SAMSys MP9320 User manual

U
ser’s
Guide MP9320
UHF Long-Range Reader

SAMSys
MP9320 UHF Long-Range Reader
Owner’s Manual
Third Edition (January 2004)
© Copyright 2003 SAMSys Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability
The content of this manual is for information use only and is subject to change without notice. SAMSys assumes
no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this publication. No part of this
manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of SAMSys.
SAMSys products are not designed, intended, authorized or warranted to be suitable for life support applications
or any other life critical applications which could involve potential risk of death, personal injury, property damage,
or environmental damage.
About SAMSys
SAMSys is the world leader in the design and supply of radio frequency identification (RFID) hardware solutions
for high volume pallet and reusable container tracking applications in global logistics management, materials
handling, and supply chain industries. SAMSys is a public company listed on the Canadian Venture Exchange
under the symbol SMY.
SAMSys Technologies, Inc.
44 East Beaver Creek Rd., Unit 11
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1G8 Canada
Phone: [phone]
Toll Free: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.samsys.com
Part Number: HI46932-01-OM-V3.2

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice (Preliminary)
This device was tested and found to comply with the limits set forth in Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment.
This device generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If not installed and used in accordance with
the instruction manual, the product may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
product in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case, the user is required to correct
the interference at their own expense.
The authority to operate this product is conditioned by the requirements that no modifications be made to the
equipment unless the changes or modifications are expressly approved by SAMSys Technologies.
Trademarks
SAMSys is a trademark of SAMSys Technologies, Inc.
HyperTerminalis a registered trademark of Hilgraeve, Inc.
Other company, product or service names appearing in this manual may be trademarks or service marks of their
respective owners.

MP9320 User’s Guide
i
Contents
Chapter 1 – Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Unpacking the Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About the MP9320 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Physical Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter 2 – Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installing the SSTool Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Configuring for Single or Multiple Readers . . . . . . . . . . 8
Configuring the Serial Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connecting the Reader to a Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Connecting the Reader to the ICCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Setting the RF Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Activating Tag Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Selecting the Number of Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Reading tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chapter 3 – Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Antenna Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Reader Mechanical Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Standalone Reader/PC Communication Setup . . . . . . . . 21
Standalone Reader/PC Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Standalone Reader/ICCM Communication Setup . . . . . . 23
Standalone Reader/ICCM Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Networked Reader Communication Setup . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Networked Reader Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Digital (TTL) Input/Output Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Main I/O Connector Modification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Transmit Power Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

MP9320 User’s Guide
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Chapter 4 – Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Reader Power Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Reading Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Operation with the ICCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Chapter 5 – Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
General Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Contact Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Chapter 6 – Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Reader Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Battery Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Power Supply Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
RS-232 Connector Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Main I/O Connector Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Antenna Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Regulatory Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Appendix A – Reader Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Default Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Changing Reader Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Updating Reader Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

MP9320 User’s Guide
iii
Figures
MP9320 Reader and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
SAMSys Reader Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
MP9320 LED Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
MP9320 Active Antenna LED Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
MP9320 End-Panel Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
MP9320 Antenna Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
MP9320 Reader Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
MP9320 Base Plate with Mounting Keyholes . . . . . . . . . 18
MP9320/PC Standalone RS-232 Communication Setup .21
MP9320/ICCM Standalone RS-232 Comm Setup . . . . . 23
MP9320 RS-485 Communication Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Digital Input and Output Port Configuration . . . . . . . . . . 27
LED Startup Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Power LED On – Reader Operational . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Active Antenna LED Indicators - Ant 2 Transmitting . . 31
LED Indicators - Tag Successfully Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
RS-232 Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Main I/O Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Optional Communication Cable Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Firmware Upload System Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

MP9320 User’s Guide
iv

1
Chapter 1
Introduction
This chapter provides a general description of the MP9320.
Topics discussed in this chapter include the following:
•Unpacking the Reader
•About the MP9320
•Physical Description

