Digi XStream -PKG- R User manual

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XSt re am -PKG- R™ RS- 2 3 2 / 4 8 5 RF Modem
Pr odu ct M a nu a l v5.x00
For XSt ream RF Modem Par t Num bers: X09-001PK…-R… X24-009PK…-R... XH9-00 1PK…-R...
X09-009PK…-R… X24-019PK…-R… XH9-009PK…-R…
X09-019PK…-R… XH9-019PK…-R…
9 0 0 M Hz a nd 2 .4 GHz St a n d-a lone R F M od em s by D igi I n t e r na t ion a l I n c.

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
XSt ream -PKG-R RS- 232/ 485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
( Par t n um b er 9 00 022 11 B)
Revision
Dat e
Descr ipt ion
B
10/ 15/ / 14
Minor changes and new part num ber
© 2 0 1 4 D ig i I n t e r n a t ion a l I n c. All r igh t s r e se rv e d.
Digi, Digi International Inc., the Digi logo, and XStream®
are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United
States and other countries worldwide. All other
trademarks mentioned in this document are the property
of their respective owners.
Information in this document is subject to change without
notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of
Digi International Inc. Digi provides this document “as is,”
without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied,
including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
fitness or merchantability for a particular purpose. Digi
may make improvements and/or changes in this manual or
in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this
manual at any time.
© 2014 Digi International Inc. ii

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
Contents
1 . X St r e a m RS-2 3 2 / 4 8 5 RF Mode m 4
1 . 1 . Fe at u res 4
1.1.1 . Wor ldwide Accept ance 4
1 .2 . Sp ecifica t ion s 5
1 . 3 . Ex t er na l I n t e rfa ce 6
2 . I nt e rf a ci ng Pr o t ocol 7
2 .1 . RS-2 3 2 Op er at ion 7
2.1.1 . DI P Sw it ch Set t ings and Pin Signals 7
2 .2 . RS-4 8 5 ( 2 -w ir e) Op e ra t ion 9
2.2.1 . DI P Sw it ch Set t ings and Pin Signals 9
2 .3 . RS-4 8 5 ( 4 -w ire) and RS-4 2 2 Op er at ion 1 0
2.3.1 . DI P Sw it ch Set t ings and Pin Signals 10
3 . RF M od em Ope r a t ion 1 2
3 .1 . Seria l Com m unica t ions 1 2
3.1.1. RS-232 and RS-485/ 422 Dat a Flow 12
3.1.2 . Host and RF Modem I / O Sett ings 12
3.1.3 . Flow Cont rol 13
3 . 2 . M ode s of Op er at ion 1 4
3.2.1 . I dle Mode 14
3.2.2 . Transm it Mode 14
3.2.3. Receive Mode 16
3.2.4 . Sleep Modes 16
3.2.5 . Com m and Mode 19
4 . RF M ode m Config ur at ion 2 1
4 . 1 . Au t om at ic DI P Sw it ch Con fig ur at io ns 2 1
4 .2 . Progr am m in g Ex a m ples 2 2
4.2.1 . AT Com m ands 22
4.2.2 . Binar y Com m ands 23
4 . 3 . Com m a n d Re fe r e nce T a ble 2 4
4 .4 . Com m and Descript ions 2 5
5 . RF Com m u n ica t ion M ode s 4 0
5 .1 . Addressing 4 1
5.1.1 . Address Recognition 41
5 .2 . Ba sic Com m u nica t io ns 4 2
5 .2 .1 . St r eam ing Mode ( Def ault ) 42
5.2.2. Repeater Mode 43
5 .3 . Acknow ledged Com m un ica t ions 4 6
5.3.1 . Acknow ledged Mode 46
5.3.2 . Mult i-St ream ing Mode 48
App en dix A: Age n cy Ce r t ifi ca t ion s 5 2
FCC Ce rt if ica t i on 5 2
OEM Labeling Requ ir em en ts 53
Ant enna Usage 53
FCC-Approved Ant ennas 54
I C ( I n dust ry Ca na da ) Ce rt ifica t ion 5 5
Appe ndix B: De ve lopm e nt Guide 5 6
RS-2 3 2 Acce ssor ie s Kit Con t ent s 5 6
Adapters 57
Ant ennas 58
App en dix C: Addit ion a l I nf or m a t ion 5 9
1 - Yea r W a r r a n t y 5 9
Or de r in g I n fo rm at ion 5 9
Con t a ct D igi 6 0
© 2014 Digi International Inc. iii

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
1. XStream RS-232/485 RF Modem
The XStr eam -PKG-R RF Modem prov ides long r ange data
com m unicat ions and advanced net work ing for OEMs and syst em
int egr ators. Out-of -box, t he m odem is equipped t o sust ain long range
wir eless link s betw een dev ices. Sim ply ent er serial data int o one
m odem and t he dat a surfaces on t he ot her end of t he wireless link.
The m odem t ransfers a st andar d asy nchr onous ser ial dat a st ream
bet ween t wo or m or e m od em s. I t s b uilt -in RS-232/ 485/ 422 inter facing facilitat es rapid
int egr at ion int o ex ist ing dat a syst em s.
