MDS iNET 900 User Manual
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MDS iNET 900 User Manual

Wireless ip/ethernet transceiver
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MDS
NET 900
™
i
Wireless IP/Ethernet Transceiver
MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A
MARCH 2002

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Summary of Contents for MDS iNET 900

  • Page 1 NET 900 ™ Wireless IP/Ethernet Transceiver MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MARCH 2002...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents PRODUCT OVERVIEW & APPLICATIONS 1.1 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION....................3 1.1.1 Model Offerings .......................... 4 1.2 APPLICATIONS ........................5 1.2.1 Wireless LAN ..........................5 1.2.2 Point-to-Point LAN Extension ..................... 6 1.2.3 Backhaul for Serial Radio Networks ................... 6 1.2.4 Multiple Protocols and/or Services ..................... 7 1.2.5 Wireless LAN with Extended Range ...................
  • Page 4 2.5.1 Overview ........................... 31 2.5.2 Serial Gateway (Port) Configuration Menu ................32 2.5.3 IP-to-Serial Operation and Data Flow ..................36 2.5.4 Point-to-Point Serial-to-Serial Operation and Data Flow ............37 2.5.5 Point-to-Multipoint Serial-to-Serial Operation and Data Flow ........... 38 2.5.6 Mixed Modes ..........................39 2.6 PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION ..................
  • Page 5 6.1.1 LAN Port ..........................109 6.1.2 COM1 Port ..........................110 6.1.3 COM2 Port ..........................110 6.2 FUSE REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE................111 6.3 MDS iNET 900 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS .............. 112 GLOSSARY OF TERMS & ABBREVIATIONS MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS i NET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 6 If you have additional questions or need an exact specification for a product, please contact our Customer Service Team using the information at the back of this guide. Microwave Data Systems Incorporated reserves its right to correct any errors or omissions. Updated information may also be available on our Web site at www.microwavedata.com.
  • Page 7 3. Installation, operation and maintenance of the MDS iNET 900 unit should be in accordance with the transceiver's installation manual, and the National Electrical Code. 4. Tampering or replacement with non-factory components may adversely affect the safe use of the MDS iNET 900 unit in haz- ardous locations, and may void the approval.
  • Page 8 MDS i NET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 9: Product Overview & Applications

    Option 2—Using the AP as a Store-and-Forward Repeater..... 11 1.3.2 Protected Network Operation through Multiple Access Points ..11 1.3.3 Collocating Multiple iNET 900 Networks ........12 The Network Name and the association process ......12 Can radio-frequency interference (RFI) disrupt my MDS iNET 900 Network? ............
  • Page 10 MDS i NET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 11: Product Description

    The iNET 900’s radio transceiver is designed for frequency-hopping Operation spread-spectrum operation in the license-free 900 MHz band. The MDS iNET 900 can provide reliable communications up to distances of 30 miles (50 km) under favorable conditions, even in the presence of weak signals or interference.

  • Page 12: Model Offerings

    • Single hardware package provides configuration as Access Point or Remote 1.1.1 Model Offerings The MDS iNET 900 comes in two primary models—Access Point and Remotes. Three types of Remote Gateways are available—the Ethernet Bridge, the Serial Gateway, and the Dual Gateway supporting IP/Ethernet and serial services.

  • Page 13: Applications

    Messages are exchanged at the Ethernet level. This includes all types of IP traffic. An MDS iNET 900 Remote can only talk over-the-air to an Access Point (AP) unit. Peer-to-peer communications between Remotes can only take place indirectly through the AP. An AP can only talk over-the-air to iNET Remote units.

  • Page 14: Point-To-Point Lan Extension

    IP format. Operational radio networks built with MDS radios, such as MDS 9790/9710 and MDS 9810, can be supported by an iNET 900 Remote using one serial port for the data stream, and the other for net- work-wide diagnostics. In the case of older MDS radios, where a single port is used for data and diagnostics, the capabilities are doubled.

  • Page 15: Multiple Protocols And/Or Services

    And above all, the potential to include the availability of Ethernet and IP services for future applica- tions, such as video for security, make the use of an iNET 900 for serial or IP applications, such as video, a very intelligent decision.

