Opticon EBS-50 User manual

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Specifications manual
EBS-50 Smart Base station
ESL base station with built-in server

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The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2020 Opticon. All rights reserved.
This manual may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or
converted to any electronic or machine-readable form without prior written consent from
Opticon.
Limited Warranty and Disclaimers
Please read this manual carefully before installing or using the product.
Serial Number
A serial number appears on all Opticon products. This official registration number is directly
related to the device purchased. Do not remove the serial number from your Opticon device.
Removing the serial number voids the warranty.
Warranty
Unless otherwise agreed in a written contract, all Opticon products are warranted against
defects in materials and workmanship for two years after purchase excluding batteries. Opticon
will repair or, at its option, replace products that are defective in materials or workmanship with
proper use during the warranty period. Opticon is not liable for damages caused by
modifications made by a customer. In such cases, standard repair charges will apply. If a
product is returned under warranty and no defect is found, standard repair charges will apply.
Opticon assumes no liability for any direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages arising
out of use or inability to use both the hardware and software, even if Opticon has been informed
about the possibility of such damages.
Packaging
The packing materials are recyclable. Damage caused by improper packaging during shipment
is not covered by the warranty.
Trademarks
Trademarks used are the property of their respective owners.
Opticon Inc. and Opticon Sensors Europe B.V. are wholly owned subsidiaries of
OPTOELECTRONICS Co., Ltd., 12-17, Tsukagoshi 4-chome, Warabi-shi, Saitama, Japan 335-
0002. TEL [phone]; FAX [phone]
Support
USA
Europe
Phone: [phone]
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.opticonusa.com
Web: www.opticon.com

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Revision History
EBS-50 Specifications Manual
Edition
Date
Page
Section
Description of Changes
1st
October 21, 2020
-
-
Initial release.

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Contents
1Overview............................................................................................................................ 6
2About the EBS-50 Smart base station................................................................................ 7
3Physical Features............................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Weight........................................................................................................................ 8
3.2 Dimensions................................................................................................................. 8
3.3 Maximum total height.................................................................................................. 8
3.4 Mounting..................................................................................................................... 9
4Environmental Specifications ............................................................................................10
4.1 Operating Temperature and Humidity........................................................................10
4.2 Storage Temperature and Humidity...........................................................................10
4.3 Static Electricity.........................................................................................................10
4.4 Drop resistance. ........................................................................................................10
4.5 Dust and Drip Proof...................................................................................................10
5Electrical specifications .....................................................................................................11
5.1 Computer...................................................................................................................11
5.2 Radio.........................................................................................................................11
5.3 Electrical Characteristics TBD ...................................................................................11
6Interfaces..........................................................................................................................12
6.1 USB-Host ..................................................................................................................12
6.2 Reset switch..............................................................................................................13
6.3 USB-OTG..................................................................................................................13
6.4 Ethernet ports............................................................................................................13
6.5 DC input connector....................................................................................................13
7Indicators ..........................................................................................................................14
8Labels ...............................................................................................................................15
8.1 Product label .............................................................................................................15
8.2 Anatel label................................................................................................................15
8.3 Label positions...........................................................................................................16
8.4 White box label..........................................................................................................16
8.5 Shipment box label....................................................................................................17
9Packing.............................................................................................................................18
9.1 Individual packing......................................................................................................18
9.2 Shipment packing......................................................................................................19
10 Software configuration.......................................................................................................20

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10.1 Basic setup................................................................................................................20
10.2 ESL Server setup ......................................................................................................24
Table of Figures
Figure 1: EBS-50 Dimensions.......................................................................................................................8
Figure 2: EBS-50 Maximum height...............................................................................................................8
Figure 3: Mounting plate ...............................................................................................................................9
Figure 4: Attaching and detaching the EBS-50 to the mounting plate..........................................................9
Figure 5: Drop test ......................................................................................................................................10
Figure 6: Interfaces .....................................................................................................................................12
Figure 7: Wi-Fi Dongle................................................................................................................................12
Figure 8: DC plug dimensions.....................................................................................................................13
Figure 9: LED Indicators .............................................................................................................................14
Figure 10: Product label..............................................................................................................................15
Figure 11: Anatel label................................................................................................................................15
Figure 12: Label position.............................................................................................................................16
Figure 13: White box label ..........................................................................................................................16
Figure 14: Shipment box label ....................................................................................................................17
Figure 15: Individual packing ......................................................................................................................18
Figure 16: Shipment packing ......................................................................................................................19

