TransCore 1422E User manual

1422E Reader
User Guide
Trusted Transportation Solutions
16-0058-001 Rev B (X3) 9/17
Purpose of This Guide
This user guide is intended for skilled personnel (including trained technicians and
engineers) to provide information for initializing the AI1422E Reader System. This
guide provides on-site test procedures useful in troubleshooting, as well as AI1422E
command codes and information on character translation.

TransCore Proprietaryii
User Guide
Information in this document is subject to change and does not represent a commitment on the part of
TransCore, LP.
© 2017 TransCore, LP. All rights reserved. TRANSCORE, AMTECH, EGO, and ENCOMPASS are registered
trademarks and are used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contents are subject to change. Printed in the U.S.A.
For further information, contact:
TransCore
8600 Jeerson StreetNE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113 USA
TransCore Technical Support
Web: www.transcore.com/rfidsupport
Phone: [phone]
Lantronix ® Technical Support (Ethernet Support)
Web: www.lantronix.com/support/
Phone: [phone]

TransCore Proprietary iii
AI1422E Reader
Licensing Requirements
To operate a radio frequency (RF) system in a given country, the user must first obtain permission from the
regulatory agency that controls radio operations in that country. Most countries require type and safety
approval, as well as licensing for RF transmitters. Users in all countries should check with the appropriate
local authorities for licensing requirements.
U.S. Licensing
This AI1422E Reader System requires an FCC Part 90 license to operate in the U.S. The
authorized frequency bands in the U.S. are 902 to 904 MHz and 909.75 to 921.75 MHz.
The user is responsible for filing the FCC license according to FCC regulations. Access the
FCC Web site at https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/forms or at wireless.fcc.gov/index.
htm?job=online_filing to obtain additional information concerning licensing requirements.
An FCC license provides the user with the legal authorization to operate the RFID systems on the
licensed frequencies at the site specified in the license. Only an authorized installer or service
technician can set the frequency for the AI1422E Reader System to that specified in the FCC site
license.
The FCC license also provides the user with protection and authorization to maintain the system
should any other RFID be used in the licensed area after the AI1422E Reader System is installed.

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User Guide
WARNING TO USERS IN THE UNITED STATES
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FCC
LOCATION AND MONITORING SERVICE STATEMENT
47 CFR §90.351
NOTE: The user is required to obtain a Part 90 site license from the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to operate this radio frequency identification (RFID) device in the United States. The FCC ID number is
FIHAI1422E. Access the FCC website at www.fcc.gov to obtain additional information concerning licensing
requirements.
NOTE: Users in all countries should check with the appropriate local authorities for licensing requirements.
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 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 radiate 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 eect, the user 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 withoutpermission.
Unauthorized modification may void the equipment authorization from the FCC and will void the warranty.
USE OF SHIELDED CABLES AND GROUNDING
47 CFR §15.27A
NOTE: Shielded cables and earth grounding the unit is recommended for this equipment to comply with FCC
regulations.
TRANSCORE, LP
USA

TransCore Proprietary v
AI1422E Reader
AVERTISSEMENT À L’ATTENTION DES
UTILISATEURS AUX ÉTATSUNIS
DÉCLARATION 47 CFR §90.351 CODE DES
RÈGLEMENTS FÉDÉRAUX DE LA FEDERAL
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FCC SUR LES
SERVICES DE LOCALISATION ET DE CONTRÔLE
REMARQUE : L’utilisateur est tenu d’obtenir une licence d’utilisation sur site Partie 90 auprès de la Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) afin de pouvoir utiliser ce dispositif RFID (radio-identification) aux
États-Unis ou au Canada. Le numéro d’identification de la FCC est FIHAI1422E.Pour obtenir de plus amples
informations concernant les exigences relatives aux licences, prière de consulter le site web de la FCC à
www.fcc.gov.
REMARQUE : Il est recommandé à tous les utilisateurs, quel que soit leur pays, de consulter les autorités
locales compétentes sur les exigences de licence.
DÉCLARATION 47 CFR §15.105A DE LA FCC SUR
LES INTERFÉRENCES DES FRÉQUENCES RADIO
REMARQUE : Cet appareil a été testé et déclaré conforme à la catégorie d’un appareil numérique de
classe A en accord avec la partie 15 des directives de la FCC. Ces normes visent à assurer une protection
raisonnable contre les interférences nuisibles lorsque l’appareil est utilisé dans un environnement
commercial. Cet appareil génère, utilise et peut émettre de l’énergie RF et peut être à l’origine
d’interférences nuisibles aux communications radio s’il n’est pas installé et utilisé en suivant les directives
du manuel d’instructions. Si cet appareil est utilisé dans une zone résidentielle, il est probable qu’il cause
des interférences nuisibles. Dans ce cas, l’utilisateur pourrait être amené à remédier aux interférences à ses
propres frais, selon les lois du pays en vigueur.
AUCUNE MODIFICATION NON AUTORISÉE
47 CFR §15.21
MISE EN GARDE : Il est interdit de modifier, d’altérer ou d’apporter des changements à cet appareil de
quelque manière que ce soit sans autorisation. Toute modification non autorisée peut annuler
l’autorisation d’utilisation accordée par la FCC et annulera la garantie.
UTILISATION DE CÂBLES BLINDÉS ET MISE À LA TERRE
47 CFR §15.27A
REMARQUE : Il est recommandé d’utiliser des câbles blindés et une mise à la terre avec cet appareil afin de
répondre aux réglementations de la FCC
TRANSCORE, LP
ÉTATSUNIS