1 .1 . Fe at u re s
Lon g Ran g e
9XStr eam -PKG- R ( 9 00 MHz) Range:
•I ndoor/ Urban: up to 1 5 0 0 ’ ( 450 m )
•Out door line-of-sight: u p t o 7 m ile s ( 11 k m )
w/ 2.1 dBm dipole ant enna
•Out door line-of-sight: u p t o 2 0 m ile s ( 3 2 k m )
w/ high gain ant enna
24XSt ream -PKG- R ( 2.4 GHz) Range:
•I ndoor/ Urban: up t o 60 0 ’ (180 m )
•Out door line-of-sight: u p t o 3 m iles ( 5 k m )
w/ 2.1 dBm dipole ant enna
•Out door line-of-sight: u p t o 1 0 m iles ( 1 6 k m )
w/ high gain ant enna
Receiver Sensitiv ity: -1 1 0 dBm ( 90 0 MHz) ,
-1 0 5 dBm ( 2. 4 GHz)
Ad va n ce d N e t w ork in g an d Se cu r it y
True peer-t o-p eer ( no “ m ast er ” r eq uir ed ) ,
point -t o-point , point-t o-m ultipoint , m ult idr op
Ret ries and Ack nowledgem ent s
7 hopping channels, each with over 65 ,000
available net work addresses
FHSS ( Fr equen cy Hop ping Sp read Spect r um )
1 .1 .1 . W or ld w ide Accept an ce
FCC Cer t ifie d ( USA) - Refer to Appendix A for FCC Requirem ent s.
Sy st em s t hat cont ain XSt r eam RF Modem s aut om at ically inherit Digi Cer t ifications.
I SM (I ndustrial, Scientific and Medical) frequency band
Manufact ured under I SO 9 0 0 1 :2 0 0 0 regist er e d st a n da rds
9XStream (900 MHz) RF Modem s are appr ov ed for use in US, Ca n a da , Au st r alia and I sr a e l
( an d m or e) .
Ea sy-t o-Use
Out -of-Box RF Com m unications -
no configuration required
Ex ter nal DI P Swit ch for configur ing:
•RS-232/ 485/ 422 support
( m u lt idr op in cluded )
•2- w ir e ( h alf -duplex) or 4-w ir e
RS-485/ 42 2 operat ion
•Par ity options
7- 18 VDC pow er supply
Sim ple AT and Binar y com m ands for
program m ing t he m odem
Soft w ar e-select able ser ial
int er facing rates
MODBUS, CTS, RTS, DTR, DCD
(and m ore) I / O Support
XI I ™ I nterference Blocking
Power -saving Sleep Modes
( as low as 6 m A)
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 4

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
1 .2 . Spe cifica t ions
Table 1.1. XStream-PKG-R RS-232/485 RF Modem Specifications
Specification 9XStream-PKG-R (900 MHz) 24XStream-PKG-R (2.4 GHz)
Performance
Indoor/Urban Range
Up to 1500’ (450 m)
Up to 600’ (180 m)
Outdoor LOS Range
Up to 7 miles (11 km) w/ dipole antenna
Up to 20 miles (32 km) w/ high-gain antenna
Up to 3 miles (5 km) w/ dipole antenna
Up to 10 miles (16 km) w/ high-gain antenna
Transmit Power Output
100 mW (20 dBm)
50 mW (17 dBm)
Interface Data Rate
125 – 65,000 bps (software selectable)
125 – 65,000 bps (software selectable)
Throughput Data Rate
9,600 bps
19,200 bps
9,600 bps
19,200 bps
RF Data Rate
10,000 bps
20,000 bps
10,000 bps
20,000 bps
Receiver Sensitivity
-110 dBm
-107 dBm
-105 dBm
-102 dBm
Power Requirements
Supply Voltage
7-18 VDC
7-18 VDC
Receive Current
70 mA
90 mA
Transmit Current
170 mA
180 mA
Pin Sleep Power-Down
6 mA
6 mA
General
Frequency
902-928 MHz
2.4000-2.4835 GHz
Spread Spectrum
Frequency Hopping, Wide band FM modulator
Frequency Hopping, Wide band FM modulator
Network Topology
Peer-to-Peer, Point-to-Multipoint, Point-to-Point, Multidrop
Peer-to-Peer, Point-to-multipoint, Point-to-Point, Multidrop
Channel Capacity
7 hop sequences share 25 frequencies
7 hop sequences share 25 frequencies
Data Connection
DB-9
DB-9
Physical Properties
Enclosure
7.1 oz. (200g), Extruded aluminum, black anodized
7.1 oz. (200g), Extruded aluminum, black anodized
Enclosure Size
2.750” x 5.500” x 1.125”
(6.99cm x 13.97” x 2.86cm)
2.750” x 5.500” x 1.125”
(6.99cm x 13.97” x 2.86cm)
Operating Temperature
0 to 70º C (commercial), -40 to 85º C (industrial)
0 to 70º C (commercial), -40 to 85º C (industrial)
Antenna
Type
½ wave dipole whip, 6.75” (17.1 cm), 2.1 dBi Gain
½ wave dipole whip, 5.25” (13.3 cm), 2.1 dBi Gain
Connector
Reverse-polarity SMA
Reverse-polarity SMA
Impedance
50 ohms unbalanced
50 ohms unbalanced
Certifications (Refer to www.digi.com for additional certifications)
FCC Part 15.247
OUR9XSTREAM
OUR-24XSTREAM
Industry Canada (IC)
4214A-9XSTREAM
4214A 12008
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 5

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
1 .3 . Ex t er na l I nt e rfa ce
1 .1 a . Pow e r Sw it ch
Figure 1.1. Front View
1 .1 b. I / O a n d Pow e r LED s
The LED indicator s visualize diagnost ic st at us infor m at ion. The
m odem ’s st at us is represent ed as follows:
Ye llow ( t op LED) = Ser ial Dat a Ou t ( t o host )
Green ( m iddle) = Ser ial Dat a I n ( f rom h ost )
Re d ( bot t om ) = Pow er / TX I nd icat or ( Red lig ht is o n w hen
power ed, off briefly dur ing RF tr ansm ission)
1 .1 c. Seria l Port ( DB-9 Con ne ct or )
St andard fem ale DB-9 (RS-232) DCE connector – This connector
can be also used for RS-485 and RS-422 connect ions.
