Weidmuller WI-MOD-E-100 User manual

Weidmuller, Inc., Richmond, VA 23236
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Web: www.weidmuller.com
User Manual
WI-MOD-E-100 &
WI-MOD-E-300
Ethernet Modems

WI-MOD-E-100 & WI-MOD-E-300 Wireless Ethernet User Manual
WI-MOD-E Manual v1.10 Page 2
Thank you for your selection of the WI-MOD-E-100 and/or WI-MOD-E-300 Wireless
Ethernet Modem. We trust it will give you many years of valuable service.
ATTENTION!
Incorrect termination of supply wires may
cause internal damage and will void warranty.
To ensure your WI-MOD-E enjoys a long life,
double check ALL your connections with
the user’s manual
before turning the power on.
Caution!
For continued protection against risk of fire, replace the internal module fuse only with the same type
and rating.
CAUTION:
Antennas used with this device must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 20 cm
from all persons to satisfy RF exposure compliance.
DO NOT:
operate the transmitter when someone is within 20 cm of the antenna
operate the transmitter unless all RF connectors are secure and any open connectors are properly
terminated.
operate the equipment near electrical blasting caps or in an explosive atmosphere
All equipment must be properly grounded for safe operations. All equipment should be serviced only
by a qualified technician.

Page 3 February 2010
Important Notice
Weidmuller, Inc. products are designed to be used in industrial environments, by experienced industrial engineering personnel with
adequate knowledge of safety design considerations.
Weidmuller, Inc. radio products are used on unprotected license-free radio bands with radio noise and
interference. The products are designed to operate in the presence of noise and interference, however
in an extreme case, radio noise and interference could cause product operation delays or operation
failure. Like all industrial electronic products, Weidmuller, Inc. products can fail in a variety of
modes due to misuse, age, or malfunction. We recommend that users and designers design systems
using design techniques intended to prevent personal injury or damage during product operation, and
provide failure tolerant systems to prevent personal injury or damage in the event of product failure.
Designers must warn users of the equipment or systems if adequate protection against failure has not
been included in the system design. Designers must include this Important Notice in operating
procedures and system manuals.
These products should not be used in non-industrial applications, or life-support systems, without
consulting Weidmuller, Inc. first.
1. A radio license is not required in some countries, provided the module is installed using the
aerial and equipment configuration described in the WI-MOD-E Installation Guide. Check
with your local distributor for further information on regulations.
2. Operation is authorized by the radio frequency regulatory authority in your country on a non-
protection basis. Although all care is taken in the design of these units, there is no
responsibility taken for sources of external interference. Systems should be designed to be
tolerant of these operational delays.
3. To avoid the risk of electrocution, the aerial, aerial cable, serial cables and all terminals of the
WI-MOD-E module should be electrically protected. To provide maximum surge and
lightning protection, the module should be connected to a suitable earth and the aerial, aerial
cable, serial cables and the module should be installed as recommended in the Installation
Guide.
4. To avoid accidents during maintenance or adjustment of remotely controlled equipment, all
equipment should be first disconnected from the WI-MOD-E module during these
adjustments. Equipment should carry clear markings to indicate remote or automatic
operation. E.g. "This equipment is remotely controlled and may start without warning. Isolate
at the switchboard before attempting adjustments."
5. The WI-MOD-E module is not suitable for use in explosive environments without additional
protection.

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WI-MOD-E Manual v1.10 Page 4
Limited Lifetime Warranty, Disclaimer and Limitation of Remedies
Weidmuller, Inc. products are warranted to be free from manufacturing defects for the “serviceable
lifetime” of the product. The “serviceable lifetime” is limited to the availability of electronic
components. If the serviceable life is reached in less than three years following the original purchase
from Weidmuller, Inc., Weidmuller, Inc. will replace the product with an equivalent product if an
equivalent product is available.
This warranty does not extend to:
- Failures caused by the operation of the equipment outside the particular product's specification,
or
- Use of the module not in accordance with this User Manual, or
- Abuse, misuse, neglect or damage by external causes, or
-Repairs, alterations, or modifications undertaken other than by an authorized Service Agent.
Weidmuller, Inc.’s liability under this warranty is limited to the replacement or repair of the product.
This warranty is in lieu of and exclusive of all other warranties. This warranty does not indemnify the
purchaser of products for any consequential claim for damages or loss of operations or profits and
Weidmuller, Inc. is not liable for any consequential damages or loss of operations or profits resulting
from the use of these products. Weidmuller, Inc. is not liable for damages, losses, costs, injury or harm
incurred as a consequence of any representations, warranties or conditions made by Weidmuller, Inc. or
its representatives or by any other party, except as expressed solely in this document.