TransCore Proprietaryvi
User Guide
RADIO FREQUENCY HEALTH LIMITS FOR AI1422 READER
USING AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA IN FREQUENCY BAND
OF 902.25 TO 903.75 AND 910.00 TO 921.50 MHZ
Several agencies (OSHA, FCC, IC) have environmental guidelines regulating maximum permissible exposure
(MPE) or “safe” exposure levels that this product falls under. To ensure that proper safety guideline for
the end users of this product, i.e. Occupational (Controlled) and General Population/Public (Uncontrolled),
the recommended levels for each of the agencies are presented in the next sections with TransCore’s
recommendations for safety in the last section.
OSHA OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
OSHA (an agency of The United States of America) legislates in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Title 29 Part 1910 Subpart G 1910.97 titled “Nonionizing radiation”, a maximum safe exposure limit of 10
milliwatts per square centimeter (mW/cm2) during any 0.1-hour period (i.e. 6 minutes). Using the frequency
(in the middle of the band of operation of this equipment) of 915 MHz and the highest antenna gain that
this equipment is certified for use in a final installation, the minimum safe distance was calculated to be 8in
(20cm).
FCC FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION
FCC (an agency of The United States of America) legislates in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 47
Chapter I Subchapter A Part 1 Subpart I Section 1.1310 titled “Radiofrequency radiation exposure limits” that
the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) is the following:
Occupational/Controlled Exposure
Power density = frequency(in MHz)/300 mW/cm2with an Averaging time of 6 Min
General Population/Uncontrolled Exposure
Power density = frequency(in MHz)/1500 mW/cm2 with an Averaging time of 30 Min
Using the frequency (in the middle of the band of operation of this equipment) of 915MHz and the highest
antenna gain that this equipment is certified for use in a final installation, the minimum safe distance was
calculated. The MPE minimum distances are 14in (36cm) for the Occupational/Controlled environment, and
31.5in (80.5cm) for the General Population/Uncontrolled environment.
INDUSTRY CANADA INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CANADA
Industry Canada (a Department of the Government of Canada) sets out the requirements in Radio Standards
Specification RSS-102, Issue 5 guidelines, recommending a maximum safe power density in W/m2. Thus, the
maximum permissible exposure for general population/uncontrolled exposure at 915MHz is 2.77 W/m2. The
average time is 6 minutes. The maximum permissible exposure (MPE) is the following:
Controlled Environment
Power density = 0.6455*frequency(in MHz)0.5 W/m2with a Reference Period time of 6 Min
General Public/Uncontrolled Environment

