AXZON RFM5109-B User manual
User Guide: RFM5109-B Fixed RAIN/UHF Smart Reader with ReaderService Page 1
www.Axzon.com IN026F12
APPLICATIONS
IoT sensing
Building performance
Factory 4.0 monitoring
Data center monitoring
Cold chain shipping
KEY FEATURES
Reader temperature range
-20 °C to +55 °C
210 x 121 x 31 mm
Smart reader running Linux
16 SMA antenna ports
Smart Passive Sensing™
Java-based RfmApi Software
Aggregates RFM5108 data
What’s in the system?
The RFM5109 is a wireless reader system for battery-free Smart
Passive Sensing™ devices. The RFM5109 smart reader includes an
embedded processor running Linux. The RFM5144 ReaderService
is included with the system and runs either on the reader itself for
full edge processing, or on a PC/server in a distributed processing
conguration.
How is it used?
The system includes several sample programs that employ the
built-on REST interface to access data from the integrated data-
base. These example programs are a starting point for custom
code that can be modied and extended to specic needs.
Sensors sold separately
The system includes a selection of temperature and moisture
sensors to facilitate evaluation and software development. Oth-
er Axzon sensors can be purchased separately for use with the
RFM5109 system.
Part numbers
The RFM5109-B is a system level product that includes the
RFM5144-B ReaderService™ interface software. The RFM5144-B is
a complete Windows® microservice. The RFM5144 ReaderService™
is able to aggregate data from external RFM5108-B readers. v0.2.0
RFM5109-B USER GUIDE
Fixed Reader with ReaderService
Process at the edge to get data faster
USER GUIDE - RFM5109
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Contents
1. Introduction 3
1.1. RFM5109-Bx System Components 3
2. The Reader 4
2.1. Powering the reader 4
2.2. Connecting the reader to a PC 4
3. Using the System 5
3.1. Identifying and Organizing Sensors 5
3.2. Sensor Handling and Placement 5
3.3. Software overview 5
3.4. Maximum Read Range 5
4. Reader IP Address 6
4.1. Finding your IP address 6
4.2. Setting a new static IP address 6
4.3. Optional: Reader Conguration Utility 6
4.4. Optional: Finding the IP address 7
5. RFM5144 ReaderService Software 9
5.1. Installation Overview 9
5.2. Installing the ReaderService 9
5.3. Creating a new user 11
5.4. Creating the Database Schema 11
5.5. Installing ActiveMQ 11
5.6. Access the REST interface with Swagger 12
5.7. Troubleshooting 16
6. Additional Resources 17
7. Quick Start Process 18
RFM5203-A Wideband antenna
User Guide: RFM5109-B Fixed RAIN/UHF Smart Reader with ReaderService Page 3
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1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the RFM5109 Fixed
RAIN-UHF Reader system with ReaderService™
microservice for Windows®/Linux/Mac®. The
system enables sensor monitoring in various IoT
(Internet of Things) applications. The monitoring
process employs radio frequency (RF) signals to
wirelessly power and communicate with sensors.
No wiring is needed for the sensors.
A variety of sensors are available for the
RFM5109 reader. Sensors are purchased sepa-
rately.
1.1. RFM5109-Bx System Components
Industrial xed reader:The reader is used to
communicate with the sensors and retrieve their
data and status. The ReaderService microservice
can run locally on a smart reader, or on a PC/
server in a distributed processing conguration.
Most applications will connect to the reader over
Ethernet.
RFNM5109-B Fixed Smart Reader
Reader power source:The reader ships with an
external power supply. The reader can also be
powered over Ethernet, PoE.
Antennas:The system includes one antenna.
The reader supports up to 16 antennas, and addi-
tional antennas can be purchased separately.
RF cables: Antennas are connected to the read-
er using the cable provided.
Temperature sensors:The RFM3200, RFM3250
wireless temperature sensors and the RFM2100
moisture sensor are supplied with the system.
All sensors employ Axzon Smart Passive Sensing™
technology. These sensors are designed to be
mounted directly to monitored objects with their
integrated adhesive backings.
RFM3250 Rugged Temperature Sensors
RFM3200 Flexible Temperature Sensors
Software: The RFM5109 ships with the RFM5144
ReaderService software which provides a REST
interface into the integrated MySQL database.
Standard REST calls are supported. The RFM5144
also includes the RFM5140 RfmApi interface
which provides advanced algorithms that convert
raw sensor data into trusted information to be
managed and processed by the RFM5109.
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2.2. Connecting the reader to a PC
The reader is typically connected to a network
using Ethernet. The reader has its own IP ad-
dress that should be reected in the software.
