RF452 radio settings

Access RF452 radio settings, using ClosedDevice Configuration Utility Software tool used to set up data loggers and peripherals, and to configure PakBus settings before those devices are deployed in the field and/or added to networks. Also called DevConfig.. Clicking on a setting in Device Configuration Utility also provides information about that setting. These settings are available for RF452 data loggers.

RadioCarrier

Indicates whether or not a carrier is detected.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: RF452 > Carrier Detect

RadioDataRate

FreeWave transceivers have two settings for the Radio Data Rate:

  • High RF Data Rate (Setting 2): Should be used when the transceivers are close together and data throughput needs to be optimized. Setting 2 must also be used when the full throughput of 153.6 Kbps is necessary.
  • Normal RF Data Rate (Setting 3): Should be used when the transceivers are farther away and a solid data link is preferred over data throughput.

Note: The Radio Data Rate must be set identically in all transceivers. Any transceiver with an Radio Data Rate different from the gateway will not establish a link.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: RF452 > RF Data Rate

RadioDiag

Provides diagnostics data to be viewed at the gateway in parallel with application data. The diagnostic program MUST be run from the gateway transceiver. Diagnostics require the following:

  1. Select RadioRepeaters and set RadioDiagto (1 to 128) in the gateway.
  2. A second computer or serial connection to run the FreeWave Tool Suite software.
  3. A diagnostics cable.
  4. FreeWave Tool Suite software.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: RF452 > Diagnostics

RadioEnable

Global control for the internal radio module.

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: RF452 > RF452 Radio Enable

RadioFirmwareVer

Radio firmware version.

  • Long data type
  • Read only

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: RF452 > Radio Firmware Version

RadioFreqKey

The Frequency Key determines the frequency hopping sequence of the transceiver. There are 15 choices available (0–14) which represent 15 unique pseudo-random hop patterns. This setting allows you to minimize RF interference with other FreeWave transceivers operating in the same RF area.

NOTE:

The Frequency Key setting should be the same for all radios in the entire network. The exception to this is if the Repeater Frequency Key setting is used. If this is used, the repeater's Frequency Key would be different from the gateway radio, and downstream radios intended to connect to the repeater would have the same Frequency Key setting as the repeater.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: RF452 > Frequency Key

RadioFreqRepeat

This must be set when you want a repeater to use a Frequency Key other than that of the gateway. See Repeater Frequency Key for more information.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: RF452 > Repeater Frequency

RadioFreqZone

Divides the available band into smaller bands of 7 or 8 channels. A value of 1 enables the band.

  • Frequency Zone 1: 902.2464 to 903.8592 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 2: 904.0896 to 905.4720 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 3: 905.7024 to 907.0848 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 4: 907.3152 to 908.6976 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 5: 908.9280 to 910.3104 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 6: 910.5408 to 911.9232 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 7: 912.1536 to 913.5360 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 8: 913.7664 to 915.1488 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 9: 915.3792 to 916.7616 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 10: 916.9920 to 918.6048 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 11: 918.8352 to 920.2176 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 12: 920.4480 to 921.8304 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 13: 922.0608 to 923.4432 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 14: 923.6736 to 925.0560 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 15: 925.2864 to 926.6688 MHz
  • Frequency Zone 16: 926.8992 to 927.8208 MHz

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: RF452 > Frequency Zone (1-16)

RadioHopSize

Defines how many separate channels will be used by the network. Range is 50 to 112.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Hop Table Size

RadioHopVersion

This setting allows the user to choose the portion of the band in which the transceiver will operate.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Hop Table Version

RadioLowPwr

This setting allows an endpoint to consume less power. This is achieved primarily by dimming the transceiver LEDs. When set to 2 through 31, the transceiver will sleep between slots. For example, at a setting of 2, the transceiver sleeps 1 out of 2 slots; at a setting of 3, the transceiver sleeps 2 out of 3 slots, and so on.

See Low Power Mode for more information.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Low Power Mode

RadioMaxPacket

Determines the maximum number of bytes in the packets. Throughput can be enhanced when packet sizes are optimized.

