Intermec Janus 900 User manual

JANUS ®900 MHz
Radio Frequency
P/N 060207-002
Quick Reference Guide

IntermecCorporation
6001 36th Avenue West
P.O. Box 4280
Everett, WA 98203-9280
U.S. technical and service support: 1-800-755-5505
U.S. media supplies ordering information: 1-800-227-9947
Canadian technical and service support: 1-800-688-7043
Canadian media supplies ordering information: 1-800-268-6936
Outside U.S. and Canada: Contact your local Intermec service supplier.
The information contained herein is proprietary and is provided solely for the purpose of allowing
customers to operate and/or service Intermec manufactured equipment and is not to be released,
reproduced, or used for any other purpose without written permission of Intermec.
Information and specifications in this manual are subject to change without notice.
1996 by Intermec Corporation
All Rights Reserved
The word Intermec, the Intermec logo, JANUS, IRL, TRAKKER, Antares, Duratherm, Precision Print,
PrintSet, Virtual Wedge, and CrossBar are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Intermec
Corporation.
Throughout this manual, trademarked names may be used. Rather than put a trademark (or ®)
symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name, we state that we are using the names only in an
editorial fashion, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement.

Manual Change Record
This page records the changes to this manual. The manual was originally released at -001.
Version Date Description of Change
002 7/95 JANUS 2050 information added.

Contents
v
Contents
Overview of an RF System 7
Setting Up RF Communications 8
Attaching the Antenna 8
Configuring the RF Parameters 10
Unloading and Loading the RF Protocol Handler 12
Using RF Communications 13
Understanding the RF Status Icons and LEDs 13
Managing Your J2010 and JR2020 Battery Power 14
Troubleshooting Your J2010 and Your JR2020 15
Troubleshooting Your J2050 16
Configuring Your JANUS RF Device 17
Using RF Communications 17
Using the Interactive Configuration Application 18
Scanning Bar Code Labels 19
RF Configuration Parameters 19
Acknowledgment Delay 19
Broadcast Receipt 20
Channel Allow 21
Channel Select 22
Device Address 23
Duty Cycle Percent 26
Duty Cycle Period 27
Loopback 29
Network ID 29
Repeat Count 31
Retry Limit 32
RF Protocol 33
RFNC Address 34

JANUS 900 MHz Radio Frquency Quick Reference Guide
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This guide describes how to use radio frequency communications on the JANUS RF
devices (J2010 with an RF back and JR2020 handheld data collection computers and
J2050 vehicle-mount computer). It also tells you how to attach the antenna and
configure the JANUS RF devices. For more help about any other features, refer to your
JANUS user’s manual.
Overview of an RF System
A radio frequency (RF) data collection system establishes a two-way radio link
between a JANUS RF device and a central network controller. The data from
the JANUS RF device is sent in real time through the RF system to the network
controller and then on to the host computer. The RF link is completely
transparent to the user. The following illustration shows one example of an RF
data collection system.
Host Computer
9181 Base
Radio Unit
9183
Repeater
9180
Network
Controller
JR2020 (RF)
J2010 with
an RF Back
20X0Q.004
With your JANUS RF device you can move anywhere within range of a base
radio unit (BRU) or a radio repeater and transmit data to and from a network
controller that is connected to a host computer. If your controller has a 900
MHz RF ISA card installed, you can transmit directly to it. For help in learning
about RF systems, refer to your controller user’s manual.

JANUS 900 MHz Radio Frequency Quick Reference Guide
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Setting Up RF Communications
Before you can use RF communications on the JANUS RF device, you need to
do the following:
•Attach the antenna to the J2010 with an RF back, JR2020, or J2050.
•Configure the RF parameters.
•Make sure that the RF protocol handler is loaded.
Attaching the Antenna
Caution
The antenna must be attached before turning on the JANUS RF device. The
internal radio could be damaged if the antenna is not attached.
Conseil
Si l’antenna n’est pas attachée avant que l’appareil RF de JANUS soit mise
sous tension, la radio interne peut être endommagée.
Note: Do not interchange antennas between any of the JANUS RF devices. Each
antenna is built specifically for the radio that is installed in the device.
1. Make sure the JANUS RF device is switched off. If the JANUS RF device is
on, switch it off by pressing L .
2. Screw the antenna into the connector of the JANUS RF device. Refer to the
following illustrations.
3. Switch on the JANUS RF device by pressing L .

JANUS 900 MHz Radio Frquency Quick Reference Guide
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Attaching the J2010 Antenna
20X0Q.002
Attaching the J2050 Antenna
2050U.009

JANUS 900 MHz Radio Frequency Quick Reference Guide
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Attaching the JR2020 Antenna
20X0Q.003
Configuring the RF Parameters
The RF configuration parameters define radio communications between the
JANUS RF device and the Intermec RF data collection system.
Note: The software version of your 9180 network controller can affect which RF
configuration parameters you set. Refer to the next section, “About Your Controller
Software Version.”
RF Configuration
Parameter Default Setting
Acknowledgment Delay 100 milliseconds
Broadcast Receipt Enabled
Channel Allow All channels are excluded from the search pattern
Channel Select 924 MHz
Device Address 0 (turned off)

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RF Configuration
Parameter Default Setting
Duty Cycle Percent (reader)
Duty Cycle Percent (J2050) 30% 100%
Duty Cycle Period 1 second
Loopback Disabled
Network ID Channel search disabled
Repeat Count 0 repeaters
Retry Limit 0 (optimized setting)
RF Protocol Enabled
RFNC Address RFNC 0
To configure the JANUS RF device, follow the instructions in “Configuring a
JANUS RF Device” later in this guide.
About Your Controller Software Version
The software version that is running on your 9180 Network Controller
determines the RF configuration parameters you need to set on your JANUS RF
devices. If you have a 9180 controller running software version 1.3 or earlier,
you do not have some features that the 9180 controller with software version
2.0 and the 9185 Network Controller have. These enhanced features include
time broadcast, channel search capabilities, network management, and support
for multiple BRUs.
If the 9180 controller is running software version 1.3 or earlier
Parameter on
JANUS RF device Must match
Device Address The address used by the network controller to identify each
JANUS RF device.
Channel Select The channel set for the BRU.
Network ID 0
RFNC Address A value that is twice the setting on the network controller.
For example, if the network controller address is 2, you would
set the RFNC address on the JANUS RF device to 4.
Repeat Count The setting on the network controller.

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If the 9180 controller is running software version 2.0 or you have a 9185 controller
Parameter on
JANUS RF device Must match
Device Address The address used by the network controller to identify each
JANUS RF device.
Channel Select The channel set for the BRU that is most frequently used by the
JANUS RF device.
Network ID The value entered for the network ID on the network controller.
Note: The Channel Allow parameter must be set if you are going to be communicating
on more than one frequency by using the channel search feature.
For help in learning about the network controller, base radio unit, and radio
repeater, refer to your user’s manual.
Unloading and Loading the RF Protocol Handler
The protocol handler for RF communications automatically loads when you
boot a JANUS RF device.
If you do not need the RF protocol handler, you can unload it. For help in
learning about protocol handlers, refer to your JANUS user’s manual.
To unload the RF protocol handler
•From the JANUS RF device DOS prompt, type:
unload rfph 4
Note: The “4” in the command line indicates you are unloading the protocol
handler for COM port 4 (RF interface).
If you have unloaded the RF protocol handler, and want to use RF
communications without rebooting your JANUS RF device, you can load it
again.
To load the protocol handler
•From the JANUS RF device DOS prompt, type:
rfph 4