Page 5 February 2010
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 7
1.1 NETWORK TOPOLOGY.....................................................................................................7
1.2 GETTING STARTED QUICKLY ........................................................................................10
CHAPTER TWO INSTALLATION ............................................................................. 11
2.1 GENERAL ......................................................................................................................11
2.2 ANTENNA INSTALLATION..............................................................................................11
2.2.1 Dipole and Collinear antennas................................................................................. 13
2.2.2 Directional antennas. ...............................................................................................14
2.3 POWER SUPPLY.............................................................................................................15
2.4 SERIAL CONNECTIONS ..................................................................................................15
2.4.1 RS232 Serial Port ................................................................................................15
2.4.2 RS485 Serial Port ................................................................................................16
2.5 DISCRETE (DIGITAL)INPUT/OUTPUT.............................................................................18
CHAPTER THREE OPERATION............................................................................. 19
3.1 START-UP......................................................................................................................19
3.2 SELECTING A CHANNEL ................................................................................................21
3.3 DEFAULT CONFIGURATION ...........................................................................................22
3.4 CONFIGURING THE UNIT FOR THE FIRST TIME ...............................................................22
3.4.1 Set PC to same network as WI-MOD-E ..................................................................22
3.4.2 Set WI-MOD-E to same network as PC ..................................................................25
3.5 NETWORK CONFIGURATION ..........................................................................................27
3.6 ETHERNET DATA...........................................................................................................29
3.7 NORMAL OPERATION ....................................................................................................30
3.8 RADIO CONFIGURATION................................................................................................ 31
3.9 SPANNING TREE ALGORITHM /REDUNDANCY .............................................................. 33
3.10 MULTIPLE AP REPEATER MESH NETWORK................................................................... 34
3.11 ROUTING RULES ...........................................................................................................42
3.12 WIRELESS MESSAGE FILTERING....................................................................................44
3.13 SERIAL PORT CONFIGURATION......................................................................................46
3.13.1 RS-232 PPP Server..............................................................................................46
3.13.2 Serial Gateway..................................................................................................... 51
3.13.3 ModBus TCP to RTU Gateway........................................................................... 53
3.14 DIGITAL INPUT/OUTPUT................................................................................................54
3.15 MODBUS I/O TRANSFER ...............................................................................................54
3.16 MODULE INFORMATION CONFIGURATION .....................................................................59
3.17 REMOTE CONFIGURATION............................................................................................. 63
3.18 CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES ......................................................................................... 64

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CHAPTER FOUR DIAGNOSTICS.................................................................................. 68
4.1 DIAGNOSTICS CHART....................................................................................................68
4.2 DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION AVAILABLE .......................................................................69
4.2.1 Connectivity.........................................................................................................69
4.2.2 Monitor Communications.................................................................................... 70
4.2.3 Statistics............................................................................................................... 71
4.2.4 Network Traffic Analysis.....................................................................................71
4.3 TESTING RADIO PATHS .................................................................................................71
4.4 UTILITIES ......................................................................................................................72
4.4.1 PING ........................................................................................................................ 72
4.4.2 IPCONFIG ............................................................................................................... 74
4.4.4 ROUTE....................................................................................................................75
CHAPTER FIVE SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................... 77
APPENDIX A FIRMWARE UPGRADE ......................................................................... 79
APPENDIX B GLOSSARY ............................................................................................... 85