The reader’s IP address can be modied with
the utility software from Nordic-ID. Please see
section 5, Updating the Reader IP Address for
additional details.
2. The Reader
The xed reader is used to communicate with
the sensors and retrieve their readings. This
wireless reader does not include an integrated
antenna; antennas must be connected to the
reader using separate cables.
RFM5109-B Fixed Smart Reader front
with power and network connections
RFM5109-B Fixed Smart Reader back with 16 antenna ports
2.1. Powering the reader
The reader can operate with a 10 W DC source”.
The system includes an appropriate connector
for the power connection. When power is ap-
plied, the PWR LED on the reader unit will illumi-
nate green.
With appropriate PoE hardware the reader can
be powered over Ethernet with an 12 W power
draw.
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3. Using the System
3.1. Identifying and Organizing Sensors
Sensors are typically identied by their EPC or
TID numbers. The RFM5144 ReaderService alpha
release is able to read EPCs only. The specic
value written into the EPC memory area is used
to identify individual sensors.
3.2. Sensor Handling and Placement
Axzon sensors can be touched with no worry
about aecting their operation.
The RFM3250 temperature sensors are construct-
ed with rugged materials designed to operate in
harsh environments. In normal use, the RFM3250
protective backing is peeled from the sensor’s
adhesive layer before axing it to a motor or
pump for example.
Epoxy mounting of the RFM3250 sensors is allow-
able. Please see AN009 RFM3250 Epoxy Recom-
mendations for more information.
3.3. Software overview
RFM5109 Fixed reader is operated using the
RFM5144 ReaderService software. This software
includes a complete REST interface, an integrat-
ed MySQL database, and support for streaming
data modes. The RFM5144 ReaderService uses
the RFM5140 RfmApi interface to manage low-
er-level sensor conguration and raw sensor
data. The RFM5140 RfmApi converts raw sensor
data into trusted data for the RFM5144 Reader-
Service to store and process.
Several example programs using the ReaderSer-
vice are provided.
3.4. Maximum Read Range
The maximum read range for the RFM3250 is
approximately 5 to 7.5 meters in a free air envi-
ronment depending on the antenna used. Near
complex mechanical structures, the read range
can be reduced to 2-3 meters. Please see the
respective sensor product brochure for additional
details on each sensor’s performance.
Metal enclosures tend to reect the RF signal
throughout the enclosure. It is possible for
these reected signals to combine to create
nulls or shadows, where the RF signal cancels
itself. These nulls are usually only a few inches
or centimeters wide. Moving sensors or antennas
in any direction will often correct for any weak
signal strength issues.
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4. Reader IP Address
The ReaderService demo programs when run
from the PC/server require the RF reader’s spe-
cic IP address to communicate. The RF reader
is congured to dynamically set its IP address
each time it connects to a network.
Please use the network discovery methods pro-
vided in the RfmApiDemo.java program from
the RfmApi example programs to nd IP address-
es and congure software dynamically. The Rf-
mApi interface and demo programs are supplied
with the ReaderService.
NOTE: Please ignore the remainder of this sec-
tion if dynamic IP addressing is used.
The format of an IP address is usually xxx.xxx.
xxx.xxx, 130.132.xxx.xxx or 128.36.xxx.xxx. IP
addresses can be dierent depending on the
network. For instance, when you connect your
laptop at home, it has a dierent IP address than
when you connect it at your oce.
4.1. Finding your IP address
From within Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows 10,
please follow the instructions below to identify
your computer’s IP address. This will conrm the
base IP address range that the reader should use.
1. Click the START button
2. Type cmd in the start or search box
3. Select cmd.exe or the COMMAND
PROMPT when it appears
4. A black command box will appear
5. At the blinking cursor, type ipcong /
all
6. Press Enter.
7. Below the heading “Ethernet adapter
Local Area Connection:” look for the IP or
IPv4 Address entry. The rst three num-
bers are critical: xxx.xxx.xxx....
4.2. Setting a new static IP address
Conguring the reader for a static IP address
simplies evaluation and development tasks.
The RFM5109 reader ships congured for a dy-
namic IP address, which is congured each time
the reader is attached to the network. Congur-
ing for a static IP address simplies the software
development task by using a single dened IP
address during development.
CAUTION: The IP address you enter should be
unique for your organization. Please contact
your IT department for additional details.
You can ping your target address using Windows
START→COMMAND PROMPT→PING. If the ping
returns a reply, then the IP address is occupied,
otherwise it times out.
