TransCore AI1401 User manual

AI1401 Reader User Guide
TransCore, Inc.
19111 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Dallas, Texas 75287-3106
October 2004
P/N 411064-002

©2004 TC IP, Ltd. All rights reserved. TRANSCORE and AMTECH are registered trademarks of TC IP,
Ltd., and are used under license. All other trademarks listed are the property of their respective owners.
Contents are subject to change. Printed in the U.S.A.
Products covered by this document are protected by one or more of the following U.S. patents 4,739,328;
4,864,158; 4,999,636; and foreign equivalent patents. Other patents pending.
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]
For comments or questions about this document, e-mail [email protected].

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 radiate radio 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
2 Overview
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
System Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
System Components and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Robust Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Tag Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Appended Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Power-Saving Standby Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
3 AI1401 Reader Interface Capabilities
AI1401 Connectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
RS–232C Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Auxiliary Input/Output Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Power (PWR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Battery (BATT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Buffer (BUFF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Error (ERR). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Lock (LOCK) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Valid Tag (VAL/TAG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Ground (GND) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Trigger (TRIG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
RF Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

AI1401 Reader User Guide
viii
4 Firmware Command Groups and Parameters
Command Syntax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Command Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Command Group 1 — Communication Port Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4
Command Group 2 — Real-Time Clock Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
Command Group 3 — ID Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7
Command Group 6 — Interrogator Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-9
Command Group 7 — Buffer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-9
A AI1401 Character Conversion
TransCore Character Conversion Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
List of Figures
Figure 2-1 AI1401 Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Figure 2-2 Example of AI1401 Reader System Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Figure 2-3 ASCII RS–232C Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Figure 3-1 AI1401 Reader Connector Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Figure 3-2 RS–232C DB9 Connector Pin-out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Figure 3-3 I/O Interface DB9 Connector Pin-out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Figure 3-4 Portable Reader Power Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
List of Tables
Table 1-1 AI1401 Reader User Guide Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Table 1-2 Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Table 2-1 AI1401 Reader System Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Table B-1 ASCII to 6 Bits/Character Conversion Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

1
Before You Begin

1-3
Chapter 1
Before You Begin
The AI1401 Reader User Guide provides information necessary for
interfacing the AI1401 Reader with a portable reader system.
Purpose
This guide provides the information necessary for TransCore-certified personnel to
connect and operate the AI1401 Reader.
Intended Audience
This document is for those individuals interested in the AI1401 Reader, particularly
technical personnel of TransCore and its distributors, and for trained, authorized
customer and third-party systems integration personnel.
Guide Topics
Table 1-1 lists the information found in this user guide.
Table 1-1 AI1401 Reader User Guide Information
Chapter 1 – Before You
Begin
Describes the purpose, intended audience, guide topics, related
documentation, and document conventions.
Chapter 2 – AI1401
Reader Overview
Provides an overview of the AI1401 Reader’s features, options, and
accessories.
Chapter 3 – Interface
Capabilities
Outlines the AI1401 Reader connectors and identifies their primary functions.
Appendix A – Firmware
Command Codes and
Parameters
Discusses the firmware command codes and parameters that are used to
configure the AI1401 Reader for communication with a personal computer or
other host computer.
Appendix B – Character
Conversions
Provides TransCore six bits per character conversions from the standard
ASCII character set.

AI1401 Reader 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.

2
Overview

2-3
Chapter 2
Overview
This chapter provides an overview of the AI1401 Reader and the system
and technology it supports.
Introduction
The microprocessor-controlled, single output channel AI1401 Reader is an indepen-
dent unit that combines a reader and a radio frequency (RF) source. The reader pro-
vides RF identification (RFID) and data storage within a single, compact unit (Figure
2-1). Due to its size and battery-powered operation, the AI1401 Reader is an invalu-
able component of any portable reader system.
Figure 2-1 AI1401 Reader
When interfaced with the antenna and power source, the AI1401 Reader uses RF
energy to read data from an electronic tag (a field disturbance device). Tags can con-
tain a unique ID code and can be attached to a vehicle, mobile equipment, or shipping
and storage containers. The AI1401 Reader decodes tag ID information and validates
the ID code. Depending on whether you program the reader for buffering or real-time
data transfer, the reader either stores tag data for later processing by a host computer
or transmits the tag data directly to a host computer for real-time data processing and
storage.