  • Page 16: Upgrading Older Wireless Network With Serial Interfaces

    802.11b solutions were designed to provide services to relatively small areas such as offices, warehouses and homes. They provide high data rates but have limited range. The MDS iNET 900 uses more power, a different frequency band, higher sensitivity, and a narrower channel to concentrate the radio energy and reach further distances.

  • Page 17: Network Design Considerations

    900 unit at this time. Supplement legacy wireless network with IP services The MDS iNET 900 Dual Gateway model can support up to two serial devices and one Ethernet connection at the same time. The serial inter- faces (COM1 and COM2) operate in two different modes: Connection- less Serial-to-Serial and connection-orientated IP-to-serial.

  • Page 18: Option 1-Using Two Inet Units To Form A Repeater Station

    Option 1—Using two iNET units to form a repeater station Although the range between iNET 900 units can achieve up to 50 km (30 miles) over favorable terrain, it is possible to extend the range consider- ably by connecting two units together at one site in a “back-to-back”...

  • Page 19: Protected Network Operation Through Multiple Access Points

    Access Points. In case of a failure of one of the AP’s the Remotes will quickly associate with another of the remaining Access Points re-establishing connectivity to the end devices. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 20: Collocating Multiple Inet 900 Networks

    The Network Name and the association process The Network Name is the foundation for building individual MDS iNET 900 networks. It is part of a beacon signal broadcast by the Access Point (AP) to any iNET 900 Remote units with the same Network Name.

  • Page 21: Accessories

    1.4 ACCESSORIES The MDS iNET 900 unit can be used with one or more of the accessories listed in Table 1-2. Contact the factory for ordering details.
  • Page 22 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 23: Net Embedded Management System

    2.5.3 IP-to-Serial Operation and Data Flow ......... 36 2.5.4 Point-to-Point Serial-to-Serial Operation and Data Flow ..... 37 2.5.5 Point-to-Multipoint Serial-to-Serial Operation and Data Flow ..38 2.5.6 Mixed Modes ................39 MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 24 2.10 USING CONFIGURATION FILES..........62 2.10.1 Introduction ................62 2.10.2 Sample of an Exported Configuration File ........ 62 2.10.3 Editing Configuration Files ............66 2.11 OPERATING PARAMETERS’ DEFAULTS ....... 67 2.12 LOGGED OPERATIONAL EVENTS........72 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 25: Introduction

    2.1 INTRODUCTION The iNET 900 is equipped with an embedded management system that is accessible through different data interfaces. These include the COM1 serial) port, the Ethernet) port and over the wireless network. LAN ( Essentially the same capabilities are available through either of these paths.

  • Page 26: Menu Structure

    • Basic configuration parameters are shown in boxes • RMT = Remote Only • Use keyboard’s spacebar to make some menu selections • AP = Access Point Only Figure 2-1. MDS iNET 900 Embedded Management System Organization MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 27: Differences In The Embedded Management System's Browser And Text-Based User Interfaces

    Press 'G' to go to Main Menu Figure 2-2. View of iNET MS with a text-based program— (terminal or Telnet) Invisible place holder Figure 2-3. View of the iNET MS with a Browser MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 28: Accessing The Embedded Management System

    Connect a personal computer’s Ethernet port to the Port Procedure with Telnet connector on the iNET 900 using an Ethernet crossover cable or connect the iNET to the network. (See Figure 3-3 on page 83 location.) The LED will light up.

  • Page 29: Navigating The Menus

    (Figure 2-5 on page a. Connect a personal computer’s Ethernet port to the Port Procedure with Web Browser connector on the iNET 900 using an Ethernet crossover cable. (See Figure 3-3 on page 83 for location.) The LED will light up.

  • Page 30: Logging In And Out Of The Embedded Management System

    ENTER NOTE: It may be necessary to change your IP access to the local area network to match the one used by the MDS iNET 900. (Defaults: IP–192.168.1.1, Netmask–255.255.0.0) You can identify or verify the iNET 900’s IP address using a...

