TransCore AR2200 User manual

TransCore Inc.
19111 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Dallas, Texas 75287-3106
March 2003
P/N 411052-003
AR2200 RF Module
User Guide

Information in this document is subject to change and does not represent a commitment on the part of
TC IP, Ltd.
©2003 TC IP, Ltd. All rights reserved. TRANSCORE is a trademark and Amtech is a registered trademark of
TC IP, Ltd. and is used under license. All other trademarks listed are the property of their respective owners.
Contents subject to change. Printed in the U.S.A.
For further information, contact:
TransCore
19111 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Dallas, Texas 75287-3106 USA
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
TransCore Action Center (TrAC)
19111 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Dallas, Texas 75287-3106 USA
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

WARNING TO USERS IN THE UNITED STATES
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) RADIO FREQUENCY
INTERFERENCE STATEMENT
47 CFR §15.105(a)
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device
pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiateradio frequency (RF) energy and
may cause harmful interference to radio communications if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual. Operating this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in
which case, depending on the laws in effect, the users may be required to correct the interference at their
own expense.
NO UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS
47 CFR §15.21
CAUTION: This equipment may not be modified, altered, or changed in any way without permission
from TransCore, Inc. Unauthorized modification may void the equipment authorization from the FCC and
will void the TransCore warranty.
USE OF SHIELDED CABLES IS REQUIRED
47 CFR §15.27(a)
Shielded cables must be used with this equipment to comply with FCC regulations.
A license issued by the FCC is required to operate this RF identification device in the United States.
Contact TransCore, Inc. for additional information concerning licensing requirements for specific devices.
TransCore, Inc.
USA

Contents

vii
Contents
1 Before You Begin
Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Guide Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Health Limits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
2 AR2200 RF Module Overview
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Range Sensitivity Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
ISO Compatible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Patented Design: High-Speed Signal Capture, Noise Immunity. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Frequency Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Preamplifier Line Driver Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Circuit Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
International Safety Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Output Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Harsh Environment Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Custom Frequencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Replacement I/O Interface Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Attenuators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Hex Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Weatherproof Enclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
3 Installing the AR2200 RF Module
AR2200 RF Module Installation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Differences in Installation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
AI1200 Reader Power Supply Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Configuring the RF Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Required Wiring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Required Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Positioning the RF Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

AR2200 RF Module User Guide
viii
Terminal Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Grounding the RF Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Terminal Designations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Normal Mode Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Compatibility Mode Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
4 Testing the RF Module
Setting Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
5 Indicator Lights
6 Adjusting RF Power
7 Range Modulation Sensitivity Adjustment
A Technical Specifications
Component Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Physical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

Contents
ix
List of Figures
Figure 2-1 AR2200 RF Module I/O Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Figure 3-1 Normal Mode and Compatibility Mode Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Figure 3-2 RF Module Terminal Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Figure 3-3 Normal Mode Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Figure 3-4 Antenna Output Port Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Figure 3-5 Compatibility Mode Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Figure 4-1 RF Board Test Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Figure 5-1 RF Module LED Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Figure 6-1 RF Power Select Dipswitch Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Figure 7-1 Range Modulation Sensitivity Potentiometers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
List of Tables
Table 1-1 AR2200 RF Module User Guide Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Table 1-2 Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Table 2-1 AR2200 RF Module Options and Operating Frequency Bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Table 3-1 RF Module Minimum Wire Gauge Vs. Distance from Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Table 3-2 Jack and Plug Terminal Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Table 3-3 Connecting Wires Between the RF Module and the Reader Interface . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Table 3-4 Maximum Cable Lengths for Power Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Table 3-5 Connecting the Check Tag Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Table 3-6 Maximum Cable Length for Check Tag Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Table 3-7 Connecting Wires Between the RF Modules and the Reader Interface . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Table 3-8 Maximum Cable Lengths for Power Wiring and Signal Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Table 3-9 Connecting the System Check Tag Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Table 3-10 Maximum Cable Lengths for Check Tag Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Table 4-1 Test Point Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Table 5-1 LED Indicators and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Table 6-1 RF Power Output Select Dipswitch Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Table A-1 AR2200 RF Module Electrical Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3
Table A-2 AR2200 RF Module Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3
Table A-3 AR2200 RF Module Physical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-4

