Reader 3
Switch Settings
Two banks of four DIP switches located inside the interface unit are used
to select the reader power level, operating mode, and internal beeper
sound level.
CAUTION: Power should be removed from the reader while switch settings
are changed.
Selecting Reader Power Level
The reader’s power requirement is selected using four DIP switches. The
optimum power level will vary with each installation. Higher power
levels give improved read range for Proximity Perfect badges; while
lower power levels allow greater cabling distance between the reader and
the microcontroller. A detailed explanation is provided below. The
reader’s power requirements are unaffected by the connection of a second
read head to the interface unit. The figure on the next page shows the
location of the DIP switches. The tables that follow give the switch
settings, read ranges, and cabling distances.
Explanation of Read Range/Cable Distance/Power Level:
Maximum badge read range is determined by the distance at which the
field transmitted by the reader is just strong enough to wake up the
badge. Therefore, the higher the reader’s transmission power, the greater
the badge read range will be. The trade-off for increased read range is a
decrease in the maximum cabling distance between the reader and the
microcontroller. The trade-off between read range and cabling distance is
common to all proximity badge readers. The power selection switches on
the Models 950 and 960 Readers allow the optimum power setting to be
selected to suit individual installations.
For example: On the high power setting, giving the greatest badge read
range, the reader typically requires 200mA of supply current from the
microcontroller. If there is 1,000 feet of 22 AWG cable between the reader
and the microcontroller, the total reader power and power return path is
2,000 feet. Since 22 AWG cable has a typical resistance of 16 ohms per
1,000 feet, the total resistance in the reader’s power and power return
wire is 32 ohms. By Ohms Law (V=IR), it follows that the total voltage
dropped in the reader power and power return wires will be 6.4V
(6.4V = 200mA x 32 ohms). Therefore, the reader supply voltage will drop
from 12V at the microcontroller to 5.6V (12V - 6.4V) at the reader. Such a
supply voltage is too low for the reader to function reliably.