Cansec AIR-485 User manual

AIR-485®
INSTALLATION MANUAL
November 2014

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CA-AIR485
Important Notice:
Do not operate the AIR-485®modem with
the antenna removed. This will cause
irreparable damage which is not covered
under warranty.

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Mounting Requirements - CRITICAL
HEIGHT
Both indoor and outdoor AIR-485 units absolutely must be installed a minimum of ten (10) feet
above the ground –higher is better.
OFFSET FROM METAL
Do not install AIR-485 units directly on metal surfaces or reinforded concrete. If you have to do
this, make sure that the AIR-485 is a minimum of six (6) inches away from the surface.
MOBILE OBSTRUCTIONS
Do not locate AIR-485 units where their line of sight to the other unit(s) can be obstructed by
trucks or other mobile equipment.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT: Prior to calling Technical Support, please send pictures of the installed
units to [e-mail].
ANTENNA ORIENTATION
The antenna must be oriented vertically.
Baud Rate & Format Compatibility
NOTE:
The supported baud rates are 4800, 9600, 19.2K and 38.4K. Data format supported is 8 bit, no
parity, one start bit, one stop bit, and no hardware flow controls. A site test must be done in all
instances to confirm performance. There are no short cuts!

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Overview:
Air-485®is a high performance 900MHz frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) long-range
wireless modem. It provides a reliable wireless data link to RS-485 serial devices and offers a
simple yet cost-effective alternative to running costly RS-485 data cables, especially in
commercial environments that make wire connections challenging or impractical.
Air-485®is optimized to work with Cansec’s SmartLock, Hurricane & Maestro, and Zodiac
products but can also be used with most products that support 2-wire RS-485 communication.
The wireless link that Air-485®modems provide is totally transparent to the connected devices.
Features
Plug and Play Communications
Unlike most wireless modems, Air-485®does not require the use of a PC or the installation of
complicated software to set up the radio and communication parameters. Instead, Air-485®
modems are configured through simple DIP switch settings (see Figure 1 and 2 on the following
pages).
Long Range
Indoor/Urban: up to 400 m (1,300 feet) depending on antenna height and RF interference.
Outdoor line-of-sight: up to 10 Km (6 miles) with standard antenna provided.
USB and RS-485 Support
Air-485®modems support both USB and 2-wire RS-485 connections. When connected to the
PC using USB, the device is powered from the USB. When connected to an RS-485 data cable,
an external power supply must be used. Air-485®automatically detects the type of connection
and configures itself automatically. Support for both types of connections provides greater
flexibility in accommodating even the most complex configuration (examples provided later in
this document.)
Adjustable RF Power Level
Four output power levels (10, 250, 500 and 1000 milliwatts) can be easily set in the field using
two DIP switches. The RF power level should be set higher as needed for longer range. Note
that setting the RF power to a high level when doing testing at very short range (under 2 m/6
feet) can overload the receiver and cause erratic operation.

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Visual Signal Level Indication
The built-in continuous signal strength diagnostic test that can be initiated from any remote Air-
485®modem references the base modem and provides real-time signal strength indication
using three green LEDs (Figure 2). This feature helps the installer in terms of choosing the
correct location and elevation of the Air-485®modems and the alignment of the antennas for
maximum signal strength. This also eliminates the need for expensive tools and power meters.
Multiple Network Support
Because the range of the Air-485®modems can be up to 10 Km (6 miles) line-of-sight, it is
possible that installations in close proximity could interfere with each other. To address this, the
modems have two DIP switches which allow up to four Network ID numbers to be specified. For
example, an Air-485®Master which is set to ID 1 will only wirelessly communicate with Air-485®
Slaves with ID 1. Transmission from other ID numbers will be ignored.
Secure Data Communications
Air-485®modems use 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to ensure that the data
integrity is not compromised.
Multiple Slave Units
A single master AIR-485 unit can communicate with up to 16 slave units.

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Setup
DIP Switch Settings
There are two sets of DIP switches which must be set.
Figure 1: Front
NOTE: The RESET button must be pressed whenever a DIP switch setting is changed.