  • Page 31: Changing Passwords

    Your management session will time-out after 10 minutes of inactivity. You will not be disconnected from the network using a Web browser or terminal-emulator, but some menu selections will require you to use the password again. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 32: Basic Device Information

    (To change it, see Network Configuration Menu on Page 28.) • Network Name—The name of the iNET 900 network in which the unit is associated. • IP Address—Units’s IP address. • Device Status—Condition of iNET unit’s association with an Access Point.

  • Page 33: Main Menu

    (See “Starting Information Screen” on Page • Network Configuration—Tools to configure the data network layer of the iNET 900. (See “Network Configuration Menu” on Page • Radio Configuration—Tools to configure the wireless (radio) layer of the iNET 900.

  • Page 34: Configuring Basic Device Parameters

    • Device Names Menu—Fields used at user’s discretion for general administrative purposes. The Device Name field is used by the iNET 900 as the “Realm” name for network security and in the iNET MS screen headings. (See Figure 2-8 on page •...

  • Page 35: Device Names Menu

    • Owner—User defined; appears on this screen only. • Contact—User defined; appears on this screen only. • Description—User defined; appears on this screen only. • Location—User defined; appears on this screen only. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 36: Configuring Network Parameters

    Changing this value in the iNET unit while you are communicating with it over the network, will cause a loss of communication with the iNET 900 unit. Communication will need to be re-established using the new IP address. • IP Netmask —The IPv4 local subnet...

  • Page 37: Configuring Radio Parameters

    2.4 CONFIGURING RADIO PARAMETERS There are two primary data layers in the MDS iNET 900 network— radio and data. Since the data layer is dependent on the radio layer working properly, this is a good place to make sure the unit is configured as you want it to be.
  • Page 38 (Access Point Only) value to be added to the hop pattern formula in an unlikely event of identical hop patterns of two collocated or nearby iNET 900 networks. Changing the seed value will minimize possible RF-signal collisions of iNET units. (This field is only change- able on an Access Point.

  • Page 39: Configuring The Serial Interfaces

    INTERFACES 2.5.1 Overview Modes There are two modes of operation for the MDS iNET 900 Serial Gateway model. The first mode is IP-to-Serial which provides a “ter- minal server” type functionality which uses TCP to establish connec- tivity between an IP-enabled host and the iNET ports.

  • Page 40: Serial Gateway (Port) Configuration Menu

    • Com2 Serial Data Port— Serial-to-Serial: See Page 35 IP-to-Serial: See Page 33 • Serial Data Statistics—Provides statistics on the serial and IP activity through the ports. COM1 COM2 (See Page 35 for details) MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 41: Com1/2-Serial Gateway Config. Screen-Ip-To-Serial Mode

    The port num- ber must be used by the application connecting to local TCP socket. • Execute Changes—Save and execute changes made on this screen (Shown only after changes have been entered.) MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 42: Com1/2-Serial Gateway Config.screen-Serial-To-Serial Mode

    The delay introduced by data buffering may MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 43: Serial Data Statistics Menu

    Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu Figure 2-15. Serial Data Statistics Screen (Both COM1 and COM2 will be shown) • Clear Com1 Statistics—Resets counter to zero. • Clear Com2 Statistics—Resets counter to zero. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 44: Ip-To-Serial Operation And Data Flow

    In this mode, the iNET 900 provides a connection-oriented IP-to-Serial service for point-to-point Ethernet/IP to serial port connectivity. iNET 900 monitors a TCP socket on the receive on IP port for a connec- tion. Once a connection has been received, the iNET 900 will begin monitoring the serial port and the network socket for incoming data.

  • Page 45: Point-To-Point Serial-To-Serial Operation And Data Flow

    Send to Address 192.168.0.2 (IP address of the iNET Remote) Send to Port 30011 Receive on Port 30011 (Not used) Receive on 0.0.0.0 (Not used) Address Seamless Mode Disabled Delimiter Chars Latency Chars MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 46: Point-To-Multipoint Serial-To-Serial Operation And Data Flow

    192.168.0.2 192.168.0.10 192.168.0.1 EIA-232 192.168.0.2 iNET 900 Remote 192.168.0.3 EIA-232 EIA-232 iNET 900 Terminal iNET 900 Access Point Remote or Computer EIA-232 192.168.0.4 iNET 900 Remote Figure 2-18. Point-to-Multipoint Serial-to-Serial Diagram MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 47: Mixed Modes