MP9320 User’s Guide
2
Unpacking the Reader
After opening the shipping container perform the following:
1. Unpack the contents of the shipping container.
2. Inspect the shipping container for damage. If damaged, notify
the carrier and SAMSys Technologies. Keep the shipping
materials for inspection by the carrier.
3. Verify your reader package includes the following items:
•MP9320 UHF Long-Range Reader
•Power cord
•15Vdc power supply with cable
•Sample RFID tags
•RS-232 communication cable
•System documentation CD
•Antennas (optional)
Figure 1–MP9320 Reader and Accessories

Introduction
3
About the MP9320
The MP9320 is one of the most advanced UHF long-range
readers in the industry. This multi-protocol device currently
supports many of today’s most popular UHF tags.
The MP9320 recognizes multiple protocols simultaneously
during operation. With full-duplex capability, the device can read
or write to any tag, depending on the tag capabilities.
The MP9320 incorporates a scalable architecture that enables the
reader to be implemented as a stand-alone UHF solution or
included in a networked reader environment using the SAMSys
Interrogator Control and Concentrator Module (ICCM).
With its extended read range and high data rates, the MP9320 is
especially suited for asset management and logistics applications
requiring the simultaneous reading of a large number of tags at
greater distances. Typical RFID applications supported by the
MP9320 include the following:
•Warehouse Logistics
•Inventory Management
•Asset Management
•Pallet Tracking
•Parking Lot Access
•Aggregated Container Tracking
•Loading Dock Portals

MP9320 User’s Guide
4
Figure 2–SAMSys Reader Network
In addition to the scalable, multi-protocol architecture, the
MP9320 includes the following features:
•LED indicators
•(4) antenna ports
•Multiple interface connection options (RS-232, RS-485)
•Digital input and output lines
•Integrated real-time clock with battery backup (optional)
•On-board temperature sensor (optional)

Introduction
5
Physical Description
NOTE: The reader enclosure is designed for office, indoor warehouse,
and light manufacturing areas. If a sealed reader is required for
wet or hazardous environments, contact your SAMSys
representative.
The digital board contains four LED indicators to provide the
operational status of the reader. The LEDs are visible on the front
panel of the reader.
Figure 3–MP9320 LED Status Indicators
Indicator Color Description
Fault Red Error condition exists
Power Green Power is applied to the reader and
processor initialization complete
Sense Green Reader has tag data to report.This LED
also flashes when the reader software
is being loaded.
Transmit Green Transmitter is operating and RF power
is applied to one of the antennas

MP9320 User’s Guide
6
In addition to the operational status LEDs, four Active Antenna
LEDs provide indication that RF power is being applied to one of
the four antennas.
Figure 4–MP9320 Active Antenna LED Indicators
Four SMA type antenna ports are provided on the end panel. The
reader also has two power and communication interface
connectors on the opposite end panel.
Figure 5–MP9320 End-Panel Connectors

7
Chapter 2
Getting Started
This chapter provides information to quickly get your MP9320 up
and reading tags. Topics discussed in this chapter include the
following:
•Installing the SSTool application
•Configuring for single or multiple readers
•Configuring the serial port
•Connecting the reader to a terminal
•Connecting the reader to the ICCM
•Selecting the RF mode
•Activating tag protocols
•Selecting the number of antennas
•Reading Tags

MP9320 User’s Guide
8
Installing the SSTool Application
The SSTool is a Microsoft Windows based serial data interface
application for SAMSys readers. The application allows you to
easily view tag data, configure the reader, and perform other tag
data functions. This application is provided on the CD shipped
with your reader and can be installed on a personal computer.
To install the SSTool, refer to Chapter 1 - Installation in the
SSTool User’s Guide.
Configuring for Single or Multiple Readers
The MP9320 can be operated as a single reader solution or
networked with other readers. If you are placing the reader in a
networked configuration, refer to Chapter 2 - Installation for
additional information. For network addressing, refer to the
SAMSys Interrogator Control and Concentrator Module User’s
Guide for detailed information on assigning network addresses.
Configuring the Serial Port
The RS-232 port on the MP9320 is factory configured as follows:
•9600 Baud
•8 Data Bits
•1 Stop Bit
•No Parity
Refer to the Reader Configuration chapter in the Comprehensive
Heuristic Unified Messaging Protocol Reference Guide for serial
port programming information.