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AI1422E Reader
Power density = 0.02619*frequency(in MHz)0.6834 W/m2with a Reference Period time of 6 Min
Using the frequency (in the middle of the band of operation of this equipment) of 915MHz and the highest
antenna gain that this equipment is certified for use in a final installation, the minimum safe distance was
calculated. The MPE minimum distances are 18in (45cm) for the Controlled environment and 47in (120cm)
for the General Public/Uncontrolled environment.
TRANSCORE RECOMMENDATION ON MPE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
The calculated power densities and MPE distance for each of the agencies respective to the environment
is shown below.
With the equipment installed and running at the maximum transmit power of 2.0W (33dBm), 0 dB transmit
attenuation, using the highest gain antenna that the equipment is certified for, the recommendation for
each of the operation environments is as follows:
1 ) The antenna should be installed at least 47in (120cm) from the General Population/Public i.e.
Uncontrolled Environment.
2 ) Maintenance personnel (i.e. Occupational/Controlled Environment) must remain at least 18in
(45cm) from the antenna and limit their time in the environment to 6 minutes when the system
is operating.
Occupational/Controlled Environment
Agency Power Density (mW/cm2) MPE minimum distance Time (min)
in cm
OSHA 10 8 20 6
FCC 3.05 14 36 6
IC 1.95 18 45 6
General Population/Public/Uncontrolled Environment
Agency Power Density (mW/cm2) MPE minimum distance Time (min)
In cm
OSHA 10 8 20 6
FCC 0.61 31.5 80 30
IC 0.28 47 120 6

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User Guide
LIMITES D’EXPOSITION AUX RADIOFRÉQUENCES POUR LE LECTEUR AI1422
UTILISANT UNE ANTENNE EXTERNE SUR LA BANDE
DE FRÉQUENCES DE 902.25 À 903.75 ET DE 910.00 À 921.50 MHZ
Plusieurs organismes (OSHA, FCC, IC) publient des directives environnementales qui recommandent des
limites d’exposition maximale autorisée (normes MPE) ou des niveaux d’exposition «sûrs» auxquels cet
appareil se conforme. Pour faire en sorte que chaque utilisateur final ait connaissance des directives de
sécurité qui le concerne, que ce soit dans son travail (accès contrôlé) ou pour la population générale/le
grand public (accès non contrôlé), TransCore présente les niveaux recommandés par chaque organisme
dans ses recommandations sécuritaires détaillées dans la dernière section.
OSHA OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Dans le Code des réglementations fédérales (CFR), Titre 29, Partie 1910, Sous-partie G 1910.97, intitulée
«Nonionizing radiation» (Rayonnements non ionisants), l’OSHA (organisme américain) recommande un
plafond d’exposition maximale de 10 milliwatts par centimètre carré (mW/cm2) pendant une période de
0,1 heure (soit 6 minutes). En utilisant la fréquence de 915 MHz (milieu de la bande de fréquences de cet
appareil) et le gain d’antenne maximal pour lequel cet appareil a reçu une certification d’utilisation dans une
installation finale, la distance minimale sécuritaire est de 20 cm (8 po).
FCC FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION
Dans le Code des réglementations fédérales (CFR), Titre 47, Chapitre I, Sous-chapitre A, Partie 1, Sous-partie
I, Section 1.1310 intitulée «Radiofrequency radiation exposure limits» (Limites d’exposition aux rayonnements
de radiofréquence), la FCC (organisme américain) établit les limites d’exposition maximale autorisée (normes
MPE) comme suit :
Exposition professionnelle/contrôlée
Densité de puissance = fréquence (en MHz)/300 mW/cm2avec une durée moyenne de 6 min.
Exposition de la population générale/non contrôlée
Densité de puissance = fréquence (en MHz)/1500 mW/cm2avec une durée moyenne de 30 min.
En utilisant la fréquence de 915 MHz (milieu de la bande de fréquences de cet appareil) et le gain
d’antenne maximal pour lequel cet appareil a reçu une certification d’utilisation dans une installation finale,
la distance minimale sécuritaire est la suivante : les distances MPE minimales sont de 36 cm (14 po) pour
l’environnement professionnel/contrôlé et de 80,5 cm (31,5 po) pour la population générale/environnement
non contrôlé.
INDUSTRIE CANADA INNOVATION, SCIENCES ET DÉVELOPPEMENT ÉCONOMIQUE CANADA
Le Cahier des charges sur les normes radioélectriques 102, 5eédition, d’Industrie Canada (un ministère
du Gouvernement du Canada) établit des recommandations pour une densité de puissance maximale
sécuritaire en W/m2. Ainsi, l’exposition maximale admissible pour la population générale/non contrôlée à
915 MHz est calculée à 2,77 W/m2. La durée moyenne est de 6 minutes. Les limites d’exposition maximale
autorisée (normes MPE) sont les suivantes :