    RTUs. This may be helpful when a mixed collec- tion of RTUs is present where some RTUs can operate in a broadcast form while others cannot. (See Figure 2-19 Table 2-4) MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 48: Operation And Data Flow

    Send to Port 30011 Receive on Port 30011 Receive on Address 0.0.0.0 Remote Units 1 & 2 Enable Enabled Mode IP-to-Serial Baud Rate 2,400 Flow Control X-ON/X-OFF Receive on Port 30011 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 49: Performance Verification

    2.6 PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION After the basic operation of the radio has been checked, you may wish to optimize the iNET 900 network’s performance using some of the fol- lowing suggestions. The effectiveness of these techniques will vary with the design of your system and the format of the data being sent.

  • Page 50: Rssi By Zone Menu Screen (Remotes Only)

    (Remotes Only) This screen displays the strength of RF signals from the Access Point. The MDS iNET 900 network integrity depends partially on stable radio signal levels being received at each end of a data link. In general, signal levels stronger than –77 dBm will provide reliable communication that includes a 15 dB fade margin.

  • Page 51: Event Log Menu

    The manually set time and date clock is dependent on the unit’s primary power. A loss of power will reset the clock to Jan- uary 1, 2002 but will not affect previously stored error events. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 52 TIP: Save your Error Log before choosing to clear it in order to retain potentially valuable troubleshooting information. (See “UPGRADING THE FIRMWARE” on Page 59 an overview on how to transfer files from the iNET 900 unit to a computer on the network using TFTP.) • Send Error Log —Initiate TFTP transfer...
  • Page 53 Expected Sync Established 29 Dec 2001 20:57 Hop Sync Established Use Up, Down, Pg-Up, Pg-Dn, Home or End to view log, <ESC> for the prev menu Figure 2-24. Sample Operations Log Screen MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 54: Packet Statistics Menu

    • Lost carrier detected—A count of how many times the carrier signal on the Ethernet port has been missing. This count increase significantly when the Ethernet cable is plugged in and unplugged. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 55: Wireless Network Status (Remotes Only)

    (Remotes Only) The Wireless Network Status screen provides information on a key operating process of the iNET 900—the association of the Remote with the Access Point. The following is a description of how this process takes place and as monitored on the Figure 2-26.

  • Page 56: Remote Listing Menu (Access Points Only)

    fic with that device happens, it then “ages out” of the table. When traffic is detected it is included again in the table. This optimizes memory space utilization. • SuppRates—Supported data rate by this unit. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 57: Endpoint Listing Menu (Access Points Only)

    • via Remote—Hardware address of the iNET unit connected to this device. • RxPkts—Over-the-air data packets received by the iNET unit. and passed on to the endpoint device. • TxPkt—Number of packets received from the endpoint device and passed over-the-air. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 58: Remote Performance Listing Menu (Access Points Only)

    • RxBCMC—Total number of Broadcast and/or Multicast packets received over-the-air. • RxViaEP—Packets received by the iNET through the Ethernet port. • TxViaEP—Packets sent by the iNET through the Ethernet port. • RetryEr—Packets discarded after exceeding five retries over-the-air. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 59: Diagnostic Tools Menu

    This area provides several useful tools for installers and maintainers. You can manually key the iNET radio transmitter to make measure- ments of antenna performance. (See “Antenna Direction Optimization” on Page 93 for details. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 60 • Go—Send PING packets to address shown on screen. Screen will be replaced with detailed report of PING activity. Press any key after viewing the results to return to this menu. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 61: Maintenance

    2.7 MAINTENANCE In the normal course of operating an iNET 900 network, you will want to take advantage of product improvements, and to read and archive the configuration of your individual iNET units. The Maintenance Menu provides several tools to make this possible. This section provides detail information on how to take advantage of these services.
  • Page 62 Reprogramming The MDS iNET 900 has two copies of the firmware (microprocessor Menu code) used for the operating system and applications. One copy is “active” and the second one is standing by, ready to be used. You can upload a new release into the inactive position and place it in service whenever you desire.