1 . 1 d . Pow e r Con ne ct or
7- 1 8 VDC Pow er Connect or ( Cent er p osit iv e, 5 .5 / 2 .1m m ) – Pow er
can also be supplied t hrough Pin 9 of t he DB-9 Serial Por t .
1 .2 a . D I P Sw it ch
Figure 1.2. Back View
N OTE: I n cases where AT Com m ands should not be sent each t im e
t he RF Modem is pow er ed-on, t he pr ocessor m ust be disabled by
populat ing J7 on t he in ter face boar d in side t he m odem (p21) .
1 . 2 b . Con fig ( Con fig ur at ion ) Sw it ch
The Conf igu rat ion Sw it ch pr ovides an alt er nat e w ay t o en ter “ AT
Com m and Mode” . To ent er “ AT Com m and Mode” at t he RF
m odem ’s default baud rate, hold t he Configuration Sw it ch down
while power ing on t he m odem using t he Power Sw it ch (1.1a).
1 .2 c. An tenna Port
Figure 1.3. DIP Switch Settings
Move the Power Sw itch t o the on ( up) position t o power t he
I nter face Board. DI P Swit ch ( 1.2a] sett ings ar e only read
during a power -up sequence.
The DI P Sw it ch aut om atically configures t he XSt ream RF Modem
t o oper at e in different m odes. Each t im e t he m odem is powered-
on, int elligence inside t he XI B-R interface board ( inside t he
m odem ) progr am s t he m odem according t o t he positions of t he
DI P Swit ch. (See figur e below for DI P Swit ch settings]
Refer to table in the “Automatic
DIP Switch Configurations” (p19]
section for more information about
configurations triggered by the
DIP Switch.
1.1a.
Power
Switch
1.1b. I/O and
Power LEDs
1.1c. DB-9
Serial Port
1.1d. Power
Connector
1.2a.
DIP Switch
1.2b.
Config Switch
1.2c.
Antenna Port
Port is a 50Ω RF signal connector for connecting to an external
ant enna. The connect or type is RPSMA ( Reverse Polarit y SMA) fem ale.
The connector has threads on t he outside of a
barrel and a m ale cent er conduct or .
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 6

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
2. Interfacing Protocol
The XStr eam -PKG-R RF Modem support s t he follow ing int erfacing prot ocols:
•RS-232
•RS-485 (2-w ire) Half-Duplex
•RS-485 (4-w ire) and RS-422
2 .1 . RS-2 3 2 Opera tion
2 .1 .1 . D I P Sw it ch Se t t ings a n d Pin Sig na ls
Figure 2.1. Figure 2.2.
RS-232 DIP Switch Settings Pins used on the female RS-232 (DB-9)
Serial Connector
DIP Switch settings are read and applied
only while powering-on.
Table 2.1. RS-232 Signals and their implementations on the XStream RF Modem
(Low-asserted signals are distinguished by horizontal line over pin name.)
DB-9 Pin
RS-232
Name
AT Command
Reference*
Description Implementation
1
DCD
DO3
Data-Carrier-Detect
Connected to DSR (pin6)
2
RXD
DO
Received Data
Serial data exiting the RF Modem (to host)
3
TXD
DI
Transmitted Data
Serial data entering into the RF modem (from host)
4
DTR
DI3
Data-Terminal-Ready
Can enable POWER-DOWN on the RF Modem
5
GND
-
Ground Signal
Ground
6
DSR
DO3
Data-Set-Ready
Connected to DCD (pin1)
7
/
CMD
DI2 Request-to-Send
Provides flow control or
enables “Command Mode” on the RF Modem
8
DO2
Clear-to-Send
Provides flow control
9 RI - Ring Indicator
Optional power input that is connected internally to
the positive lead of the front power connector
* Inside the XStream RF Modem is an XStream OEM RF Module. The names in this column refer to the pin
signals of the embedded RF module. XStream Commands (p24) used to configure pin behaviors are named
according to the pins of the module, not the RS-232 connection pins.
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 7

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
W irin g D iagr a m : RS-2 3 2 D T E D e v ice t o a D CE RF M ode m
Figure 2.3. RS-232 DTE (male connector) device wired to an XStream RF Modem (female connector)
W irin g D ia gr am : D CE RF M ode m t o a n RS-2 3 2 D CE Device
Figure 2.4. XStream RF Modem (female connector) wired to an RS-232 DTE (male connector) device
Sa m p le W ir ele ss Conn ect ion : D TE  D CE D CE  D CE
Figure 2.5.Typical wireless link between DTE and DCE devices
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 8

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
2 .2 . RS-4 8 5 ( 2 -w ir e) Ope ra t ion
2 .2 .1 . D I P Sw it ch Se t t ings a n d Pin Sig na ls
Figure 2.6. Figure 2.7.
RS-485 (2-wire) Half-Duplex Pins used on the female RS-232 (DB-9)
DIP Switch Settings Serial Connector
Figure 2.8.
RS-485 (2-wire) with Termination (optional)
Termination is the 120 Ω resistor between T+ and T- .
DI P Swit ch set t ings ar e read and applied only while powering-on.
Note: Refer to Figures 2.15 and 2.16 for RJ-45 connector pin designations used in
RS-485/422 environments.
