SignalFire Ranger900 User manual

1
Rev 1.0
Ranger900 Manual
The Ranger900 is an integrated assembly that allows a local 900MHz radio network to communicate with
the SignalFire Cloud over an LTE-M1 cellular network.
-DIN Gateway v2 and Ranger-Modbus integrated into a single enclosure
-Solar panel, rechargeable battery, and power management system included
-Configurable from the SignalFire Cloud website signal-fire.cloud
-SignalFire Cloud allows for data visualization, trending and alarming
-Supports MQTT Sparkplug B communication protocol for connection to other servers
-Compact and simple to install and maintain
-Local configuration and diagnostics available using the SignalFire ToolKit and SignalFire Ranger
ToolKit
-Internal backlog of a minimum of 200 datapoints in the event of loss of signal. Backlog will be
automatically sent when the Ranger reconnects
SignalFire Telemetry

2
Rev 1.0
Specifications
Enclosure
UL/NEMA 4X (IP66/68) rated Polycarbonate.
14.1” tall × 9.8” wide × 7.0” deep
Power Source
10W solar panel, 12A-hr rechargeable SLA battery backup, 4.5A battery management
system. 5V DC-DC converter for Ranger.
Temperature
Rating
SIM Slot
Local config port
Analog Input
Digital Inputs
Relay Output
Sensor Power
Output
-40°C to +85°C
Nano SIM card (LTE Cat M SIM and data plan required)
Micro-USB (Ranger), DB-9 (Gateway)
1 active (13/18V selectable power out) analog input, 4-20mA/1-5V. 3 passive analog
inputs, 1-5V or 4-20mA with precision 250Ω resistor
4 digital inputs. Dry Contact or 30 Volts Max (push-pull), 2kHz max
Latching Relay. 2A @ 30VDC, 0.3A @ 110VDC, 0.5A @ 125VAC
Selectable 13V/18V. 60mA max power output
Compliance
•
Contains FCC ID: 2ANPO00NRF9160 and IC ID: 24529-NRF9160
•Verizon, AT&T Network Certified
Model Numbers

3
Rev 1.0
Table of Contents
Specifications .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Hazardous Location Certification ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Overview................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Power ................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Software Configuration .................................................................................................................................................. 5
Sensor Connections......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Setup ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Power ................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Cloud ................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Gateway............................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Ranger ............................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Mechanical Dimensions..................................................................................................................................................... 11
Technical Support and Contact Information ........................................................................................................ 12
Revision History .................................................................................................................................................................. 12

4
Rev 1.0
Hazardous Location Certification
The Ranger-900 is not Hazardous Location certified and is for general purpose areas only.
WARNING: EXPLOSION HAZARD. DO NOT REMOVE OR REPLACE COMPONENTS UNLESS
POWER HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED OR THE AREA IS FREE OF IGNITIBLE CONCENTRATIONS.
AVERTISSEMENT : RISQUE D'EXPLOSION . NE PAS RETIRER OU REMPLACER LES
COMPOSANTS QUE L’ALIMENTATION EST DÉBRANCHÉ OU ZONE EST LIBRE DE
CONCENTRATIONS IGNITIBLE.
WARNING – EXPLOSION HAZARD Do not disconnect while circuit is live unless area
is known to be nonhazardous
AVERTISSEMENT - RISQUE D'EXPLOSION. Ne débranchez pas lorsque le circuit est en
direct , sauf si la zone est connue pour être nonhazardous
WARNING – All wiring methods must be in accordance with the NEC
AVERTISSEMENT - Toutes les méthodes de Essorez doivent être en conformité avec la NEC
WARNING - EXPLOSION HAZARD. Do no remove or replace while circuit is live
unless the area is free of ignitable concentrations.
AVERTISSEMENT - RISQUE D'EXPLOSION. Ne pas enlever ou remplacer pendant que le
circuit est vivant à moins que la zone soit exempt de concentrations ignitibles.
WARNING – EXPLOSION HAZARD. Do not remove or replace lamps, fuses or plug-in
modules (as applicable) unless power has been disconnected or the area is free of
ignitable concentrations.
AVERTISSEMENT - RISQUE D'EXPLOSION. Ne retirez ni ne remplacez les lampes, les fusibles ou les
modules enfichables (le cas échéant) à moins que l'alimentation ait été coupée ou que la zone
soit exempte de concentrations inflammables.

