phase 2:
Installing the radios
1.
Mount the radio.
Page 52
2.
Connect earthing to the radio.
Page 51
3.
Confirm that the:
Antenna is mounted and visually aligned
Feeder cable is connected to the antenna
Feeder connections are tightened to recommended level
Tower earthing is complete
4.
Install lightning protection.
Page 51
5.
Connect the coaxial jumper cable between the lightning protection and the
radio antenna port.
Page 55
6.
Connect the power to the radio.
Page 56

12 | Getting Started
Aprisa SR User Manual
Phase 3:
Establishing the link
1.
If radio’s IP address is not the default IP address (169.254.50.10 with a subnet
mask of 255.255.0.0) and you don’t know the radio’s IP address see ‘Command
Line Interface’on page 202.
Page 202
2.
Connect the Ethernet cable between the radio’s Ethernet port and the PC.
3.
Confirm that the PC IP settings are correct for the Ethernet connection:
IP address
Subnet mask
Gateway IP address
Page 61
4.
Open a web browser and login to the radio.
Page 65
5.
Set or confirm the RF characteristics:
TX and RX frequencies
TX output power
Page 85
6.
Compare the actual RSSI to the expected RSSI value (from your path planning).
7.
Align the antennas.
Page 208
8.
Confirm that the radio is operating correctly; the OK, DATA, CPU and RF LEDs
are light green (the AUX LED will be off).

Introduction | 13
Aprisa SR User Manual
2. Introduction
About This Manual
What It Covers
This user manual describes how to install and configure an Aprisa SR point-to-multipoint digital radio
network.
It specifically documents an Aprisa SR radio running system software version 1.5.3.
It is recommended that you read the relevant sections of this manual before installing or operating the
radios.
Who Should Read It
This manual has been written for professional field technicians and engineers who have an appropriate
level of education and experience.
Contact Us
If you experience any difficulty installing or using Aprisa SR after reading this manual, please contact
Customer Support or your local 4RF representative.
Our area representative contact details are available from our website:
4RF Limited
26 Glover Street, Ngauranga
PO Box 13-506
Wellington 6032
New Zealand
E-mail
[email protected]om
Web site
www.4rf.com
Telephone
[phone]
Facsimile
[phone]
Attention
Customer Services
What’s in the Box
Inside the box you will find:
One Aprisa SR radio fitted with a power connector.
One Aprisa SR Accessory kit containing the following:
Aprisa SR CD
Aprisa SR Quick Start Guide
Management Cable

14 | Introduction
Aprisa SR User Manual
Aprisa SR Accessory Kit
The accessory kit contains the following items:
Aprisa SR Quick Start Guide
Aprisa SR CD
Management Cable
USB Cable USB A to USB micro B, 1m
Aprisa SR CD Contents
The Aprisa SR CD contains the following:
Software
The latest version of the radio software (see ‘Radio Software Upgrade’on page 210)
USB Serial Driver
Web browsers - Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer are included for your convenience
Adobe™ Acrobat® Reader® which you need to view the PDF files on the Aprisa SR CD
Documentation
User manual - an electronic (PDF) version for you to view online or print
Product collateral - application overviews, product description, quick start guide, case studies,
software release notes and white papers

About the Radio | 15
Aprisa SR User Manual
3. About the Radio
The 4RF Aprisa SR Radio
The 4RF Aprisa SR is a point-to-multipoint digital radio providing secure narrowband wireless data
connectivity for SCADA, infrastructure and telemetry applications.
The radios carry a combination of serial data and Ethernet data between the base station, repeater
stations and remote stations.
A single Aprisa SR is configurable as a point-to-multipoint base station, a remote station or a repeater
station.