CAUTION: In some cases, the IP address may
not reply to your ping if the device is otherwise
occupied. Please use an alternate static IP ad-
dress if you experience erratic reader connection
performance. Please consult with your IT de-
partment for additional details.
4.3. Optional: Reader Conguration Utility
1. Please connect the reader to your PC
using the USB cable
2. Optional: To change the read-
er’s IP address, please open
the Nordic Conguration utility
supplied with the reader.
3. Please select the Connected button in the
upper left of the screen. Enter the IP
address and port number of your
reader if known. The conguration tool
may automatically nd your reader.
4. You can conrm that the reader is con-
nected when the right-hand
panel is populated with read-
er-specic information, and
address.
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Utility detailed settings panel
4.4. Optional: Finding the IP address
PuTTY is a download able tool that can be used
in place of the reader conguration utility. Both
the reader conguration tool and PuTTY are able
to congure the reader IP address over USB.
1. Please download PuTTY from:
https://www.chiark.greenend.
org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.
html
2. After installing PuTTY, connect the power,
USB, and Ethernet to the RF reader.
3. Open the Windows Device Manager and
expand the section Ports (COM & LPT).
You should see an entry “NUR Module” or
“USB Serial Device” with an assigned COM
port (e.g. COM6). You can ensure that
you are nding the right COM port by un-
plugging the RF reader. If Device Manager
entry goes away, then you are looking at
the correct one.
4. Plug the RF reader back in.
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5. Open PuTTY, and select the radio button
for “serial” in the “Connection type”
section. Then enter the COM port under
“Serial line”, and set the “Speed” box to
9600.
6. In the PuTTY terminal window type “net”
and press enter (note: you will not see
any characters on the display). Now the
prompt changes to NET >.
7. Please type letter “s” at the command
prompt, and press Enter. This will display
the IP address and other details of the RF
reader. Note the RF reader’s IP address.
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5. RFM5144 ReaderService Software
The RFM5144 ReaderService software oper-
ates through a REST interface. The software is
shipped as a .jar library le along with several
example programs. The microservice can be
launched directly within Windows.
5.1. Installation Overview
Install and congure the tools in order below:
1. ReaderService
2. MySQL ( version 5.7 )
3. Apache ActiveMQ ( version 5.15 )
4. Create a DBA user in the MySQL database
5. Executing the database scripts from the
<<reader-service>>/db-script
folder.
6. Run the C# demo app to access data.
5.2. Installing the ReaderService
Unzip the Reader Service les into a directory
of your choice. Right-click and run <<read-
er-service>>\bin\install-read-
er-service.bat as an administrator from
the \bin\ folder where you stored your
les. In Windows 10, you may receive a
warning message when starting new services
or tools. Please click the message’s more
information link to enable the PROCEED but-
ton, or right-click the le to “run as adminis-
trator”.
IMPORTANT: You can conrm the microser-
vice is running by entering and running ”ser-
vices” from the START prompt on Windows.
Scroll down the list and right-click Axzon
ReaderService to view properties. If the
microservice is not running, please right-click
and start the service.
IMPORTANT: After starting the service, you
can conrm the ReaderService started by re-
viewing the logs at <<reader-service>>/
logs/rfm-reader-service.log.
Installing MySQL
Create an account at Oracle to download and
install MySQL to your PC from dev.mysql.
com .
Download the version 5.7 installer for the
best match to MySQL on Windows (installer
and Tools).
You can download the web-connected install-
er, or the larger o-line installer.
Select the Developer Default option.
Select the path for the installation.
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A check is performed to assess if additional
components need to be installed.
Components are installed.
Product conguration includes a set of deci-
sion, and roles that should be enabled. The
root login can be any password that you like.
You will need to add a DB admin user with a
login/password that matches the login used
by the ReaderService.
Role: DBA
Host Matching: %
Login: axzon_admin
Password: axzon_admin
These defaults can be changed in the
<<reader-service>>/cong/applica-
tion.properties folder prior to installing
the ReaderService.
Other setup settings are optional. The in-
staller will open a command prompt window
at the completion of the installation.
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5.3. Creating a new user
If a new DBA database administrator with
all rights was not created during the MySQL
installation to match expected database login
from the <<reader-service>>/cong/
application.properties le, then a new
DBA role can be congured using the MySql
Workbench.
Role: DBA
Host Matching: %
Login: axzon_admin
Password: axzon_admin
5.4. Creating the Database Schema
Within the MySQL Workbench, load the SQL
le <<reader-service>>/db-script/
schema.sql . The lighting bolt icon will
execute “highlighted or selected” SQL com-
mands. The new rf_sensor_db schema
should now be listed in the left workbench
window.