  • Page 63: A Brief Description Of Configuration Files

    Configuration File. How- ever, only four essential parameters need to be reviewed and altered to use the file with another iNET unit. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 64: Network Performance Notes

    A Configuration File (data file) will make it easy to apply your unique settings to any iNET 900(s) you wish. Configuration files will also pro- vide you with a tool to restore parameters to a “known good” set, in the event that a parameter is improperly set and performance is affected.
  • Page 65 If the 802.11 encapsulated Ethernet frame (NOT the UDP or Ethernet frame) exceeds the RTS threshold, then the overhead for RTS/CTS frames must also be accounted for. • 20 bytes—802.11 RTS. • 14 bytes—802.11 CTS. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 66: Tips For Optimizing Network Performance

    The down side is that if a particular channel is interfered with it will take longer to hop to another channel. Main Menu>Radio Configuration>Dwell Time MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 67: Upgrading The Firmware

    From time-to-time MDS will offer upgrades to the iNET 900 firmware. One version of the firmware provides core software resources for all MDS iNET 900 models. Uploading new firmware into the unit will not alter any privileges provided by Authorization Keys and does not require the iNET unit be taken off-line until you want to operate the unit from the new firmware image in the unit.

  • Page 68: Installing Inet Firmware By Tftp

    28.) A TFTP server can be found on the MDS Web site at: www.microwave- data.com/service/technical/support/downloads.asp There are several alternatives to connecting the iNET 900 to the server containing the firmware and TFTP server, and a computer control point. Figure 2-37 Figure 2-38 show two variations.

  • Page 69: Upload Procedure

    (≈ 3 Mb), may take several minutes depending on traffic between the TFTP server and the iNET unit. Regardless of your connection to the iNET 900, loading firm- ware/configuration files into the unit’s flash-RAM is much slower than loading software onto a PC hard drive or RAM.

  • Page 70: Using Configuration Files

    In the next few sections you will learn about the contents of the file and, how to use it as a template for configuring multiple iNET 900 units with the same profile. Ultimately, standardized files can be uploaded into the iNET 900 to speed up the installation process.
  • Page 71 Contact: MIS Dept. X232 The contact person regarding this unit. Description: Link to Campus Server A brief general description of this unit. Location: Hollister Bldg. RM450 The location of this unit. Event Logging: enabled MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 72 RF Output Power Setpoint: 30 The desired amount of RF output power, measured in dBm. Power Cal Table DAC1: 98 21 additional values follow Active Boot Image: 0 Tx Coefficient1: 0 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...
  • Page 73 Com2 Serial Data Baud Rate: 9600 Com2 Serial Data Tx IP Address: 0.0.0.0 Com2 Serial Data Tx IP Port: 30011 Com2 Serial Data Rx IP Port: 30011 Com2 Serial Data Rx IP Address: 0.0.0.0 MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 74: Editing Configuration Files

    • Capitalization counts in some field parameters. (Example: System Mode) • Comment Fields a.Edit, or delete anything on each line to the right of the com- ment delineator, the semicolon (;). MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 75: Operating Parameters' Defaults

    900 unit do not need to be present in your cus- tomized files. • The number of blank spaces between the field name (left col- umn) and the parameter value is not important.
  • Page 76 Amount of time between 100 msec 50 to 1000 msec Beacon transmissions 50, 104, 208, 508 Recommended Hop Pattern Seed A random value used to 1 to –65,000 seed the freq hopping algorithm MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...
  • Page 77 Any valid IP port from this source and pass it COM2: 30011 through to the connected serial device. For a Remote in serial-to-serial mode this should match the AP's multicast send to address MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 78 Serial number of the iNET Factory specified Hardware Version Version ID of iNET Factory specified hardware Firmware Version Current firmware being used — 1.1.0 or higher Uptime Current system uptime in 0,0,0,0 — HH:MM:SS MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...
  • Page 79 TFTP into alphanumeric string the radio • Image Verify Service to verify the integrity of an image • Image Copy Service to copy one image to the other image MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 80: Logged Operational Events

