Transmitter And Receiver Placement - Avocent Emerge MPX Installer/User Manual

Transmitter and Receiver Placement

To find acceptable locations for your extenders:
1. Turn off all MPX extenders.
2. Turn off your source and display devices.
3. Place the transmitters and receivers in their desired locations without firmly mounting
the units.
4. Turn on the MPX extenders and raise antennas to their upright positions. Allow the units to
initialize and bind.
5. Using the receiver signal strength indicator for guidance, position the units and antennas as
needed to obtain optimal signal strength. If possible, seek to obtain three or more signal
strength LEDs on the front of the receiver. Also, if possible, seek to obtain an average frame
rate of 28 or greater on all receivers.
NOTE: Radio signals propagate outward from an omni-directional antenna in a disk-like perpendicular manner. A
vertical antenna results in horizontal signal propagation. For this reason, it is best to start with transmitter and
receiver antennas that are similarly oriented and aligned on the same horizontal or vertical plane. Vertical
antennas result in horizontal emission. High gain antenna produce a narrowed yet stronger beam of radio waves
than low gain antennas. Thus, it is more critical to position transmitters and receivers on the same plane when
using high gain antennas.
NOTE: If transient obstructions, such as people, boxes or vehicles are anticipated during normal operation, then
simulate these factors as best you can to observe their effect upon signal strength under real-world conditions.
If necessary, signal strength may be optimized as follows:
a. Increase your transmitter power: See Table 4.3 on page 47 for more information.
b. Use specialized directional or high gain antennas: See Antenna Options on page 67 for
more information.
c. Use antenna extension cables to raise antennas above obstructions or pass antennas
through walls. Although extension cables allow for optimal antenna placement, they will
attenuate signal strength. Thus, they should only be used when necessary and kept to a
minimum length. Proper placement of your receiver, if possible, is preferable to use of
extension cables. Never connect extension cables together as a means of extending
antenna placement. Thus will result in excessive signal loss. See Antenna Options on
page 67 for specific options and installation instructions.
d. Reposition your extenders: See Radio Considerations on page 66 for
additional information. A slight movement of several inches may result in a noticeable
increase of signal strength.
e. Depending upon your environment, it might be advantageous to orient the antennas on
your transmitters and receivers such that one antenna on each unit is upward in a 12
O'clock position and the other antenna is perpendicular to it, in a 3 or 9 O'clock position.
The vertical antenna will radiate on a horizontal plane and the horizontal antenna will
Chapter 3: Installation 39