5.5. Installing ActiveMQ
Download ActvieMQ version 5.15 installer.
Detailed instructions are also available at
http://activemq.apache.org/
getting-started.html .
Extract the zip le contents to a program di-
rectory of your choice, such as C:\Program
Files\activemq .
Navigate to apache-activemq-5.14.3\
bin\win64 folder (for an x64 machine).
Within the activeMQ/bin directory select
and click into the folder that best matches
your operating system. Then right-click on
InstallService.bat then select “Run as
administrator.” Conrm any Windows De-
fender prompts.
Launch Windows Services by typing “services”
at the START menu. Verify that a new service
has been added named “ActiveMQ.” If not
running already, right click on the service and
select start.
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Open a browser and navigate to http://
localhost:8161/ . An ActiveMQ page
should load indicating installation is nished.
5.6. Access the REST interface with Swagger
The swagger tool is included with the Reader-
Service for easier access the REST commands.
Please enable the swagger tool by entering the
URL below in a web browser.
http//localhost:19040/swagger-ui.html
Once the swagger screen opens, you will see
several REST commands by clicking the “List
Operation”
1. StartReaderDiscovery: Start the reader
discovery process. The reader service
can perform an auto discovery of readers
connected to the network. Use this end-
point to start the auto-discovery process.
Another endpoint is provided for retriev-
ing results of the auto-discovery process
(described below). The response should
have a property indicating the auto-dis-
covery process has been started.
2. GetDiscoveredReaders: Get the list of
readers
A list of readers on the network are shown.
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3. Connect: Connect to a specic reader.
When the reader is in server mode, it listens
for incoming requests on the network. Using
this mode, the reader-service must connect
to the reader explicitly by using the reader’s
IP address. The reader’s IP address can be
obtained through the reader auto-discovery
mentioned earlier in this document.
NOTE: The host and port parameters are
selected from the list of network connected
readers. The reader plug-in name is specic
to the model or brand of reader. In this ex-
ample, the reader is a Nordic-ID RF reader.
{
“host”: “177.77.7.112”,
“port”: 4333,
“readerPluginName”: “NordicId”,
}
NOTE: Get the connected reader details and
ID from the connect command response. The
RF reader ID is needed for the other com-
mands. In this specic example, the reader
ID is K182100224.
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4. GetReaderSettings: The reader can be con-
gured to suit your operating needs. To see
what conguration options can be modied,
the current reader settings can be retrieved.
Using this endpoint with a reader’s unique
identier, a response is returned containing
properties that reect the current state of
the reader, and can be provided in the pay-
load when updating the reader’s congura-
tion.
{
“frequencyBand”: “FCC”,
“rxDecoding”: “Miller_4”,
“linkFrequency”: “_256KHz_”,
“modulation”: “PRASK”,
“qValue”: “_0_”,
“session”: “S0”,
“inventoryTarget”: “INV_TAR-
GET_A”,
“antennas”: [
{
“power”: “_DEFAULT_”,
“enabled”: true,
“id”: 1
},
{
“power”: “_DEFAULT_”,
“enabled”: false,
“id”: 2
},
{
“power”: “_DEFAULT_”,
“enabled”: false,
“id”: 3
},
5. SetReaderSettings: Specic reader set-
tings can be congured with this endpoint
by providing conguration properties in the
request payload. This is an important step
to ensure the reader is reader sensors ad-
equately. Settings such as link frequency,
power level and selected antenna are cong-
ured with this endpoint. A common request
body used for reading Axzon sensors might
look similar the following JSON object.
The response payload is the same shape as
the get reader conguration endpoint men-
tioned earlier.
{
“antennas”: [
{
“enabled”: true,
“id”: 0,
“power”: “_DEFAULT_”
}
],
“defaultPropertyFileName”:
“string”,
“frequencyBand”: “FCC”,
“inventoryTarget”: “INV_TAR-
GET_A”,
“linkFrequency”: “_40KHz_”,
“modulation”: “ASK”,
“powerLevel”: “_DEFAULT_”,
“propertyFileName”: “string”,
“qValue”: “_0_”,
“readTimeout”: 0,
“rxDecoding”: “FM0”,
“selectedAntenna”: 0,
“session”: “S0”
}
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6. SelectSensors: Prior to reading sensors,
the sensor selection endpoint can be used to
specify the desired sensors to be read. For
a given chip type, sensor lters can be ap-
plied such as an OCRSSI upper or lower bound
threshold, and enabling or disabling tempera-
ture sensor reads. The temperature lter
shoudl be enabled if the temperature sensor
is being read.