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1Overview
The EBS-50 is a base station, equipped with two 2.4GHz radios for data communication with
Opticon’s electronic shelf labels (ESLs) plus a built-in computer that runs the Opticon ESL
server. The EBS-50 allows for a very compact ESL system. Everything needed for a running
system is the EBS-50 itself, a power supply, and an Ethernet connection (Wi-Fi is optional) plus
of course the ESLs themselves.
The product uses Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum RF technology that allows for an ultra-low
power consumption combined with a reduced sensitivity to background noise. That means less
interference by other radios that operate in the 2.4GHz band. The radio protocol that is used is
based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard that specifies the physical layer and media access control
for low-rate wireless personal area networks.
The base station can run a local price/article database on its own flash disk that can be updated
remotely, either manually or automatically with database triggers, or it can be configured to use
an external database. With the information from the database, the EBS-50 can create images
for the ESLs that are connected to it and send those to the corresponding ESLs. Having the
option to run the database either locally or externally allows for a very flexible setup of the ESL
system, from a very small stand-alone system to very large cloud-based system where the EBS-
50 is then the gateway in the shop to the Internet. In that case, a central dashboard server is
required where the EBS-50 can upload status information.
The EBS-50 can be controlled via a web browser on any device that connects to the same
network. There is no need to connect a keyboard and/or monitor to it, which makes it easier to
install the EBS-50 in the most convenient location. Maintenance and configuration to the EBS-
50 can then be done from any location provided that that location is connected to the same
network as the EBS-50. It is even possible to do that from a remote location but in that case, a
VPN tunnel is required because of safety concerns. The EBS-50 can setup that VPN tunnel by
itself, provided that the remote location already has a VPN server running but this is usually not
needed. The EBS-50s can download configuration and maintenance files from a central server
and will store its status information there.

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2About the EBS-50 Smart base station
The most important features of the EBS-50 are listed below.
•Small and compact: The EBS-50 is not bigger than a regular base station but is
powerful enough to handle all basic tasks of a separate ESL server.
•Built-in computer: The built-in computer runs a Linux operating system plus Opticon’s
ESL server, and both are optimized for each other. A separate computer will always
have a hassle with libraries and other parts of the operating system that may not be fully
compatible or not installed, whereas the EBS-50 comes pre-configured with the correct
software.
•No separate computer needed: Shop owners usually do not like a separate computer
that requires maintenance and updates, especially when this is a Windows computer.
The EBS-50 removes the need for this since it has a built-in computer and updates are
much easier to do than with a normal computer. The EBS-50 can update itself
automatically from a remote server, but updates can also be done with a USB-stick. The
frequency of updates is much lower than with a full blown (Linux or Windows) computer
since the EBS-50 only contains the software that is really needed to run the server.
•Power over Ethernet (PoE): PoE is supported on one of the Ethernet ports to make
installation even more simple. When a location has PoE switches, the EBS-50 does not
need a separate power supply and so no wall socket is needed.
•Two Ethernet ports: The EBS-50 comes with two gigabit Ethernet ports, and a built-in
switch and router. This makes larger setups, where more than one base station is
required, much easier as it is possible to daisy-chain the base stations via the 2nd
Ethernet port while the first port is used for the connection with the LAN.
•USB ports: Two USB ports are available. One is a USB-host port, with a USB-A style
connector and the other is a USB-OTG port, with a micro USB style connector. The main
use of the host port is for a Wi-Fi dongle and Opticon will come with a list of approved
dongles for which the driver is already installed. This port however can also be used for
software updates that come on a USB-stick for those situations where the EBS-50
cannot connect to the Internet.

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3Physical Features
3.1 Weight
The weight of the EBS-50 is approx. 250g (TBD)
3.2 Dimensions
The dimensions of the EBS-50 base station: 145 x 110 x 27.1 mm (179.6x158.3x27.1 mm with
the antennas mounted alongside the main housing).
Figure 1: EBS-50 Dimensions
3.3 Maximum total height
The antennas can be rotated, but the most common position is vertical. The height with both
antennas in this position and with the base station horizontal, mounted on the mounting plate is
95.3mm.
Figure 2: EBS-50 Maximum height

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Use a flat screwdriver and push
here to unlock the EBS-50
3.4 Mounting
The EBS-50 comes with a mounting plate for easy mounting to e.g. a wall or the ceiling. The
EBS-50 can slide over the mounting plate to click and lock it into place. To unlock it, use a flat
screwdriver to push the locking tap down and then slide the EBS-50 away from the screwdriver.
Figure 3: Mounting plate
The mounting plate can be attached to a wall with two screws, spaced 40mm apart. The top of
the mounting plate, where the Opticon logo is visible, should face forward, away from the wall.
Once the mounting plate is attached, the EBS-50 can slide over the mounting plate until it locks
into position.
Figure 4: Attaching and detaching the EBS-50 to the mounting plate
Slide the EBS-50 over the mounting
plate in this direction to lock it in place

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4Environmental Specifications
4.1 Operating Temperature and Humidity
Temperature: 0 to 70° C
Humidity: 20% to 85% RH
4.2 Storage Temperature and Humidity
Temperature: -20 to 70° C
Humidity: 20% to 85% RH
4.3 Static Electricity
Air discharge:
± 8 kV (No malfunction / Automatic recovery)
± 15 kV (No damage but operator involvement may be required)
Contact discharge:
± 4 kV (No malfunction / Automatic recovery)
± 8 kV (No damage but operator involvement may be required)
4.4 Drop resistance.
The EBS-50 has withstood the following drop test:
Drop the base station 12 times (3 times at each of 4 orientations), from a height of 1m onto a
concrete floor as shown below. Note the position of the antennas.
Figure 5: Drop test
4.5 Dust and Drip Proof
This product has not undergone any IP tests. The intended use is indoor only.
Concrete