For example, if small amounts of data is sent and large packet sizes are selected, there would be a certain amount of time "wasted" between each packet. The default settings for Max packet size, Min packet size and RF Data Rate are 8, 9, and Normal RF Data Rate, respectively. The Max Packet Size and Min Packet Size must be set identically in all transceivers.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Max Packet Size

RadioMinPacket

Determines the minimum number of bytes in the packets. Throughput can be enhanced when packet sizes are optimized.

For example, if small amounts of data is sent and large packet sizes are selected, there would be a certain amount of time "wasted" between each packet. The default settings for Max packet size, Min packet size and RF Data Rate are 8, 9, and Normal RF Data Rate, respectively. The Max Packet Size and Min Packet Size must be set identically in all transceivers.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Min Packet Size

RadioMMSync

This setting is reserved for applications with concentrations of gateway units where it is necessary to reduce interference between the gateways.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Multi-Gateway Sync

RadioModOS

Radio firmware version. This setting is available in dataloggers with integrated RF modules.

  • String data type
  • Read only

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > RF452 iBus Module OS

RadioModuleVer

Radio hardware version.

  • Long data type
  • Read only

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > FreeWave Radio Module Firmware Version

RadioNetID

All radios in a network need to have the same Network ID. The value must be between 0 and 4095 (excluding 255). The ID of 255 is reserved.

An endpoint will link with the first gateway or repeater it hears with a matching Network ID. Assigning a unique Network ID will reduce the chance a radio in your network links with another, unrelated network in the same RF area.

If necessary, the Network ID function can be used in conjunction with the SubNet ID feature. See Subnet ID for more information.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Network ID

RadioOpMode

The Radio Operation Mode option designates the method RF452 transceivers use to communicate with each other. RF452 transceivers operate in a gateway-to-endpoint configuration. Before the transceivers can operate together, they must be properly set up to communicate.

When setting up the transceiver, remember that a number of parameters are controlled by the settings in the gateway. Also, radio network diagnostics can only be accessed at the gateway radio. Therefore, it is recommended that you deploy the gateway on the communications end where it will be easier to access.

See Radio Operation Mode for more information.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Radio Operation Mode

RadioPacketRepeat

Endpoints do not acknowledge transmissions from the gateway. If endpoints in a large network did acknowledge all data transmissions, the gateway would soon become overwhelmed with acknowledgments from the endpoints. Without acknowledgments, there is not 100% confidence every endpoint has received every packet.

To address this issue, the user may modify the RadioPacketRepeat setting, assigning a value between 0 (the packet is transmitted once) to 9 (the packet is transmitted 10 times). For networks with solid RF links, this setting should be set to a low value such as 1 or 2. If a network has some weak or marginal links it should be set with higher values.

If an endpoint receives a good packet from a gateway more than once, it will discard the repeated packets. Similarly, once a repeater receives a good packet from the gateway, it will discard any further repeated packets. In turn, the repeater will send the packet out to the next repeater or endpoints the number of times corresponding to its own RadioPacketRepeat setting.

Increasing the RadioPacketRepeat setting increases the probability of a packet getting through, but it also increases latency in the network because each packet from the gateway or repeater is being sent multiple times. It is important to find the optimal mix between network robustness, throughput, and latency. In general, a setting of 2 to 3 will work well for most well designed networks.

GATEWAY PACKET REPEAT IN MULTIPOINT NETWORKS WITH REPEATERS: The RadioPacketRepeat setting must also be set in repeaters since a repeater will appear as a gateway to an endpoint. Therefore, the repeater will send the packet out the number of times corresponding to its own RadioPacketRepeat setting. If this setting is set improperly the reliability of the overall network may be diminished. For example, if a gateway's RadioPacketRepeat is set to 3, the link between the gateway and repeater should be robust. If the repeater's RadioPacketRepeat is set to 0, this could cause marginal communications between the repeater and the endpoints. The endpoints communicating through this repeater will only receive the initial packet from the gateway with no repeats. Therefore, if the packet is not received on the first try, the endpoint will not respond as expected.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Gateway Packet Repeat

RadioRepeaters

Set to true (-1) when there are repeaters in a network. See Repeater for more information.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Repeaters Used

RadioRetryOdds

While packets transmitted from the gateway to the endpoints in a network are not acknowledged, packets transmitted from endpoints to the gateway are acknowledged. It is possible that more than one endpoint will attempt to transmit to the gateway at the same time. Therefore, it is important that a protocol exists to resolve contention for the gateway between endpoints.