Page 7 February 2010
Chapter One INTRODUCTION
The WI-MOD-E Industrial Wi-Fi Wireless Ethernet module provides wireless connections between
Ethernet devices or Ethernet wired networks (LAN’s). It complies with the IEEE 802.11b standard.
The WI-MOD-E has an internal 2.4GHz direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) wireless
transceiver, which can be used without a radio license in most countries. Users can select one of 11
5MHz wide channels, with the first channel centered at 2.412 GHz.
Note that regulations in North America and part of Europe permit all 11 channels to be
used in these countries. Please check with your Weidmuller, Inc. representative for the
permitted channel usage in your country.
The WI-MOD-E unit also provides two serial connections as well as the Ethernet connections. It is
possible to use all three data connections concurrently, allowing the WI-MOD-E to act as a Device
Server. Wireless connections can be made between serial devices and Ethernet devices, however
appropriate driver applications are required in the host devices to handle the different data format.
The WI-MOD-E does provide connection functionality between serial “ModBus RTU” devices and
Ethernet “ModBus TCP” devices.
The WI-MOD-E is available in two models with different RF power:
WI-MOD-E-100 100mW of RF power
WI-MOD-E-300 300mW of RF power
Note that European regulations do not permit more than 100mW of RF power to be used.
In USA, Canada and Australia, up to 1W of RF power may be generated. In other
countries, please check with your Weidmuller, Inc. representative.
The WI-MOD-E has a standard RJ45 Ethernet connection which will operate at up to 100Mbit/sec.
The module will transmit the Ethernet messages on the wireless band at rates between 1 and 11
Mbit/sec.
1.1 Network Topology
The WI-MOD-E is an Ethernet device, and must be configured as part of an Ethernet network. Each
WI-MOD-E must be configured as:
an “Access Point” or a “Client”, and
a “Bridge” or a “Router”.
You can also connect to the WI-MOD-E via a RS232 or RS485 serial port using serial server or PPP
(point-to-point) protocol. PPP allows the WI-MOD-E to connect serial communications into the
Ethernet network.

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Access Point vs Client
The Access Point unit acts as the “wireless master”
unit. The Access Point sets up the wireless links
to the Client units, and controls the wireless
communications. The first diagram shows two
Ethernet devices being linked. One WI-MOD-E is
configured as an Access Point and one as a Client
- in this example it doesn’t mater which unit is the
Access Point.
The second diagram shows an existing LAN being
extended using WI-MOD-E’s. In this example, the
Access Point should be configured at the LAN end
- although the wireless link will still work if the
Client is at the LAN end.
An Access Point can connect to multiple Clients.
In this case, the Access Point should be the
“central” unit.
An Access Point could be used as a “Repeater” unit to connect two WI-MOD-E Clients which do not
have direct reliable radio paths.
Multiple Access Points can be set-up in a “mesh” network to provide multiple repeaters.

Page 9 February 2010
Bridge vs Router
Each WI-MOD-E is configured with an IP address for the Ethernet side, and another for the wireless
side.
A Bridge connects devices within the same Ethernet network - for example, extending an existing
Ethernet LAN. For a Bridge, the IP address for the wireless side is the same as the Ethernet side.
A Router connects devices on different LAN’s. The IP addresses for the Ethernet and wireless sides
are different.
In the above example, the wireless link is part of LAN A, with the Client unit acting as a Router
between LAN A and LAN B. Alternately, the Access Point could be configured as a Router - the
wireless link is then part of LAN B.
If more than two routers are required within the same radio network, then routing rules may need to
be configured (refer section “3.11 Routing Rules” for further details). There is no limit to the number
of Bridges in the same network - although there is a limit of 128 Client units linked to any one Access
Point.

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1.2 Getting Started Quickly
Most applications for the WI-MOD-E require little configuration. The WI-MOD-E has many
sophisticated features, however if you don’t require these features, this section will allow you to
configure the units quickly.
First, read Section 2, “Installation”. The WI-MOD-E requires an antenna and a power supply.
Power the WI-MOD-E and make an Ethernet connection to your PC (for further information on
how to do this, refer to section 3.4)
Set the WI-MOD-E address settings as per section 3.4
Save the configuration - the WI-MOD-E is now ready to use.
Before installing the WI-MOD-E, bench test the system. It is a lot easier to locate problems when the
equipment is all together.
There are other configuration settings which may or may not improve the operation of the system.
For details on these settings, refer to section 3.