Getting Started
9
Connecting the Reader to a Terminal
The MP9320 can be connected to a personal computer, laptop, or
other serial device equipped with a terminal emulation program.
Perform the following to connect the reader to a serial device.
1. Connect an RS-232 cable from the serial port on the reader to
the serial port on the terminal (see Chapter 2 - Installation).
2. Use the SSTool to set the terminal serial port parameters to
the reader default values (9600, 8, 1, none).
Connecting the Reader to the ICCM
The MP9320 can be connected to the Interrogator Control and
Concentrator Module. Perform the following to connect the
reader to a serial device.
1. Connect an RS-232 or RS-485 cable from the appropriate
port on the reader to the serial or RS-485 port on the ICCM
(see Chapter 2 - Installation).
2. Power up both the reader and the ICCM.
3. Follow the instructions in the Interrogator Control and
Concentrator Module User’s Guide for information on using
the ICCM to view tag data from the reader.

MP9320 User’s Guide
10
Setting the RF Mode
The MP9320 is factory configured for continuous RF scanning or
“auto-read” mode. This mode is equivalent to the Auto Read
button on the SS Tool screen. If desired, you can reconfigure the
reader for Polled RF mode (reader activates the transmit carrier
and waits for host to send a read command).
With SSTool, click the Polled Read button.
To halt the Auto Read or Polled Read mode, press the RF Off
button on the SSTool screen.

Getting Started
11
Activating Tag Protocols
The MP9320 is factory configured with only those protocols
selected by the user. In the event that additional protocols were
purchased but not activated, the Protocol Select Word (PSW)
must be reconfigured. Use the SSTool to activate the protocol.
EPC 1 Protocol Selection
With the SSTool, click the EPC1 button (version 2.0 only).
ISO 18000-6A Protocol Selection
With the SSTool, click the ISO -6A button.
ISO 18000-6B Protocol Selection
With the SSTool, click the ISO -6B button.
ISO 18000-6A and -6B Protocol Selection
With the SSTool, click the ISO -6A & -6B button.
SuperTag Protocol Selection (EM 4022, EM 4222,
BiStartags(optional))
With the SSTool, click the Supertag button.
IntelliTag Protocol Selection
With the SSTool, click the IntelliTag button.

MP9320 User’s Guide
12
Selecting the Number of Antennas
The MP9320 is factory configured to operate with one antenna
connected to Port 1. However, the reader can operate with up to
four (4) antennas. If additional antennas are to be installed, use
the SSTool to select the number of antennas or enter the antenna
selection from the command line.
With the SSTool, click the 2 Antenna,3 Antenna, or 4
Antenna button.
Refer to the Reader Configuration chapter in the Comprehensive
Heuristic Unified Messaging Protocol Reference Guide for
detailed programming information.
Warning
The SAMSys MP9320 UHF Reader is equipped with four (4) RF
ports. To prevent reader damage, RF ports must be properly
terminated with a 50 ohm load or a functional UHF RFID antenna
before power up. UHF Readers are factory configured to operate
on RF port 1. As a result, port 1 must be properly terminated
before initially powering on the reader. Before activating any
additional RF ports, they must also be properly terminated. Never
power up the reader unless the loads or antennas are connected.
Always power down the reader before removing an antenna or
load from an RF port.
Reading tags
To beging reading tags, place a tag in front of the antenna and
press the Auto Read button on the SSTool screen.
The SSTool will display the tag data.
To halt reading tag data, press the RF Off button on the SSTool
screen.