Table 2.2. RS-485 (2-wire half-duplex) Signals and their implementations on the XStream RF Modem
DB-9 Pin
RS-485 Name
Description
Implementation
2 T/R- (TRA) Negative Data Line
Transmit serial data to and from the
XStream RF Modem
5
GND
Ground Signal
Ground
8 T/R+ (TRB) Positive Data Line
Transmit serial data to and from the
XStream RF Modem
9 PWR Power
Optional power input that is connected internally
to the front power connector
1, 3, 4, 6, 7
not used
W irin g D iagr a m : RS-4 8 5 ( 2 -w ir e) H a lf-Duplex
Figure 2.9. XStream RF Modem in an RS-485 (2-wire) half-duplex environment
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 9

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
2 .3 . RS-4 8 5 ( 4 -w ire) a n d RS-4 2 2 Oper at ion
2 .3 .1 . D I P Sw it ch Se t t ings a n d Pin Sig na ls
Figure 2.10. Figure 2.11.
RS-485 (4-wire) and RS-422 Pins used on the female RS-232 (DB-9)
DIP Switch Settings Serial Connector
Figure 2.12.
RS-485 (4-wire) and RS-422 with Termination (optional)
Termination is the 120 Ω resistor between T+ and T- .
DI P Swit ch sett ings ar e r ead and applied only w hile power ing-on.
Table 2.3. RS-485/422 (4-wire) Signals and their implementations with the XStream-PKG-R RF Modem
DB-9 Pin
RS-485/422
Name
Description Implementation
2 T- (TA)
Transmit Negative
Data Line
Serial data sent from the XStream RF Modem
3 R- (RA)
Receive Negative
Data Line
Serial data received by the XStream RF Modem
5
GND
Signal Ground
Ground
7 R+ (RB)
Receive Positive
Data Line
Serial data received by the XStream RF Modem
8 T+ (TB)
Transmit Positive
Data Line
Serial data sent from the XStream RF Modem
9 PWR Power
Optional power input that is connected internally
to the front power connector
1, 4, 6
not used
W irin g D iagr a m : RS-4 8 5 ( 4 -w ir e) H a lf-Duplex
Figure 2.13. XStream RF Modem in an RS-485 (4-wire) environment
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 10

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
W irin g D iagr a m : RS-4 2 2
Figure 2.14. XStream RF Modem in an RS-485 (4-wire) environment
RS-4 8 5 / 4 2 2 Con n ect ion Gu idelines
The RS-48 5/ 4 22 pr ot ocol pr ov id es a solu tion for w ir ed com m un icat ions t hat can t oler at e high
noise and push signals over long cable lengt hs. RS-485 / 422 signals can com m unicate as far as
400 0 feet ( 1200 m ) . RS-232 signals ar e suitable for cable dist ances up t o 100 feet ( 30.5 m ) .
RS-485 offer s m ulti-dr op capabilit y in which up t o 32 nodes can be connect ed. The RS-422
prot ocol is used for point -t o-point com m unicat ions.
Su gge st ion s for in t egr at in g t he X St r ea m M o de m w it h t h e RS-4 8 5 / 4 2 2 pr ot ocol:
1. When using Ethernet t wist ed pair cabling: Select w ires so that T+ and T- are connect ed to
each w ir e in a t w ist ed pair . Likewise, select wires so that R+ and R- are connect ed t o a
twist ed pair. ( For exam ple, t ie the green and w hit e/ green wir es to T+ and T-.)
2. For st raight -t h rough Et h er net cable ( not cr oss-over cable) – The follow ing wiring pat t er n
wor ks well: Pin3 t o T+ , Pin4 t o R+ , Pin5 t o R-, Pin6 t o T-
3. Not e t h at t he connect ing cable on ly r eq uires 4 w ir es ( ev en t hough there are 8 w ires) .
4. Wh en usin g p ho ne cab lin g ( RJ-11) – Pin2 in t he cable m aps t o Pin3 on opposit e end of cable
and Pin1 m aps t o Pin4 r espect ively.
Figure 2.15. Male (yellow) DB-9 to RJ-45 Adapters
Figure 2.16. Female (green) DB-9 to RJ-45 Adapters
An RS-232 Accessor ies Kit is av ailable t hat includes connect ors t hat facilitat e RS-232/ 485/ 422
and other serial com m unications. Refer to t he Developm ent Guide in Appendix B for infor m at ion
concer ning t he connect ors and t ools included in t he kit.
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 11

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
3. RF Modem Operation
3 .1 . Serial Com m unica t ions
3 .1 .1 . RS-2 3 2 and RS- 4 8 5 / 4 2 2 D at a Flow
Devices that have a UART inter face can connect dir ect ly t hrough t he pins of t he XSt r eam Modem
as is shown in t he figur e below.
Figure 3.1. System Data Flow Diagram in a UART-interfaced environment
(Low-asserted signals distinguished with horizontal line over signal name.)
3 .1 .2 . H ost a nd RF M ode m I / O Se t t in g s
Serial com m unications between a host and an XSt r eam RF Modem are dependent upon having
m at ching baud rat e, parit y , st op bit and num ber of data bit s sett ings. Failur e t o ent er t he m odem
int o AT Com m and Mode is m ost com m only due t o baud r at e m ism at ch. Refer t o t he t able below
t o ensur e host serial por t sett ings m at ch t hose of t he m odem .