Page 11 February 2010
Chapter Two INSTALLATION
2.1 General
The WI-MOD-E module is housed in a rugged aluminium case, suitable for DIN-rail mounting.
Terminals will accept wires up to 2.5 sqmm (12 gauge) in size. Module is mounted using the
spring loaded DIN Rail mounts located on the back of the module. To mount, clip the top of the
DIN Rail clip on to the DIN rail and then press the module back firmly until it clicks into place.
To release firmly pull the bottom of the module toward you.
All connections to the module must be SELV. Normal 110-250V mains supply should not
be connected to any terminal of the WI-MOD-E module. Refer to Section 2.3 Power
Supply.
Before installing a new system, it is preferable to bench test the complete system. Configuration
problems are easier to recognize when the system units are adjacent. Following installation, the
most common problem is poor communications caused by incorrectly installed antennas, or radio
interference on the same channel, or the radio path being inadequate. If the radio path is a
problem (i.e. path too long, or obstructions in the way), then higher performance antennas or a
higher mounting point for the antenna may rectify the problem. Alternately, use an intermediate
WI-MOD-E Module as a repeater.
The foldout sheet WI-MOD-E Installation Guide provides an installation drawing appropriate to
most applications. Further information is detailed below.
Each WI-MOD-E module should be effectively earthed via the "GND" terminal on the WI-
MOD-E module - this is to ensure that the surge protection circuits inside the WI-MOD-E
module are effective.
2.2 Antenna Installation
The WI-MOD-E module will operate reliably over large distances. The distance which may be
reliably achieved will vary with each application - depending on the type and location of
antennas, the degree of radio interference, and obstructions (such as buildings or trees) to the
radio path.
The maximum range achievable depends on the regulated RF power permitted in your country,
and whether you use separate transmit and receive antennas. With a single antenna, 5 km (3
miles) can be achieved in USA, Canada and Australia (4W ERP) and 1km in Europe (100mW
ERP). With separate transmit and receive antennas, more than 10km (6 miles) can be achieved
in USA, Canada and Australia and more than 5 km in Europe.
To achieve the maximum transmission distance, the antennas should be raised above
intermediate obstructions so the radio path is true “line of sight”. The modules will operate
reliably with some obstruction of the radio path, although the reliable distance will be reduced.
Obstructions which are close to either antenna will have more of a blocking affect than
obstructions in the middle of the radio path. The WI-MOD-E modules provide a diagnostic
feature which displays the radio signal strength of transmissions (refer Diagnostics section).
Line-of-sight paths are only necessary to obtain the maximum range. Obstructions will reduce
the range, however may not prevent a reliable path. A larger amount of obstruction can be

WI-MOD-E-100 & WI-MOD-E-300 Wireless Ethernet User Manual
WI-MOD-E Manual v1.10 Page 12
tolerated for shorter distances. For short distances, it is possible to mount the antennas inside
buildings. An obstructed path requires testing to determine if the path will be reliable - refer the
section 6 of this manual.
Where it is not possible to achieve reliable communications between two WI-MOD-E modules,
then a third WI-MOD-E module may be used to receive the message and re-transmit it. This
module is referred to as a repeater. This module may also have a host device connected to it.
The WI-MOD-E unit has two antenna connections at the top of the module, allowing two
antennas to be fitted to the unit. The left connector (looking at the front) labeled “RX” is
connected only to the internal wireless receiver. The right connector labeled TX/RX is connected
to both the transmitter and receiver.
Note: when only one antenna is used, it must be connected to the right TX/RX connector.
Plant and factory installations
Most installations in industrial plants and factories use a single omni-directional antenna.
Installations can suffer from “multi-path fading” effects where multiple reflected radio signals
adversely affect the signal strength. This can be checked by moving the antenna a short distance
(10 cm or 4 inches) - if the signal increases significantly then there are multi-path effects.
In a “static” installation, where the radio path is not changing, moving an antenna to the position
of maximum signal solves this problem. However where the radio path changes because the WI-
MOD-E is mounted on moving equipment, or if there is moving equipment in the area, then the
solution is to use two antennas. Because the two connectors are separated, the RF signal at each
connector will be different in the presence of multi-path fading. The WI-MOD-E unit will
automatically select the higher RF signal.
Note that directional antennas are not normally used in plant and factory installations.
Line-of-sight installations
In longer line-of-sight installations, the range may be increased by using a high gain antenna on
the TX/RX connector. However the gain should not cause the effective radiated power (ERP) to
exceed the permitted value. A second higher gain antenna can be connected to the RX connector
without affecting ERP - this will increase the operating range provided the background noise in
the area is low.
Antennas
Antennas can be either connected directly to the module connectors or connected via 50 ohm
coaxial cable (e.g. RG58 Cellfoil or RG213) terminated with a male SMA coaxial connector. The
higher the antenna is mounted, the greater the transmission range will be, however as the length
of coaxial cable increases so do cable losses.
The net gain of an antenna/cable configuration is the gain of the antenna (in dBi) less the loss in
the coaxial cable (in dB). The maximum net gain of the antenna/cable configuration connected
to the TX/RX connector is 0dB in Europe (100mW ERP). In USA, Canada and Australia (4W
ERP), the maximum gain is 12dB for the WI-MOD-E -300 or 16dB for the WI-MOD-E -100.
There is no gain restriction for antennas connected to the RX connector.