5
Rev 1.0
Overview
The Ranger900 provides a convenient way to bring data from SignalFire’s 900MHz nodes into the SFCloud,
creating a hybrid system of radio and cellular technology, local and remote. The Ranger-900 is a standalone
enclosure that consists of a DIN Gateway v2 and Ranger with Modbus card, powered by an integrated solar
system.
The system supports our line of 900MHz nodes such as the C1D1 Sentinel or Pressure Scout, which connect to
the DIN Gateway v2. While normally this information would then be read from the Gateway over Modbus into a
PLC/SCADA system, the Ranger-900 can transmit this information to the SFCloud. With this flexibility, users
don’t have to split their data between local systems and the SFCloud where they see other Ranger data.
Power
The Ranger900 is powered by a 10W solar panel, with a rechargeable 12A-hr SLA backup battery. A fully
charged battery can provide power for over 16 days.
Software Configuration
The Ranger can be configured locally through its micro-USB port using the SignalFire Ranger ToolKit. The DIN
Gateway v2 can be configured locally through its DB-9 port using the SignalFire ToolKit. Both pieces of software
can be downloaded from our website, signal-fire.com, with registration of a free account.
Sensor Connections
The Ranger and DIN Gateway v2 both support a variety of integrated I/O. Wires can be brought in through the
cable glands on the enclosure’s underside. For more information on their I/O capabilities, please refer to their
respective manuals.
The Ranger’s expansion module slot is occupied by an RS-485 card in order to read registers from the Gateway,
therefore no other daughter cards can be used. Using the Ranger’s active analog input will impact battery life
and is generally not recommended for use in this configuration. Contact SignalFire or your local vendor for
applications where the Ranger’s analog input will need to be use.

6
Rev 1.0
Setup
Power
The solar panel and battery will be packed separately and need to be assembled with the enclosure. Please
follow the step-by-step instructions below to get power to the system.
1. Unlock the enclosure and open the door.
2. Pull the solar panel’s wire in through the cable gland on the underside of the enclosure and land them
on the terminals as shown below, such that red goes to red and black goes to black.
3. Tighten the cable gland until the solar panel cable is secure.
4. Install the battery by inserting it into the enclosure on the strap as shown below. Pull the Velcro strap
through the buckle and secure tightly.

7
Rev 1.0
5. Insert the disconnects on to the battery’s tabs, red to red, black to black. The system will then be fully
powered on.
Cloud
Ranger900’s purchased with the SignalFire Cloud service come with a pre-installed SIM card.
Customers will require a login to access the SignalFire Cloud server (signal-fire.cloud). Fill out the
request form here: https://signal-fire.com/lte-m1-cellular-products/cloudregister/ to setup your
company site. Once your account is created, follow the steps below:
1. Login to the SignalFire Could with the account login/password provided
2. From the Home page click “Add Device”
3. Enter either the Ranger serial number or IMEI number and click “Send Request”. The serial number and
IMEI number are located on inside of the enclosure door. The serial number will have a format of “RA”
followed by 6 numbers.
4. A message will be sent to the Ranger to “claim” it to the customer site, and a wait screen with appear.
5. Within approximately one minute the device will connect to your account, and you will be automatically
redirected to the device status page
Gateway
The Gateway and its nodes should be configured as normal. Connect to the Gateway through the DB-9 port
with the SignalFire ToolKit and set the Network, Network Group, and Encryption Key parameters as needed. To

8
Rev 1.0
add a node to its network, simply configure it to have the same Network, Network Group, and Encryption Key
along with a unique Slave ID. For more information, please refer to the DIN Gateway v2 manual.

9
Rev 1.0
Ranger
The Ranger can be programmed to pull individual registers from the Gateway from the various nodes. To do so,
click on the “Configure” button on the Modbus tile.
The Ranger can read up to 32 datapoints from up to 8 connected devices. To add a new register read, click on
the ‘+’ button. Each line needs to be specified with a Tag Name, and point to a Modbus Slave ID, register
address, register data type, and read/write access. The register can also be tagged with units if needed. Click
Apply to send the changes to the Ranger.
To select lines for deletion, click on the trash can icon at the end of each line, and then click on the “Delete
Rows” button to delete all the rows selected.
Once the registers have been set up as desired, click “Exit” to return to the Ranger’s main page. The
registers and their values will appear in a table below, where they can be organized in ascending or
descending order by clicking on each header. The Modbus register configuration can also be done locally
using the Ranger ToolKit.
Because the Ranger’s Modbus capability is limited to reading 32 registers from 8 devices, SignalFire
recommends using register remapping on the Gateway. That way, all 32 registers can be read off one
device (the Gateway’s Slave ID).

10
Rev 1.0
In the example above, the Ranger is transmitting information from a Pressure Scout as well as the Gateway’s
supply voltage.
Clicking on “Show In Trend” will add that register to the historical data
view at the bottom of the page. Clicking on “Modify” will bring a pop-up
to configure alarms, or to do a register write to set a Modbus value in a
register. Every register can be individually set up with Low and High alarm
thresholds. Click “Apply” to save alarm settings for each register.

11
Rev 1.0
Mechanical Dimensions

12
Rev 1.0
Technical Support and Contact Information
SignalFire Telemetry
140 Locke Dr, Suite B
Marlborough, MA 01749
[phone]
[e-mail]
Revision History
Revision
Date
Changes/Updates
1.0
05/14/21
Initial release