16 | About the Radio
Aprisa SR User Manual
Product Overview
Network Coverage and Capacity
In a simple point-to-multipoint network, an Aprisa SR, configured as a base station, will communicate with
multiple remote units in a given coverage area. With a link range of up to 60 km a typical deployment will
have 30 –50 remote stations attached to the base station. However, geographic features, such as hills,
mountains, trees and foliage, or other path obstructions, such as buildings, tend to limit radio coverage.
Additionally, geography may reduce network capacity at the edge of the network where errors may occur
and require retransmission. However, the Aprisa SR uses Forward Error Correction (FEC) which greatly
improves the sensitivity performance of the radio resulting in less retries and minimal reduction in
capacity.
Ultimately, the overall performance of any specific network will be defined by a range of factors including
the geographic location, the number of remote stations in the base station coverage area and the traffic
profile across the network. Effective network design will distribute the total number of remote stations
across the available base stations to ensure optimal geographic coverage and network capacity.
Remote Messaging
On start-up, the remote station transmits a registration message to the base stations which responds with
a registration response. This allows the base station to record the details of all the remote stations active
in the network.
If a remote station cannot register with the base station after multiple attempts (RF LED flashing red)
within 10 minutes, it will automatically reboot. If a remote station has registered with the base station
but then loses communication, it will automatically reboot within 6 minutes.
There are two message types in the Aprisa SR network, broadcast messages and unicast messages.
Broadcast messages are transmitted by the base station to the remote stations and unicast messages are
transmitted by the remote station to the base station.
All remotes within the coverage area will receive broadcast messages and pass them on to either the
Ethernet or serial interface. The RTU determines if the message is intended for it and will accept it or
discard it.
Only the base station can receive the unicast messages transmitted from the remote station. Unicast
messages are ignored by other remote stations which may be able to receive them.

About the Radio | 17
Aprisa SR User Manual
Repeater Messaging
The Aprisa SR uses a routed protocol throughout the network whereby messages contain source and
destination addresses. Upon registration, the radios populate an internal neighbor table to identify the
radios in the network. The remote stations will register with a base station, or a repeater, and the
repeater registers with a base station. In networks with a repeater, the repeater must register with the
base station before the remotes can register with the repeater.
Additionally, all messages contain a ‘message type’ field in the header and messages are designated as
either a ‘broadcast’ message, originating from a base station, or a ‘unicast’ message, originating from a
remote station.
In a network with a repeater, or multiple repeaters, the base station broadcasts a message which contains
a message type, a source address and a destination address. The repeater receives the message and
recognizes it is a broadcast message, from the message type and source address and re-broadcasts the
message across the network. All remote stations in the coverage area will receive the message but only
the radio with the destination address will act upon the message.
Similarly, the remote station will send a unicast message which contains a message type (unicast) a source
address and a destination address (the base station). The repeater will receive this message; recognize
the message type and source address and forward it to the destination address.
It is this methodology which prevents repeater-repeater loops. If there is repeater (A) which, in some
circumstances, is able to pick up the RF signal from another repeater (B), it will not forward the message
as it will only forward broadcast messages from the base station (recognized by the source address). For
unicast messages the repeater (A) will recognize that the message (from repeater (B)) is not from a
remote with which it has an association and similarly ignore the message.

18 | About the Radio
Aprisa SR User Manual
Product Features
Functions
Point-to-Point (PTP) or Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) operation half duplex
Licensed frequency bands:
VHF 136-174 MHz
UHF 400-470 MHz
Channel sizes:
12.5 kHz
25 kHz
Typical deployment of 30 remote stations from one base station with a practical limit of a few
hundred remote stations
Dual antenna port option for external duplexers or filters (half duplex operation)
Two Ethernet data interfaces plus two RS-232 asynchronous data interfaces
Terminal server operation for transporting RS-232 traffic over IP
Data encryption and authentication
Radio and user interface redundancy (provided with Aprisa SR Protected Station)
Complies with international standards, including ETSI RF, EMC, safety and environmental standards
Performance
Long distance operation
High transmit power
Low noise receiver
Forward Error Correction
Electronic tuning over the frequency band
Thermal management for high power over a wide temperature range
Usability
Configuration / diagnostics via front panel Management Port USB interface, Ethernet interface
Built-in webserver with full configuration, diagnostics and monitoring functionality, including
remote station configuration / diagnostics over the radio link
LED display for on-site diagnostics
Software upgrade and diagnostic reporting via the Host Port USB flash drive
Over-the-air software distribution and upgrades
Simple installation with integrated mounting holes for wall, DIN rail and rack shelf mounting