Page 13 February 2010
The gains and losses of typical antennas are
Antenna Gain (dBi)
Dipole 2
Collinear 5 or 8
Directional 10 - 28
Cable type Loss (dB per 10 m / 30 ft)
RG58 Cellfoil -6
RG213 -5
LDF4-50 -1.5
The net gain of the antenna/cable configuration is determined by adding the antenna gain and the
cable loss. For example, a 5dBi antenna with 10 meters of Cellfoil has a net gain of -1 dB (5dB
– 6dB).
Installation tips
Connections between the antenna and coaxial cable should be carefully taped to prevent ingress
of moisture. Moisture ingress in the coaxial cable is a common cause for problems with radio
systems, as it greatly increases the radio losses. We recommend that the connection be taped,
firstly with a layer of PVC Tape, then with a vulcanizing tape such as “3M 23 tape”, and finally
with another layer of PVC UV Stabilized insulating tape. The first layer of tape allows the joint
to be easily inspected when trouble shooting as the vulcanizing seal can be easily removed.
Where antennas are mounted on elevated masts, the masts should be effectively earthed to avoid
lightning surges. For high lightning risk areas, surge suppression devices between the module
and the antenna are recommended. If the antenna is not already shielded from lightning strike by
an adjacent earthed structure, a lightning rod may be installed above the antenna to provide
shielding.
2.2.1 Dipole and Collinear antennas
A dipole or collinear antenna transmits the same amount of radio power in all directions - as
such that are easy to install and use. The dipole antenna with integral 5 meters (15 feet) cable
does not require any additional coaxial cable; however a cable must be used with the collinear
antennas.
Collinear and dipole antennas should be mounted vertically, preferably 30 cm (1 foot) away from
a wall or mast to obtain maximum range.

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2.2.2 Directional antennas.
Directional antennas can be;
a Yagi antenna with a main beam and orthogonal elements, or
a directional radome, which is cylindrical in shape, or
a parabolic antenna.
A directional antenna provides high gain in the forward direction, but
lower gain in other directions. This may be used to compensate for coaxial
cable loss for installations with marginal radio path.
Yagi antennas should be installed with the main beam horizontal, pointing
in the forward direction. If the Yagi is transmitting to a vertically mounted
omni-directional antenna, then the Yagi elements should be vertical. If the
Yagi is transmitting to another Yagi, then the elements at each end of the
wireless link need to in the same plane (horizontal or vertical).
Directional radomes should be installed with the central beam horizontal
and must be pointed exactly in the direction of transmission to benefit
from the gain of the antenna. Parabolic antennas should be mounted as per
the manufacturer’s instructions, with the parabolic grid at the “back” and
the radiating element pointing in the direction of the transmission.
Ensure that the antenna mounting bracket is well connected to
“ground/earth”.
30 cm minimum
COLINEAR
ANTENNA
MAST
EARTH STAKE
IF GROUND
CONDITIONS ARE
POOR, INSTALL
MORE THAN ONE
STAKE
INSTALL AERIAL ABOVE
LOCAL OBSTRUCTIONS
TX/RX
WI-MOD-E
SURGE
ARRESTOR
(OPTIONAL)
COAXIAL CABLE
WEATHE RPROOF
CONNECTORS WITH
“3M 23” TAPE
STRESS RELIEF
LOOP
PROVIDE GOOD
GROUND
CONNECTION TO
MAST, MODULE
AND SURGE
ARRESTOR
GND