Table 3.1. Parameter values critical to serial communications between the RF Modem and host
Parameter Setting
XStream RF Modem Default Parameter Value
Baud (Serial Data Rate)
9600 bps or 19200 baud (Factory-set RF data rates)
Number of Data Bits
8 (NB parameter = 0)
Parity
None (NB parameter = 0)
Number of Stop Bits
1 (NB parameter = 0)
Bot h t he XSt ream RF Modem and host ( PC) settings can be viewed and adjust ed using Digi’s
proprietar y XCTU Sof tw ar e. Use t he “ PC Set tings” t ab t o configur e host set tings. Use t he
“ Ter m inal” or “ Modem Configur ation” t abs t o configur e the RF Modem set t ings. Refer to the RF
Modem Configur ation sect ions for m ore infor m at ion (p21 ) .
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 12

XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
3 .1 .3 . Flo w Con t r ol
Figure 3.2. Internal Data Flow Diagram
(The five most commonly-used pin signals are shown.)
D I ( D at a I n ) Bu ffe r a nd Flow Cont r ol
When ser ial dat a ent er s t he XSt r eam Modem t hrough t he DI Pin, t hen t he data is st or ed in t he DI
Buf fer unt il it can be t ransm itt ed.
When t he RO par am et er t hr eshold is satisfied ( refer t o Transm it Mode ( p14) and Com m and
Descr ipt ions (p25) sect ions for m ore infor m at ion) , t he m odem at tem pt s t o init ialize an RF
connect ion. I f t he m odem is already receiving RF data, t he serial data is st ored in t he m odem ’s
DI Buffer. I f t he DI buffer becom es full, hardw ar e or soft war e flow cont rol m ust be im plem ent ed
in order t o pr ev ent ov er flow ( lo ss of d at a bet w een t he ho st an d XSt r eam RF Modem ) .
H ow t o e lim in at e t h e n ee d for f lo w con t rol:
1. Send m essages that are sm aller t han t he DI buffer size. The size of t he DI buffer v aries
accor ding to the packet size and parity set t ing used.
2. I nt er face at a low er bau d r at e ( BD Com m an d) t h an t he fix ed RF dat a r at e.
Tw o ca ses in w hich the D I Bu ffer m ay be com e full and possibly ove rflow :
1. I f t he ser ial int er face d at a rate is set higher t han t he RF d at a r at e of t he m od em , t he m odem
will receive data from t he host fast er than it can t ransm it t he data over-t he-air .
2. I f t he m odem is receiv ing a cont inuous st ream of RF dat a or if t he m odem is m onit or ing data
on a net wor k , any serial data t hat ar r ives on t he DI pin is placed in t he DI Buffer. The data in
t he DI buffer will be t ransm it ted over -t he-air w hen t he m odem no longer det ect s RF dat a in
the networ k.
H a rdw a r e Flow Co nt ro l ( ) . When the DI buffer is 17 by t es away from being full; by
default, the m odem de-asser t s ( hig h) to signal t o t he host device t o st op sending dat a (r efer
to t he FT ( Flow Con t rol Th resh old ) an d CS ( DO2 Configur ation) com m ands) . is r e-assert ed
aft er t he DI Buffer has 34 bytes of m em ory available.
Soft w a r e Flow Con t rol ( X ON ) . XON/ XOFF soft w are flow cont rol can be enabled using t he FL
( Sof t war e Flow Cont r ol) Com m and. This opt ion only w or ks w it h ASCI I dat a.
D O ( D a t a Out ) Bu ffe r a n d Flow Con t rol
When RF data is received, t he data enter s t he DO buffer and is t hen sent out t he serial por t to a
host device. Once t he DO Buffer r eaches capacity, any additional incom ing RF dat a is lost.
Tw o ca ses in w hich the D O Buffer m ay becom e full and possibly ove rflow :
1. I f t he RF dat a rat e is set higher t han t he int er face dat a rat e of t he m odem , t he m odem w ill
receive dat a from the t ransm it t ing m odem fast er t han it can send t he dat a t o t he host .
2. I f t he host does not allow t he m odem t o t ransm it dat a out fr om t he DO buffer because of
being held off by hardw ar e or soft w are flow control.
H a rdw a r e Flow Co nt ro l ( ) . I f is enabled for f low cont rol ( RT Par am et er = 2) , d at a w ill
not be sent out t he DO Buffer as long as is de-asser t ed.
Soft w a re Flow Con t rol ( X OFF) . XON/ XOFF softwar e flow control can be enabled using the FL
( Sof t war e Flow Cont r ol) Com m and. This opt io n only w or k s w it h ASCI I dat a.
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XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
3 .2 . M ode s of Op er a t ion
XSt r eam RF Modem s op er at e in f iv e m odes.
Figure 3.3. XStream Modes of Operation
Modem can only be in one mode at a time.
3 .2 .1 . I dle Mode
When not r eceiv ing or t ransm it ting dat a, t he m odem is in I dle Mode. The m odem uses t he sam e
am ount of pow er in I dle Mode as it does in Receive Mode.
The m odem shift s int o t he ot her m odes of operation under the following condit ions:
•Ser ial dat a is r eceiv ed in t he DI Bu ff er ( Tr an sm it Mode)
•Valid RF d at a is r eceiv ed t h rou gh t he ant en na ( Receiv e Mod e)
•Com m and Mode Sequence is issued ( Com m and Mode)
•Sleep Mode condit ion is m et ( Sleep Mod e)
Af t er r espondin g t o any of t he pr eced in g condit ions, t he m odem au tom at ically t ransit ions back
int o I dle Mode.