AI1401 Reader User Guide
2-4
System Configuration
The AI1401 Reader is designed to interface with a range of user-supplied handheld
antennas and other equipment for portable applications. A typical portable reader sys-
tem consists of a tag that operates within the 915 MHz frequency band, an antenna/
actuator, a direct current (DC) power source, the AI1401 Reader, a host computer, and
communications hardware, for example, RF modems (Figure 2-2).
Figure 2-2 Example of AI1401 Reader System Configuration
The AI1401 Reader is designed to operate using a 13.2V rechargeable NiCad battery
or equivalent DC power source. The reader can store approximately 1,000 tag reads of
128 bits within its 32K buffer. This information may then be transferred to a host
computer. The system also supports real-time reader-to-host communication by
connecting an RF modem to the AI1401 Reader's ASCII RS–232C port (Figure 2-3)
or by connecting a PC, handheld, or other computer directly to the reader.
Figure 2-3 ASCII RS–232C Port

Overview
2-5
Note: The host computer requires software to interpret tag data and to process the
data for storage, retrieval, database manipulation, and records maintenance.Commu-
nications (terminal) programs usually do not provide the adequate data processing
capability. Software written specifically for the host computer can be customized to
provide the required capabilities.
System Components and Functions
Components of the AI1401 Reader include:
•Real-time clock
•RS–232C communications port
•Standard DB9 connector for auxiliary input/output (I/O)
•RF channel (915 MHz with SMA-type RF connector for handheld antenna)
•PC board power connector
•Power-saving standby mode
•Auxiliary I/O functions (trigger, battery light, lock, etc.)
•Maximum 40-millisecond startup option
When interfaced with the user's antenna and power source and depending upon how
the reader is programmed, the AI1401 Reader provides the following functions:
•Transmits carrier frequency to and receives modulated reflections from tags
within the RF field of the antenna unit.
•Decodes and validates the tag ID information.
•Stores the tag ID code and any appended information for later transmission to the
host computer system.
•Implements real-time reader-to-host communications. You must connect user-sup-
plied RF modems to the AI1401 Reader and remote host computer or connect a
handheld computer terminal to the AI1401 Reader.
Features
This section describes the features of the AI1401 Reader.
Robust Design
The AI1401 Reader is rugged. Surface-mount solid-state circuitry and strain-relief
supports on connectors allow the reader to resist damage from jarring and vibration,
typical conditions in portable applications.

AI1401 Reader User Guide
2-6
Memory
The reader's standard 32-Kbyte static random access memory (SRAM) memory holds
approximately 1,000 ID codes. Note that transmitting data to a host computer does not
erase it from the data buffer. A separate command is used to erase all contents of the
buffer, which then turns off the buffer signal.
Tag Compatibility
The AI1401 Reader reads all standard full-frame TransCore 915 MHz band tags,
including read-write tags that have an ATA frame, such as the IT2101 Tag.
Appended Information
Date and time information can be appended to tag ID data for transmission to the host
computer.
Power Supply
The AI1401 Reader uses a 13.2V rechargeable nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery (not
included) or equivalent DC power source.
Power-Saving Standby Mode
When not in active use, the AI1401 Reader turns off power to all circuitry except the
SRAM and real-time clock. Use of this standby mode extends battery life.
Specifications
Table 2-1 lists the specifications for the AI1401 Reader.
Table 2-1 AI1401 Reader System Specifications
Parameter Specification
Size 9.0 x 7.5 x 4.5 in
(22.9 x 19.1 x 11.4 cm)
Weight 6.0 lb (2.7 kg)
Operating temperature +32°F to +158°F(0°C to +70°C)
Power requirements +13.5V DC +1.0V DC at 1.3 amps
Power source 13.2V, 1.8A NiCad rechargeable battery
(optional) or equivalent DC power source
Available frequency range 902–928 MHz
Approved frequency range by
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) and Industry
Canada
902.25–903.75 MHz and
910.00–921.50 MHz

Overview
2-7
RF power 1.6W +0.2W at ambient temperature
Typical working rangeaBattery tag: 80 ft (24.4 m)
Beam tag: 25 ft (7.6 m)
Buffer size 32 Kbytes (battery backed)
Data buffer capacity 1,000 tag reads of 128 bits (with
appended data)
Communications port RS–232C
110 to 19,200 Baud
Other features Real-time calendar clock
Power-saving algorithm
40-ms startup option
a. Depends upon tag type and RF power permitted by FCC licensing requirements.
Table 2-1 AI1401 Reader System Specifications (continued)

AI1401 Reader User Guide
2-8