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Front:
1) LINK LED (Figure 1) –For a Master unit, if this LED is on SOLID, it indicates that the
unit is successfully connected to at least one Slave. For a Slave unit, this LED indicates
that it is successfully connected to a Master.
2) TX\RX LEDs (Figure 1) –These LEDs indicate the transmission and receipt of data.
3) When the Air-485®Master is connected to a PC using USB, the modem is powered from
the USB port. Because of the limited current available on a PC’s USB port, only the two
lowest power settings can be used when powering the modem using USB. If a higher
power setting is required, the optional plug-in power supply can be used.
4) Switch 1 –For a Point-To-Point network, set one Air-485®modem to Master and the
other modem to Slave. If a modem is connected to the PC using USB, that modem must
be set to Master. For a Multipoint network, set the unit connected to the PC using USB
as the Master. If one is not connected to the PC using USB, set the one hardwired on
the RS-485 bus as Master and set the field units as Slaves.
5) Switches 2 and 3 –The factory default setting is Low Power. If the distance between the
Master and Slave(s) is MORE THAN 100 feet, set the switches to HIGH POWER on
both the Master and Slave(s). Note that the Master and Slave(s) should always be set
to the same power level. If the distance from the Master to the Slave(s) is LESS THAN
100 feet, start with both units set to LOW POWER and progressively increase the power
level until an acceptable signal level is reached (see Signal Level Test below). This is
important because using a power setting that is too high for a Master and Slave in close
proximity to each other will result in a poor communications link.
6) Switch 4 –Set to DOWN (default) for North America. Set to UP for Australia.
7) Switches 5 and 6 –Used to set the hardwired baud rate. The baud rate through the air
is fixed and is 115 Kbps.
8) Switch 7 –Applies to Slave units only. When this switch is UP, the unit is in Signal Test
Mode. In this mode, the Slave modem communicates with the Master to determine the
signal strength. The three green LEDs display this relative signal strength (see Signal
Strength note for Figure 2 on the following page).
9) Switch 8 –Must be DOWN.

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Figure 2: Back
Back:
1) RS-485 Input –Used for RS-485 communication up- and down-stream. If the Air-485®
modem is connected to a PC using USB, this connection cannot be used.
2) Network ID –This is used to set the network ID for the group of Air-485®modems
communicating together. The Master and corresponding Slaves should all be on the
same Network ID. Setting the Network ID can be done using the DIP switches, as shown
in the diagram below:
3) Signal Strength –Signal Strength LEDs indicate the strength of the received signal only
when DIP switch 7 on the front side of the Air-485®modem is UP (Figure 1). The rule of
thumb is that more LEDs are better. However, as long as you have at least one LED
and it is on SOLID, there is a solid data connection. In NORMAL mode, the lower LED
will be on SOLID and indicates that the unit is powered on.

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Outdoor Installation
For outdoor applications, use the CA-AIR485-N which consists of an Air-485®modem and a
plastic NEMA enclosure. This configuration is temperature rated for -40oC to +85oC (-40°F to
+185°F). The housing will not affect the range of the Air-485®modem.

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Wiring Diagrams
Wiring (H1000)
NOTE: The EIA RS-485
standard does not permit
T-Tap or Star connections.

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Wiring (SmartLock)
NOTE: The EIA RS-485
standard does not permit
T-Tap or Star connections.

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Typical Air-485™ Configuration for SmartLock
Air-485 Without CLAUSB or CanLan
Air-485 With CLAUSB & CanLan on Remote Site

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Air-485 With Remote Parking Gate Using CLAUSB
Air-485 With Remote Parking Gate, No CLAUSB or CanLan
IMPORTANT:
Each panel must have a unique address
Supports maximum 30 panels
Supports maximum 16 Air-485 slaves
No communications between Air-485
slaves
No Air-485 repeaters
Works with most 2-wire RS-485
products*
*NOTE: The supported baud rates are 4800, 9600, 19.2K and
38.4K. Data format supported is 8 bit, no parity, one start bit,
one stop bit, and no hardware flow controls. A site test must
be done in all instances to confirm performance. There are
no short cuts!

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Applications
Access Control
Security
Industrial Controls and Robotics
Oil Fields
Agriculture
Specifications
Operating Frequency Range 902 - 928MHz
Number of RF Channels 50
Modulation FSK
Serial Data Rates 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400 Kbps
RF Data Transmission Rate 115.2 Kbps
Receiver Sensitivity -102 dBm 0.00001 BER @ 115.2 Kbps
Transmission Output Power 10, 250, 500 and 1000 mW
Power Requirement USB Power (low RF output) or
12VDC 1A (high RF output)
Network Topologies Point-to-Point, Multipoint
Optimum Antenna Impedance 50 Ohm
Antenna 3dBi
Antenna connection RPSMA
Peak Transmit Mode Current@1 W 1200 mA
Base Operating Receive Current 105 mA
Remote Operating Receive Current 60 mA
Operating Temperature Range -40 oC to +85 oC
Dimensions 11.2 cm x 9.0 cm x 2.7 cm
Weight 220 g