3 .2 .2 . Tr a n sm it M o de
When t he f ir st by t e of ser ial dat a is receiv ed f rom t he UART in t he DI buffer , t he m od em
at tem pt s to shift to Tr ansm it Mode and init iate an RF connect ion w it h ot her m odem s. Af t er
t ransm ission is com plete, t he m odem ret urns to I dle Mode.
RF t r a nsm ission b eg in s a ft e r e it h e r of t h e follow in g cr it e ria is m et :
1. RB byt es hav e been received in t he DI buffer and are pending for RF tr ansm ission (refer t o
RB ( Pack et izat ion Th reshold ) com m an d, p34) .
The RB param et er m ay be set t o any v alue bet ween 1 and t he RF pack et size ( PK) , inclu siv e.
When RB = 0, the pack etization t hreshold is ignored.
2. At least one char act er has been r eceived in t he DI buffer ( pending for RF tr ansm ission) and
RO t im e has been observed on t he UART (ref er t o RO ( Packetization Tim eout ) com m and) .
The tim eout can be disabled by set t ing RO t o zero. I n t his case, t ransm ission w ill begin after
RB byt es have been receiv ed in t he DI buffer .
Aft er eit her RB or RO condit ions ar e m et , t he m odem t hen init ializes a com m unicat ions channel.
(Channel init ializat ion is t he pr ocess of sending an RF init ializer t hat sy nch ronizes r eceiv ing
m odem s w it h t he t ransm it ting m odem . During channel init ializat ion, incom ing ser ial dat a
accum ulat es in t he DI buffer.)
Serial data in t he DI buffer is grouped into RF packet s (r ef er t o PK ( RF Pack et Size) ); conver t ed
t o RF dat a; t hen transm it ted ov er -the-air unt il t he DI b uff er is em pt y .
RF dat a, which includes t he pay load dat a, follows t he RF init ializer. The payload includes up t o
t he m ax im um packet size (PK Com m and) by tes. As t he t ransm it ting m odem near s t he end of t he
t ransm ission, it inspect s t he DI bu ff er t o see if m or e dat a exist s t o be t r an sm it t ed . This could be
the case if m ore t han PK byt es wer e originally pending in t he DI buffer or if m or e by t es arriv ed
fr om t he UART af t er t he tr ansm ission began. I f m or e d at a is pendin g, t he t r ansm it t in g m od em
assem bles a subsequent packet for t ransm ission.
Not e: RF r ecept ion m ust
com plet e before t he
m odem is able t o ent er
int o Transm it Mode.
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XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
Figure 3.4. Data Transmission Sequence 
RF Da t a Pa ck e t
The RF packet is the sequence of dat a used for com m unicat ing infor m at ion bet ween Digi
Modem s. An RF Pack et consist s of an RF I nit ializer and RF Data.
Figure 3.5. RF Data Packet Components
* When st ream ing m ult iple RF pack et s, t he RF I nit ializer is only sent in front of t he fir st pack et .
RF I n it ialize r
An RF init ializer is sent each t im e a new connect ion sequence begins. The RF init ializer cont ains
channel inform at ion t hat not ifies receiving m odem s of inform at ion such as the hopping pat t er n
used by t he t ransm it ting m odem . The fir st t ransm ission alway s sends an RF initializer.
An RF init ializer can be of various lengt hs depending on t he am ount of t im e determ ined t o be
required t o prepare a r eceiv ing m odem . For exam ple, a wak e-up initializer is a type of RF
in it ializer used t o wak e r em ote m odem s from Sleep Mode (Refer t o t he FH, LH, HT and SM
Com m ands for m or e in for m at ion ) . Th e lengt h of t he w ak e-up init ializer should be longer t han t he
lengt h of t im e r em ot e m odem s are in cyclic sleep.
H e a de r
The header cont ains net work addr essing infor m at ion t hat filt er s incom ing RF data. The receiv ing
m odem checks for a m atching Hopping Channel ( HP par am et er ), Vendor I dent ificat ion Num ber
( I D par am et er ) and Dest inat ion Ad dr ess ( DT p ar am et er ) . Dat a t hat does n ot pass t h ro ug h all
thr ee network filter layer s is discar ded.
CRC ( Cy clic Re d u nd a ncy Ch e ck )
To v erify dat a integrit y and provide built -in error check ing, a 16-bit CRC ( Cy clic Red un dan cy
Check) is com put ed for t he t ransm itt ed data and at t ached to t he end of each RF packet. On t he
receiving end, t he receiv ing m odem com put es t he CRC on all incom ing RF dat a. Received dat a
that has an inv alid CRC is discarded (Refer t o t he Receive Mode section, next page) .
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XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
3 .2 .3 . Re ce ive M ode
I f t he m odem det ect s RF dat a w hile in I dle Mode, t he m odem transitions int o Receive Mode to
receive RF packet s. Once a packet is received, the m od em check s t he CRC t o ensure that t he
dat a w as t ransm itt ed w it hout error. I f t he CRC dat a bit s on t he incom ing packet are invalid, t he
packet is discar ded. I f t he CRC is valid, t he packet proceeds t o t he DO Buffer .
The m odem ret urns t o I dle Mode when valid RF data is no longer detect ed or aft er an er ror is
det ected in t he r eceived RF dat a.
Figure 3.6. Data Reception Sequence
Refer to the Addressing section (p41) of the
RF Communication Modes chapter for more information
regarding address recognition.