TransCore Proprietary ix
AI1422E Reader
Environnement contrôlé
Densité de puissance = 0,6455*fréquence (en MHz)0,5 W/m2avec une durée de référence de 6 min.
Grand public/environnement non contrôlé
Densité de puissance = 0,02619*fréquence (en MHz)0,6834 W/m2avec une durée de référence de 6 min.
En utilisant la fréquence de 915 MHz (milieu de la bande de fréquences de cet appareil) et le gain
d’antenne maximal pour lequel cet appareil a reçu une certification d’utilisation dans une installation finale,
la distance minimale sécuritaire est la suivante : les distances MPE minimales sont de 45 cm (18 po) pour
l’environnement professionnel/contrôlé et de 120 cm (47 po) pour le grand public/environnement non
contrôlé.
RECOMMANDATIONS DE TRANSCORE SUR LES LIMITES D’EXPOSITION MAXIMALE AUTORISÉE
NORMES MPE
Les densités de puissance et la distance MPE calculées par chaque organisme pour un
environnement donné sont présentées ci-dessous.
Exposition professionnelle/environnement contrôlé
Organisme Densité de puissance (mW/
cm2)
Distance MPE minimale Durée (en
min.)
po cm
OSHA 10 8 20 6
FCC 3,05 14 36 6
IC 1,95 18 45 6
Population générale/environnement non contrôlé
Organisme Densité de puissance (mW/
cm2)
Distance MPE minimale Durée (en
min.)
po cm
OSHA 10 8 20 6
FCC 0,61 31,5 80 30
IC 0,28 47 120 6
Avec l’appareil installé et fonctionnant à la puissance de transmission maximale de 2,0 W (33 dBm), 0 dB
d’atténuation de transmission, et en utilisant le gain d’antenne maximal pour lequel l’appareil a reçu une
certification, les recommandations pour chaque environnement d’exploitation sont les suivantes :
1 ) L’antenne devrait être installée à au moins 120 cm (47 po) de la population générale/du grand
public, c’est-à-dire d’un environnement non contrôlé.
2 ) Le personnel d’entretien (c’est-à-dire dans un environnement professionnel/contrôlé) doit
rester à au moins 45 cm (18 po) de l’antenne et limiter son temps d’exposition à 6 minutes
lorsque l’appareil est en fonctionnement.

User Guide
TransCore Proprietaryx
Table of Contents
Purpose of This Guide ............................................. i
Licensing Requirements............................................iii
System Overview
System Overview .................................................2
Transponder Interrogator ...........................................3
Interface Connections
Description of AI1422E Reader System ...............................6
Antenna Interface .................................................6
Ethernet (M12) Interface............................................6
Customer I/O Interface.............................................7
Power Connector .................................................8
Interface Selection Switch ..........................................8
Main RS–232 Interface.............................................8
Aux RS–232 Interface .............................................9
Installation Instructions
General ......................................................... 11
Mechanical ..................................................... 11
Electrical Power.................................................. 11
Installing Wires into Connector.....................................14
Protective Earth Ground Terminal ..................................16
System Test Procedures
System Test Procedures...........................................18
Required Tools and Equipment .....................................18
Testing Basic Operation ...........................................18
Reading the Tag..................................................19
Communications Protocols
Communications Protocols ........................................22
Basic Protocol ...................................................22
Command Codes
Command Codes.................................................25

AI1422E Reader
TransCore Proprietary xi
Operating Modes ................................................25
Command List ...................................................31
Reader Mode Control .............................................32
Communications Port Control......................................32
Real-time Clock ..................................................34
Append Information ..............................................35
ID Filtering ......................................................37
Reader Status....................................................43
Reader Control Functions .........................................54
Auxiliary Reader Control ..........................................68
Troubleshooting and Maintenance
Required Tools and Equipment .....................................71
Troubleshooting .................................................71
Error Messages ..................................................73
AI1422E Reader Repair............................................74
Technical Support ................................................74
Character Conversion
Appendix A......................................................76
Technical Specifications
Appendix B......................................................78
Lantronix® Ethernet Module Configuration
Appendix C......................................................81
Interface through Ethernet Port ....................................82
Command Quick Reference
Appendix D.....................................................88