Page 15 February 2010
2.3 Power Supply
The WI-MOD-E module can be powered from a 9 - 30VDC power supply. The power supply
should be rated at 1 Amp. The positive side of the supply must not be connected to earth. The
supply negative is connected to the unit case internally. The DC supply may be a floating supply
or negatively grounded.
The power requirements of the WI-
MOD-E unit is 240mA @ 12V or
150mA @ 24VDC. This is inclusive
of radio and Ethernet ports active, &
serial port plugged in. Transmission
current is nominally 350mA at 12V
(200mA at 24V) for the 100mW RF
unit, and 500mA at 12V (350mA at
24V) for the 300mW RF unit.
A Ground Terminal is provided on the back of the module. This Terminal should be connected to
the Main Ground point of the installation in order to provide efficient surge protection for the
module (refer to the Installation Diagram)
2.4 Serial Connections
2.4.1 RS232 Serial Port
The serial port is a 9 pin DB9 female and provides for connection to a host device as well as a
PC terminal for configuration, field testing and for factory testing. Communication is via
standard RS232 signals. The WI-MOD-E is configured as DCE equipment with the pinouts
detailed below.
Hardware handshaking using the CTS/RTS lines is provided. The CTS/RTS lines may be used to
reflect the status of the local unit’s input buffer. The WI-MOD-E does not support XON/XOFF.
Example cable drawings for connection to a DTE host (a PC) or another DCE hosts (or modem) are
detailed above.
+
_
B
A
-
+
COM
DIO
WI-MOD-E
9 - 30
VDC
RS485
SUPPLY
WI-MOD-E
DB9
MALE
DTE HOST
DB9
FEMALE
WI-MOD-E
DB9
MALE
DCE HOST
DB9
MALE

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DB9 Connector Pinouts
Pin Name Direction Function
1 DCD Out Data carrier detect –
2 RD Out Transmit Data – Serial Data Output
3 TD In Receive Data – Serial Data Input
4 DTR In Data Terminal Ready -
5 SG Signal Ground
6 DSR Out Data Set Ready - always high when unit is powered on.
7 RTS In Request to Send -
8 CTS Out Clear to send -
9 RI Ring indicator -
2.4.2 RS485 Serial Port
The RS485 port provides for communication between the WI-MOD-E unit and its host device
using a multi-drop cable. Up to 32 devices may be connected in each multi-drop network.
As the RS485 communication medium is shared, only one of the units on the RS485 cable may
send data at any one time. Thus communication protocols based on the RS-485 standard require
some type of arbitration.
RS485 is a balanced, differential standard but it is recommended that shielded, twisted pair cable
be used to interconnect modules to reduce potential RFI. It is important to maintain the polarity
of the two RS485 wires. An RS485 network should be wired as indicated in the diagram below
and terminated at each end of the network with a 120 ohm resistor. On-board 120 ohm resistors
are provided and may be engaged by operating the single DIP switch in the end plate next to the
RS485 terminals. The DIP switch should be in the “1” or “on” position to connect the resistor. If
the module is not at one end of the RS485 cable, the switch should be off.

Page 17 February 2010
HOST WI-MOD-E HOST
RS485 CONNECTIONS
120
Ω
RS485
SUPPLY
RS232
DIP SWITCH
FOR 120Ω
120
Ω
HOST HOST
WI-MOD-E
+
-
+
-
+
-
RS485 CONNECTION USING TERMINATING RESISTOR
ETHERNET
DIO
DEFAULTS DIP SWITCH

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WI-MOD-E Manual v1.10 Page 18
2.5 Discrete (Digital) Input/Output
The WI-MOD-E has one on-board discrete/digital I/O channel. This channel can act as either a
discrete input or discrete output. It can be monitored, or set remotely, or alternatively used to
output a communications alarm status.
If used as an “input”, the I/O channel is suitable for voltage free contacts (such as mechanical
switches) or NPN transistor devices (such as electronic proximity switches). PNP transistor
devices are not suitable. Contact wetting current of approximately 5mA is provided to maintain
reliable operation of driving relays.
The digital input is connected between the "DIO" terminal and common "COM". The I/O circuit
includes a LED indicator which is lit when the digital input is active, that is, when the input
circuit is closed. Provided the resistance of the switching device is less than 200 ohms, the
device will be able to activate the digital input.
The I/O channel may also be used as a discrete output. The digital outputs are transistor switched
DC signals, FET output to common rated at 30VDC @500 mA.
The output circuit is connected to the "DIO" terminal. The digital output circuit includes a LED
indicator which is lit when the digital output is active.
DIO
GND Wi-MOD-E
Voltage-free
contact input
V
+
V
-
_
+
DC
Load
Max 30VDC
0.5A
DIO
GND WI-MOD-E