3 .2 .4 . Sle e p Mode s
Sleep Modes enable the XSt ream Modem to oper ate at m inim al power consum pt ion when not in
use. Thr ee Sleep Mode opt ions are available:
•Pin Sle e p ( Host Con tr olled)
•Se r ia l Po rt Sle e p ( Wak e on Ser ial Por t act iv it y )
•Cyclic Sle e p ( Wak e on RF act iv it y )
For the m odem t o t r ansit ion int o Sleep Mode, t he m odem m ust hav e a non-zero SM ( Sleep Mode)
par am et er and one of t he following m ust occur:
1. The m odem is idle ( no d at a t ran sm ission or r ecept io n) for a user -defined period of t im e
(Ref er t o t he ST ( Tim e before Sleep) com m and ).
2. SLEEP pin is asser t ed ( o nly f or Pin Sleep op tion ) .
I n Sleep Mode, t he m odem will not t ransm it or receive dat a unt il t he m odem first t r ansit ions to
I dle Mode. All Sleep Modes are enabled and disabled using SM Com m and. Transitions into and
out of Sleep Modes are t riggered by v ar ious m echanism s as shown in t he t able below.
Table 3.2. Summary of Sleep Mode Configurations
Sleep Mode
Setting
Transition into
Sleep Mode
Transition out of
Sleep Mode
Related
Commands
Typical Power
Consumption
Pin Sleep
(SM = 1)
A microcontroller can shut down and wake
modems by asserting (high) SLEEP pin.
Note: The modem will complete a
transmission or reception before activating
Pin Sleep.
De-assert SLEEP pin. SM 6 mA
Serial Port Sleep
(SM = 2)
Automatic transition to Sleep Mode occurs
after a user-defined period of inactivity (no
transmitting or receiving of data). The
period of activity is defined using the ST
(Time before Sleep) Command.
When serial byte is
received on the DI pin. SM, ST 25 mA
Cyclic Sleep
(SM = 3-8)
Automatic transition to Sleep Mode occurs
in cycles as defined by the SM (Sleep
Mode) Command.
Note: The cyclic sleep time interval must be
shorter than the “Wake-up Initializer Timer”
(set by LH Command).
After the cyclic sleep
time interval elapses.
Note: Modem can be
forced into Idle Mode
if PW (Pin Wake-up)
Command is issued.
SM, ST, HT, LH,
PW
6 mA
when sleeping
For more information about Sleep Modes, refer to the individual commands listed in “Related Commands”
column of the table. The SM command is central to all Sleep Mode configurations.
Not e: I f serial dat a ex ist s in t he DI buffer while t he m odem is in
Receive Mode, the UART dat a w ill be t ransm it ted aft er t he m odem is
finished receiving t he RF dat a and has r eturned t o I dle Mode.
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XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
Pin Sleep ( SM = 1 )
Pin Sleep requir es t he least am ount of power. I n order t o achiev e t his st at e, t he DI 3 ( SLEEP) pin
m ust be assert ed ( high) . The m odem r em ains in Pin Sleep unt il t he DI 3 pin is de-assert ed.
Aft er enabling Pin Sleep, t he SLEEP pin cont r ols w hether t he XSt ream Modem is act ive or in Sleep
Mode. When DI 3 is de-asser t ed ( low ) , t h e m odem is f ully oper at ion al. When DI 3 is asser t ed
( hig h) , t he m odem t ran sit ions t o Sleep Mode and r em ain s in it s low est pow er -consum ing st at e
unt il t he DI 3 (SLEEP) pin is de-asser t ed . DI 3 is only act iv e if t he m odem is set up t o oper at e in
t his m ode; ot herwise the pin is ignored.
Once in Pin Sleep Mode, DO2 ( ) is de-asser t ed ( h ig h) , indicat ing t hat dat a should not be sent
t o t he m odem . The PWR pin is also de-asser t ed ( low) w hen the m odem is in Pin Sleep Mode.
Note: The modem will complete a transmission or reception before activating Pin Sleep.
Se r ia l Po rt Sle e p ( SM = 2 )
Serial Por t Sleep is a Sleep Mode in which t he XSt r eam Modem runs in a low pow er st at e until
serial dat a is det ect ed on the DI pin.
When Ser ial Port Sleep is enabled, t he m odem goes int o Sleep Mode aft er a user-defined period
of inact ivit y ( no t ransm it ting or r eceiving of dat a) . This per iod of t im e is det erm ined by ST ( Tim e
before Sleep) Com m and. Once a char act er is received t hrough t he DI pin, t he m odem ret ur ns to
I dle Mode and is fully oper at ional.
Cyclic Sle ep ( SM = 3 -8 )
Cyclic Sleep is t he Sleep Mode in w hich t he XStr eam Modem enter s int o a low-pow er stat e and
aw ak ens periodically to determ ine if any t ransm issions are being sent .
When Cyclic Sleep sett ings are enabled, t he XSt r eam Modem goes int o Sleep Mode aft er a user -
def ined per iod of inact iv it y ( n o t r ansm ission or recept ion on the RF channel) . The user-defined
period is det er m ined by ST ( Tim e before Sleep) Com m and.
While t he m odem is in Cyclic Sleep Mode, DO2 ( ) is de-asser t ed ( h ig h) t o indicat e t hat dat a
sh ould not be sen t t o t he m odem d ur in g t his t im e. When t he m odem aw ak en s t o list en for dat a,
DO2 is asser ted and any dat a r eceived on t he DI Pin is t ransm it t ed. The PWR pin is also de-
asser t ed ( low ) w hen t h e m odem is in Cyclic Sleep Mod e.