User Guide
TransCore Proprietaryxii
List of Figures
Figure 1 Typical Reader System Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Figure 2 Antenna-to-Tag CenterlineTolerance . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Figure 3 Front Panel of an AI1422E Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Figure 4 Pin Designations for M12 Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Figure 5 Customer I/O Interface Pin-out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Figure 6 RS–232, DB–9 Interface Connector Pin-outs. . . . . . . . .9
Figure 7 AI 1422E Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 8 Power Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 9 Remove Plug from Receptacle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 10 Remove Screw and Plug Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 11 Remove Wire Harness from Insert Clip . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 12 Cable Gland Assembly - Rear of Plug . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 13 Pin Numbering: Plug Wire Harness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 14 Thread Wires Through Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 15 Insert Wires into Pins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 16 Insert Wire Harness into Insert Clip. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 17 Reassemble and Tighten Set Screw . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 18 Reassemble Cable Gland Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 19 Power Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 20 Reinstall Power Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 21 Power the Unit to ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Figure 22 Power the Unit to OFF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Figure 23 Connector Latch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Figure 24 Remove Plug from Receptacle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 25 Location of Ground Stud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 26 Proper Single Ground Screw Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 27 Power Source Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Figure 28 AI1422E Reader Mechanical Dimensions . . . . . . . . . 79

AI1422E Reader
TransCore Proprietary xiii
Figure 29 Install the Stand-alone DeviceInstaller. . . . . . . . . . . 82
Figure 30 Launch DeviceInstaller from the Start Menu . . . . . . . 82
Figure 31 Change IP Address and Submet Mask of NIC Card. . . . 83
Figure 32 Prompt if Computer has Multiple NIC cards . . . . . . . 83
Figure 33 NIC Card Options Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Figure 34 Check for Updates Prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Figure 35 Disable Firewall to Allow Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Figure 36 Lantronix DeviceInstaller Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Figure 37 Finding the IP address of a Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Figure 38 PuTTY Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Figure 39 PuTTY Connection Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

User Guide
TransCore Proprietaryxiv
List of Tables
Table 1 Data Mode Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Table 2 Asynchronous Interrogator Tag Data Message Fields . . . 27
Table 3 Status Request Message Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Table 4 Status Response Message Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Table 5 Retransmit Request Message Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Table 6 Retransmit Response Message Fields . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Table 7 Select Baud Rate Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Table 8 Select Stop Bits Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Table 9 Select Parity Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Table 10 Append Time and Date Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Table 11 Append Auxiliary Information Commands . . . . . . . . . 37
Table 12 Unique ID Code Criteria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Table 13 Select Valid Code Commands and Frames . . . . . . . . . 39
Table 14 Open/Closed Conditions for Output Status . . . . . . . . . 47
Table 15 Open/Closed Conditions for Output Status (IAG). . . . . . 47
Table 16 Open/Closed Conditions for Input Status . . . . . . . . . . 48
Table 17 Output Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Table 18 RF Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Table 19 RF Attenuation Command Variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Table 20 Select RF Operating Frequency Commands. . . . . . . . 59
Table 21 Output Pulse Duration Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Table 22 Presence Without Tag Report Commands. . . . . . . . . 63
Table 23 RF Control Algorithm Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Table 24 Timeout Period Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Table 25 Input Inversion Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Table 26 Input Status Change Report Options . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Table 27 Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Table 28 TransCore 6-Bit-Per-Character Conversion . . . . . . . . 76
Table 29 AI1422E Reader System Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . 78

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TransCore Proprietary xv
Table 30 AI1422E Default Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . 88
Table 31 Legacy Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Table 32 AI1422E Commands Listed Numerically . . . . . . . . . . 91
Table 33 AI1422E Commands Listed Alphabetically . . . . . . . . 102

1
System Overview

User Guide
TransCore Proprietary2
System Overview
The AI1422E Reader System is a microprocessor-controlled, single-antenna unit that
uses a unique communications protocol to interface with vehicle identification (ID)
equipment.
This reader system uses radio frequency (RF) energy to read data from tags. The AI1422E
Reader System then decodes the tag ID information, validates the ID code, and transmits
tag data directly to a host processor for real-time data processing and use.
Communications (terminal) programs usually do not provide adequate data processing
capability. Your host computer software can be customized to provide the required
capabilities.
The AI1422E Reader System consists of the AI1422E Reader, which consists of a reader and
RF module, combined with a TransCore antenna, a TransCore tag, a host processor system,
and a power source. Figure 1 illustrates a typical reader system configuration.
Power
Source
AI1422E
Host Processor
System
RS232
RS422
Ethernet
Antenna
TAG
Figure 1 Typical Reader System Configuration