7. ClearResultsFromBuer: Clear previous
data from the low-level buers.
8. Read a sensor: After conguring the read-
er settings and applying lters to select
the desired sensors to read, the reading
process can be initiated. The calibration
data is not needed for the OCRSSI sensor
measurement type and is set for zero (0)
read attempts. The OCRSSI control can
narrow the range of responding sensors
and which data is collected. The max/
min values from 31 to 1 allow all data to
be collected.
{
“calDataMaxReadAttempts”: 0,
“maxOcrsiiFilter”: 31,
“maxReadAttempts”: 5,
“minOcrsiiFilter”: 1,
“sensorType”: “OCRSSI”
}
After initiating a read, the reader takes an
indeterminate amount of time to nish its
read process. The asynchronous nature of
the read process causes the results of the
read to be retrieved from a dierent end-
point, described later in this document.
Along with a general endpoint to read sen-
sors, there are also endpoints for explicitly
reading each sensor type.
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9. GetResults: After adjusting settings and
targeting your desired sensor read type the
results are accessed using the getResults
endpoint.
After a sensor read has been initiated, this
endpoint can be used to retrieve the results
of the read. The following JSON shows an
example response of a successful read.
5.7. Troubleshooting
If the application reports errors or does not
seem to respond, check the log: <<read-
er-service>>/logs/rfm-reader-ser-
vice.log to identify any issues.
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6. Additional Resources
Please see these additional documents for more information.
System Options:
PB031 RFM5108-B Fixed RAIN/UHF Reader with RfmApi Product Brochure
PB054 RFM5109-B Fixed RAIN/UHF Smart Reader with ReaderService Product Brochure
Software Options:
PB047 RFM5140-B RfmApi Product Brochure
PB048 RFM5144-B ReaderService Product Brochure
Detailed Technical Documents:
IN020 Axzon Sensor EPC Programming Guide
IN023 RFM5108-B Fixed RAIN/UHF Reader User Guide
IN024 RFM5140-B RfmApi Quick Start Guide
IN026 RFM5109-B Fixed RAIN UHF Smart Reader with ReaderService User Guide (this document)
IN027 RFM5140-B Axzon RfmApi Programming Guide
IN028 RFM5144-B Axzon ReaderService Programming Guide
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©2018 Axzon and RFMicron, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without prior written consent of the copyright owner. The information presented in this document
does not form part of any quotation or contract, is believed to be accurate and reliable and may be changed without notice. Axzon, RFMicron, and RFMicron, Inc. as well as the product and service
names mentioned herein are the registered trademarks of RFMicron, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. RFMicron, Austin Texas, USA.
7. Quick Start Process
STEP 1: Connect the System
Please follow the instructions in section 2, The Reader.
STEP 2: Load the Reader Conguration Utility (Optional)
If static IP addressing is used for the RF reader, please follow the instructions in section 5.3, Read-
er conguration utility. NOTE: Ignore steps 2 and 3 if dynamic IP addressing is managed in the
programming code, as with RfmApiDemo.java for example.
STEP 3: Find the Reader’s IP Address (Optional)
Please follow the instructions in section 4, Reader IP Address to nd the reader’s IP address. Op-
tionally, change the reader IP address if your organization is using static IP addresses.
STEP 4. Install Sensors and Antennas
Please orient the sensors so that they are placed a meter or so in front of the antenna. The
antenna should be “pointing at” the sensors for easiest evaluation with the software. Once the
system and software are congured with the correct IP address, the antenna and sensors can be
used at normal distances. NOTE: The RFM3250 sensors included in the kit, are designed for use
on-metal surfaces.
STEP 5. Install Software Tools and Launch the ReaderService
Please follow the instructions in section 5, RFM5144 ReaderService Software. The software instal-
lation instructions cover the ReaderService, as well as its support tools like the ActiveMQ messag-
ing queue and the MySql data base. NOTE: The ReaderService requires a DBA (Data Base Admin-
istrator) login to the data base to create needed tables. It is important to carefully follow the
suggested logins and passwords in setting up the demo initially. These can be changed to improve
security at a time.
CAUTION: Do not try to connect to the RF reader with ReaderService and RfmApi Demo programs
at the same time. The ReaderService already manages an instance of the RfmApi internally.
NOTE: Use the RfmApiDemo.java program to discover IP addresses for RF readers on your
network. Please see RFM5108 and RFM5140 documentation for additional details. Alternatively,
you can use the StartReaderDiscovery endpoint in the ReaderService REST interface to nd
available readers on the network.
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