The m odem r em ains in Sleep Mode for a user -defined period of t im e ranging from 0.5 seconds t o
1 6 seconds ( SM Par am et er s 3 t h rough 8 ) . Af t er t his in ter v al of t im e, t h e m od em r et ur ns t o I dle
Mode and list en s for a v alid dat a pack et f or 1 00 m s. I f t h e m odem d oes not det ect v alid d at a ( on
an y fr eq uency ) , t he m o dem r et ur ns to Sleep Mode. I f v alid dat a is det ect ed, t he m odem
t ransit ions int o Receive Mode and r eceives incom ing RF pack et s. The m odem t hen r et urns t o
Sleep Mode aft er a Period of inact iv it y t hat is deter m ined by ST “ Tim e befor e Sleep” Com m and.
The m odem can also be configur ed to w ak e fr om cy clic sleep when SLEEP/ DI 3 is de-assert ed
( low ) . To conf igu re a m od em t o op er at e in t h is m anner , PW ( Pin Wak e-up) Com m and m ust be
issued. Once DI 3 is de-asser ted, t he m odem is for ced int o I dle Mode and can begin transm it t ing
or r eceiv ing dat a. I t rem ains act ive unt il no dat a is det ect ed for t he per iod of t im e specif ied by
t he ST Com m and, at w hich point it r esum es it s low -power cyclic st ate.
Note: The cyclic interval time defined by SM (Sleep Mode) Command must be shorter than the interval
time defined by LH (Wake-up Initializer Timer).
For example: If SM=4 (Cyclic 1.0 second sleep), the LH Parameter should equal 0x0B (“1.1” seconds).
With these parameters set, there is no risk of the receiving modem being asleep for the duration of
wake-up initializer transmission. “Cyclic Scanning” explains in further detail the relationship between
“Cyclic Sleep” and “Wake-up Initializer Timer”
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XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
Cyclic Sca n ning. Each RF tr ansm ission consist s of an RF I nit ializer and pay load. The wake-up
init ializer cont ains init ializat ion infor m at ion and all receiv ing m odem s m ust w ake dur ing t he
wake-up init ializer por t ion of dat a t r ansm ission in order t o be synchronized wit h t he transm itt ing
m odem and receive the data.
Figure 3.7. Correct Configuration (LH > SM)
Length of the wake-up initializer exceeds the time interval of Cyclic Sleep. The receiver is guaranteed to detect
the wake-up initializer and receive the accompanying payload data.
Figure 3.8. Incorrect Configuration (LH < SM)
Length of wake-up initializer is shorter than the time interval of Cyclic Sleep. This configuration is vulnerable
to the receiver waking and missing the wake-up initializer (and therefore also the accompanying payload data).
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XStream-PKG-R™ RS-232/485 RF Modem – Product Manual v5.x00
3 .2 .5 . Com m and Mode
To m odif y or r ead m od em p ar am et er s, t he m od em m ust first ent er int o Com m and Mode, t he
st at e in w hich incom ing charact er s are int erpret ed as com m ands. Two com m and t ypes are
av ailable for program m ing t he m odem :
•AT Com m ands
•Binar y Com m ands
For m odified param eter values t o persist in the m odem regist ry, changes m ust be saved t o non-
volat ile m em ory using WR ( Writ e) Com m and. Ot herw ise, param eters ar e rest or ed t o pr eviously
saved values when t he m odem is pow er ed off and t hen on again.
AT Com m a n ds
To En t e r AT Com m a n d M o de :
1. Send t he 3-char act er com m and sequence “ + + + ” and observe guard t im es befor e and aft er
t he com m and charact er s. (Refer to t he “ Def ault AT Com m and Mod e Seq uence” b elow .) The
“ Ter m in al” t ab ( or ot her ser ial com m u nicat ion s soft w ar e) of t h e XCTU Soft w ar e can be used
to enter the sequence.
(OR)
2. Asser t ( low ) t he pin and t urn t he pow er going to the m odem off and back on. This
result can be achieved by keeping t he configurat ion sw itch pressed while turning off, then on
again t he power supplying t he RF Modem )
Default AT Com m and Mode Seq uence ( for t r an sit ion t o Com m and Mode) :
•No char act ers sent for one second (r ef er t o t he BT ( Guard Tim e Before) Com m and)
•I nput t hree plus charact er s ( “ + + + ” ) wit hin one second (refer to t he CC ( Com m and
Sequence Char act er ) Com m and.)
•No char act ers sent for one second (r ef er t o t he AT ( Guar d Tim e Aft er) Com m and.)
To Sen d AT Com m a nds:
Send AT com m ands and param et er s using t he sy ntax shown below :
Figure 3.9. Syntax for sending AT Commands
NOTE: To read a parameter value stored in a register, leave the parameter field blank.
The pr eceding ex am ple would change the m odem Dest inat ion Address t o “ 1F” . To store the new
value t o non-volat ile ( long t erm ) m em ory , t he Wr it e ( ATWR) Com m and m ust follow .
Syst e m Re sp on se . When a com m and is sent t o t he m odem , t he m odem w ill p ar se and ex ecut e
t he com m and. Upon successful ex ecut ion of a com m and, the m odem r et urns an “ OK” m essage. I f
ex ecut ion of a com m and r esults in an error , t he m odem r et ur ns an “ ERROR” m essage.
To Ex it AT Co m m a n d M ode :
1. Send ATCN ( Ex it Com m and Mode) Com m and.
(OR)
2. I f no v alid AT Com m ands are r eceived w it hin t he t im e specified by CT ( Com m and Mode
Tim eout) Com m and, t he Modem aut om at ically r et urns t o I dle Mode.
For ex am p les that illust rat e t he st eps of program m ing t he m odem using AT Com m ands, r efer t o
the RF Modem Configur ation (p21) chapt er.
© 2014 Digi International Inc. 19