This is addressed through MaxEndpointRetry and RadioRetryOdds. Once the endpoint has unsuccessfully attempted to transmit the packet the number of times specified in MaxEndpointRetry, it will attempt to transmit to the gateway on a random basis. RadioRetryOdds determines the probability that the endpoint will attempt to retransmit the packet to the gateway; a low setting will assign low odds to the endpoint attempting to transmit. Conversely, a high setting will assign higher odds. For example, this setting might be used when considering two different endpoints in a network, one with a strong RF link, and the other with a weak RF link to the gateway. Assigning a higher RadioRetryOdds to the endpoint with the weaker link gives it a better chance of competing with the closer endpoint(s) for the gateway's attention. When RadioRetryOdds = 0, after the endpoint has exhausted the number of retries set in MaxEndpointRetry and still not gained the gateway’s attention, the endpoint’s data buffer will be purged, and no further attempts will be made.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Retry Odds

RadioRetryTimeout

Setting RadioRetryTimeout in an endpoint or repeater sets the delay the unit will wait before dropping the connection to a gateway or repeater. This setting is useful when a network has a roving gateway or endpoint(s). As the link gets weaker, a lower setting will allow a poor link to break in search of a stronger one.

The factory default is set at the maximum of 255. With a setting of 255, the gateway will allow an endpoint or repeater to stay connected as long as one packet in 255 is successfully received at the gateway. The minimum setting is 8. This allows an endpoint or repeater to drop a connection if less than one in eight consecutive packets is successfully received from the gateway.

Setting RadioRetryTimeout to 20 is recommended in areas where several FreeWave networks exist. This setting will allow endpoints and repeaters to drop the connection if the link becomes too weak, while at the same time preventing errant disconnects due to interference from neighboring networks.

  • Long data type
  • Read only

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Retry Timeout

RadioRxSubID

An endpoint or repeater will connect with the first repeater or gateway that it hears with the same Network ID. There are scenarios, however, where communications need to be forced to follow a specific path. For instance, the SubNet ID is particularly helpful to force two repeaters in the same network to operate in series rather than in parallel; or, to force endpoints to communicate to a specific repeater for load-balancing purposes.

See Subnet ID for more information.

  • Long data type
  • Read only

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Receive SubNet ID

RadioEndpointRepeat

The endpoint/repeater mode allows a transceiver in a network to switch between endpoint and repeater functions. When in this mode, a transceiver will repeat any packets sent across the network as well as utilize the wired port.

To operate a transceiver as an endpoint/repeater, the operation mode must be set to Repeater and endpoint/repeater set to Enable Endpoint/Repeater.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Endpoint/Repeater

RadioEndpointRetry

This setting defines how many times (0 to 9) the endpoint will attempt to retransmit a packet to the gateway before beginning to use a back-off algorithm (defined by the RadioRetryOdds setting). Endpoint retries will stop when an acknowledgment is received from the gateway.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Max Endpoint Retry

RadioTxPwr

This setting specifies the RF transmit power.

TIP:

Use a transmit power of 0 when bench testing to reduce RF exposure.

See Transmit Power for more information.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > RF Transmit Power

RadioTxRate

There are two options for the RadioRxRate, 0 and 1. For normal operation of the transceiver, RadioRxRate = 1.

  • Long data type

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Xmit Rate

RadioTxSubID

An endpoint or repeater will connect with the first repeater or gateway that it hears with the same Network ID. There are scenarios, however, where communications need to be forced to follow a specific path. For instance, the SubNet ID is particularly helpful to force two repeaters in the same network to operate in series rather than in parallel; or, to force endpoints to communicate to a specific repeater for load-balancing purposes.

See Subnet ID for more information.

Where to find:

  • Settings Editor tab in Device Configuration Utility: Radio > Transmit SubNet ID