Page 19 February 2010
Chapter Three OPERATION
3.1 Start-up
“Access Point” Start-up
An Access Point (AP) unit starts and immediately begins transmitting periodic messages, called
beacons, on the configured channel. Beacons include capability information that a Client may
examine in order to identify if the Access Point is suitable for link establishment. Clients will only
attempt to establish a link with an Access Point whose beacon indicates a matching SSID. Access
Points do not initiate link establishment.
“Client” Start-up
When a Client powers up, it scans for beacons from Access Points. While a link is not established,
the Client cyclically scans all available channels for a suitable Access Point. The Client will attempt
to establish a link with an Access Point only if it has matching SSID and other compatible
capabilities as indicated by the beacon. If more than one suitable Access Point is discovered, the
client will attempt to establish a link with the Access Point that has the strongest radio signal.
Link Establishment
Once a Client identifies a suitable Access Point for link establishment it attempts to establish a link
using a two step process – “Authentication” and “Association”. During Authentication the Client
and Access Point check if their configurations permit them to establish a link. Once the Client has
been authenticated, it will then request an Association to establish a link.
Status of the wireless link is indicated via the Link LED. For an Access Point, the Link LED will be
OFF while no links have been established. Once one or more links have been established, the Link
LED is ON. For a Client, the Link LED will reflect the connection status to an Access Point. Link
status is also displayed on the “Connectivity” page of the web interface.
After the link is established, data may be transferred in both directions. The Access Point will act as
a master-unit and will control the flow of data to the Clients linked to it. Clients can only transmit
data to the AP to which they are connected. When a Client transfers data to another Client, it first
transmits the data to the AP which then forwards the data to the destined Client.
Presence of a “link” does not mean that the connected unit is authorized to communicate over radio.
If the encryption keys are incorrect between units in the same system, or a dissimilar encryption
scheme is configured, the LINK led will light, however data may not be passed over the wireless
network.
A maximum of 255 Clients may be linked to an Access Point.
How a Link connection is lost
The Access Point refreshes the link status with a Client every time a message is received from that
Client. If nothing is received from a Client for a period of 120 seconds, the Access Point sends a
“link-check” message. If there is no response to the link-check a De-authenticate message is sent
and the link is dropped.
A Client monitors beacons from an Access Point to determine whether the link is still present. If the
Client can no longer receive beacons from the AP, the AP is considered to be out-of-range and the

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WI-MOD-E Manual v1.10 Page 20
link is dropped. Whenever a Client is not connected to an AP, it will cyclically scan all available
channels for a suitable AP.
Roaming
Clients may also roam between Access Points. If a Client receives a beacon from an AP with a
stronger signal than the current AP (providing SSID is the same and capability information are
compatible), it may disconnect from the first AP and establish a link with the second AP. This
functionality permits a client to have mobility whilst maintaining a link with the most suitable AP.
LED Indication
The following table details the status of the indicating LEDs on the front panel under normal
operating conditions.
LED Indicator Condition Meaning
OK GREEN Normal Operation
OK RED Supply voltage too low.
Radio RX GREEN flash Radio receiving data
Radio RX RED flash Weak radio signal
Radio TX Flash Radio Transmitting
Radio LINK On On when a radio communications link is
established
Radio LINK Off Communications failure or radio link not
established
Radio LINK GREEN flash
RED flash
Serial Port Receiving
CTS low
LAN ON Link Established on Ethernet port
LAN Flash Activity on Ethernet port.
Serial GREEN flash Rs232 Serial Port Activity
Serial RED flash Rs485 Serial Port Activity
DIO On Digital Output ON or Input is grounded.
DIO Off Digital Output OFF and Input is open circuit.
The Ethernet RJ45 port incorporates two indication LEDs. The LINK LED comes on when there is
a connection on the Ethernet port, and will blink off briefly when activity is detected on the Ethernet
Port. The 100MB LED indicates that the connection is at 100 MBit/Sec. The 100MB LED will be
off for 10MB/Sec connection.
Other conditions indicating a fault are described in Chapter Six Troubleshooting.