AR2200 RF Module User Guide
x

1
Before You Begin

1-3
Chapter 1
Before You Begin
This chapter describes this guide’s purpose and intended audience. It
provides a list of topics covered in each section, a list of related
documents, and the symbols and typographical conventions used.
Purpose
This guide provides the information necessary for TransCore-certified personnel to
successfully install and test the AR2200 RF Module.
Intended Audience
This guide was written for TransCore-certified personnel who design, configure,
install, test, and maintain TransCore systems in the field.
Guide Topics
Table 1-1 lists the information found in this user guide.
Table 1-1 AR2200 RF Module User Guide Information
Chapter 1–Before You
Begin Describes the purpose, intended audience, guide topics, related
documentation, and document conventions.
Chapter 2–AR2200 RF
Module Overview Provides an overview of the AR2200 RF Module’s features, options, and
accessories.
Chapter 3–Installing the
AR2200 RF Module Provides detailed installation instructions for installing a stand-alone RF
module, or connecting one or two RF modules to an AI12xx or AI1301
Reader.
Chapter 4–Testing the
AR200 RF Module Provides instructions for testing the installed RF module.
Chapter 5–Indicator
Lights Describes the locations and features of the RF module’s indicator lights.
Chapter 6–Adjusting RF
Power Explains how to adjust the RF power, if needed.
Chapter 7–Sensitivity
Range Adjustment Explains how to adjust the range sensitivity to screen unwanted tag signals.
Appendix A–Technical
Specifications Presents reference information on the AR2200 RF Module.

AR2200 RF Module User Guide
1-4
Typographical Conventions
Table 1-2 lists the conventions used in this manual:
Table 1-2 Typographical Conventions
Convention Indication
This procedure might cause harm to the equipment and/or
the user.
Concerns about a procedure.
Code Code, including keywords and variables within text and as
separate paragraphs, and user-defined program elements
within text appear in courier typeface.
Dialog Box Title Title of a dialog box as it appears on screen.
Function Start with the characters G4, and are in mixed case with no
underscores, and include parentheses after the name, as in
G4FunctionName().
Menu Item Appears on a menu. Capitalization follows the interface.
Note Auxiliary information that further clarifies the current
discussion. These important points require the user’s
attention. The paragraph is in italics and the word Note is
bold.
NUL Zero-value ASCII character or a zero-value byte.
NULL Zero-value pointers. Null-terminated string refers to strings
of printable ASCII characters with a zero-value byte placed
in memory directly after the last printable character of the
string.

Before You Begin
1-5
Health Limits
Within the United States, environmental guidelines regulating safe exposure levels are
issued by the Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA).
Section 1910.97 of OSHA Safety and Health Standards 2206 legislates a maximum
safe exposure limit of 10 milliwatts per square centimeter (mW/cm 2 ) averaged over 6
minutes at both 915 and 2450 MHz.
Although not binding, other organizations such as the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) have issued similar guidelines that are more restrictive than the
OSHA limits (ANSI C95.1). ANSI guidelines recommend a maximum safe power
density in mW/cm2of:
Thus, the maximum permissible exposure for general population/uncontrolled
exposure at 915 MHz is 0.61 mW/cm2. The power limit is a 6-minute average.
The RF power density generated by Amtech®equipment was calculated using a max-
imum antenna gain of 14 dBithat is equivalent to that typically used in an AR2200
installation.
The antenna gain should not exceed 14 dBi. The antennas used for this transmitter
must not be collocated or operated in conjunction with any other antenna or transmit-
ter.
At 1.6 W transmitted power and a distance of 22 inches (55 cm) from the antenna, the
maximum power density calculated was 0.6 mW/cm2. Install the antennas at least 22
inches (55 cm) from the general public. Maintenance personnel must remain at least
9.7 inches (24.5 cm) from antennas when system is operating.
The data confirms that the Amtech® system effectively meets OSHA requirements
and thus does not represent an operating hazard to either the general public or mainte-
nance personnel.
Frequency (in MHz)
1500
-------------------------------------------------------

AR2200 RF Module User Guide
1-6

2
Overview of AR2200 RF Module

2-3
Chapter 2
AR2200 RF Module Overview
This chapter presents an overview of the AR2200 RF Module’s features,
options, and accessories.
Overview
The AR2200 RF Module, hereafter referred to as the RF module, is a dual-output
radio transmitter/receiver that, on command from a TransCore reader, generates a
radio frequency (RF) signal in the 865- to 930-MHz radio frequency range, over five
bands, and delivers the signal to the antenna for broadcast. Figure 2-1 shows the top
view of the RF module I/O interface.

AR2200 RF Module User Guide
2-4
Figure 2-1 AR2200 RF Module I/O Interface
The RF module also receives and demodulates the reflected tag signal returned
through the antenna, then preamplifies and conditions the demodulated signal before
sending it to the reader. The RF module generates the RF power necessary to read an
TransCore tag. It also contains receiver and preamplifier circuitry to preprocess the
tag signal returned through the antenna. Once connected to the antenna and reader and
tuned, the RF module should require no further mechanical adjustment by the user.
The RF module receives DC power through a cable connection made to the reader. A
separate reader-to-RF module cable carries the demodulated tag signal from the RF
module to the reader and the on/off control signal from the reader to the RF module
Note: Long coaxial cable lengths between the RF module and antenna can degrade
system performance and should be avoided in system configuration.