AI1422E Reader
TransCore Proprietary 3
Transponder Interrogator
The transponder interrogator reads 60/120 bits of user-programmable data in the
transponder.
The transponder interrogator is operated in a continuous read mode, and any tag
entering its read field has its data automatically read and relayed to the host computer. In
many applications this function is implemented by installing the reader on a vehicle with
restricted movement, such as a railcar or monorail bus. The tags are embedded in the
roadway at various locations in the vehicle’s path. The data read from the tag allows the
host computer to assess the vehicle’s location and make any appropriate response to that
information.
The transponder interrogator is an independent tag decoder that combines a reader and
RF source to provide automatic identification and data storage within a single, compact
unit. The transponder interrogator includes the following components:
• 19-inch rack-mount design (1U)
• RS232/RS422/Ethernet input/output (I/O) link
• Real-time clock
• Reader and RF module, combined in one unit
Reader Power Regulation and Filtering
The reader system uses an input voltage ranging from 24VDC to 110VDC (12VDC to
150VDC Min/Max). The AI1422E Reader System incorporates a high-performance, DC-to-
DC power supply that converts voltage in this range to 24VDC. This voltage conversion is
internal to the unit, and should be transparent to the end-user.
Antenna
TransCore has multiple antennas for use with the AI1422E Reader, covering multiple
applications such as heavy rail, light rail, European regions, and more. Contact TransCore
for assistance with antenna selection.
Tags (Transponders)
The AI1422E Reader System can use TransCore’s half-frame or full-frame read-only tags.
When selecting a tag for an application that requires the tag to be placed on the road bed,
several design elements need to be kept in mind.
Beam-powered tags have a shorter footprint than battery or switch-powered tags, and thus
the maximum top speed of the vehicle will be less, all other factors equal.
Battery tags have an inherently larger footprint, but the battery life limitation will require the
operating company to replace the tags every 8 to 10 years. The presence of the battery
and its reactive mass reduces the reliability of the tag, particularly when the tag is placed
near high shock or vibration locations such as switches.
Switch-powered tags have RF characteristics similar to battery tags, and the tags are
powered by inductive power derived from railway switch power.

User Guide
TransCore Proprietary4
Tag Mounting
All tags used with the AI1422E must be mounted on a flat metal plate. The internal
antennas of these tags are tuned for the backplane of the tag to be in contact with a
flat metal surface. This metal surface does not need to be extended beyond the outer
dimensions of the tag, and having a larger metal surface will not aect the immediate
performance of the tag.
Metal located to the sides or above the tag can aect the tag’s performance. Metal
surfaces or objects should not be placed closer than 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the side edges
of the tag to ensure that the tag’s antenna tuning remains within design criteria. Metal
placed above the tag can cause shadowing of the RF beam, both in the incident and
return directions, and should be avoided. The only exception to this rule would be metal
placed for the purpose of aecting the read range of the tag or footprint of the system, and
the placement of such metal should be done with careful planning and testing to ensure
proper system performance. With battery-powered tags, the arrangement of intentional
metallic obstructions may be the best way to limit the broad footprint of these tags, as
well as improve the repeatability of the TLS signal with respect to its absolute position
relative to the tag. These tag mounting details would need to be made by the customer on
the basis of each customer’s overall system design and requirements. Keep in mind that
metal placed too close in proximity to the tag will aect the tag’s antenna tuning, and may
unintentionally aect principal design parameters such as VSWR or the impedance match
of single paths internal to the tag, to name a few examples.
Antenna-to-Tag CenterlineAlignment
For best performance, mount tags so that the centerline of the tags and the centerline of
the reader antennas are within ±2.9 inches (±7.5 cm) of each other (Figure 2).
Antenna-to-tag Distance
Many installations have been installed with a nominal 11.8-inch (30-cm) distance from the
backplane of the reader antenna to the back edge of the tag (Figure 2).
Figure 2 Antenna-to-Tag CenterlineTolerance

2
Interface Connections