    The log is divided into two partitions: 1. Error and 2. Operation. All alarms are stored in the Error Log and routine events are stored in the Operations Log. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...
  • Page 81 Reprogramming Failed Major — AP/RMT Valid Authorization Key Major — Flash Mem. Entered AP/RMT Authorization Demo Major — Flash Mem. Mode Enabled Hopping Synchronization Major — Lost DHCP Server Enabled Inform — MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 82 Invalid MAC Address Critical Blink Flash Mem. AP/RMT Frequency Not Critical Blink Flash Mem. Calibrated AP/RMT Power Not Calibrated Critical Blink Flash Mem. AP/RMT Network Name Not Critical Blink Flash Mem. Programmed MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...
  • Page 83 Network Name Mismatch Critical Blink Flash Mem. Fail to Associate Critical Blink Flash Mem. Lost Association - Critical Blink Flash Mem. General Lost Association - AP Critical Blink Flash Mem. Config Change MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 84 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 85: Tabletop Evaluation & Test Setup

    3.5.1 Getting Started ................81 3.5.2 Procedure ..................81 3.5.3 Basic Configuration Defaults ............81 3.6 STEP 5—CONNECT LAN AND/OR SERIAL EQUIPMENT..82 3.7 STEP 6—CHECK FOR NORMAL OPERATION ....... 83 MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 86 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 87: Overview

    3.1 OVERVIEW It is convenient to set up a tabletop network that can be used to verify the basic operation of the MDS iNET 900 units and give you a chance to experiment with network designs, configurations or network equip- ment in a convenient location.

  • Page 88: Step 2-Measure & Connect The Primary Power

    (0.25"). Be sure to observe proper polarity as shown in Figure 3-2 with the positive lead (+) on the left. NOTE: It will take about 30 seconds for the iNET 900 to power up and be ready for operation. Invisible place holder Lead...

  • Page 89: Step 4-Review The Inet'sconfiguration

    Figure 5-1 on page 97 for hookup.) NOTE: Access to the iNET’s Management System and changes to some parameters, are controlled by password when accessing by means of a Web browser or Telnet. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 90: Step 5-Connect Lan And/Or Serial Equipment

    The port will support any Ethernet-compatible equip- ment. This includes devices that use the Internet Protocol (IP). NOTE: The port also provides access to the iNET 900’s COM1 Management System. If you use the port for normal data COM1...

  • Page 91: Step 6-Check For Normal Operation

    PWR— • —on or blinking intermittently LINK • —On or blinks intermittently Table 3-2 provides details on the LED functions. Table 3-2. MDS iNET 900 LED Functions LED Label Activity Indication LAN detected Blinking Data TX/RX LAN not detected COM1...
  • Page 92 Table 3-2. MDS iNET 900 LED Functions (Continued) LED Label Activity Indication LINK Default state (Access Point) Blinking Data Tx/Rx LINK Associated to AP (Remote Blinking Data Tx/Rx Gateway) Not associated with AP If the radio network seems to be operating properly based on observa- tion of the unit’s LEDs, you can use the PING command to verify the...

  • Page 93: Troubleshooting & Radio Measurements

    4.2 RADIO MEASUREMENTS ............91 4.2.1 Antenna System SWR and Transmitter Power Output ....92 Introduction..................92 Procedure ..................92 4.2.2 Antenna Direction Optimization ........... 93 Introduction..................93 Procedure ..................93 MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 94 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 95: Troubleshooting

    4.1 TROUBLESHOOTING Successful troubleshooting of an MDS iNET 900 system is not difficult, but requires a logical approach. It is best to begin troubleshooting at the Access Point unit, as the rest of the system depends on the Access Point for synchronization data.

  • Page 96: Interpreting The Leds

    (See “LOGGED OPERATIONAL EVENTS” on Page LAN LED does not a. Verify the Ethernet cable is connect at both ends. turn on. b. Verify that the appropriate type of Ethernet cable is used: straight-through, or crossover. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 97: Troubleshooting Using The Embedded Management System

    Event Logs for signs of lost association with the Access Point or low signal alarms. Table 4-3 provides a description of the Device Status messages. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...

  • Page 98: Packet Statistics Menu

    10% of their sent and received counterparts, or the Lost Car- rier Detected value is greater than a few dozen, there may be trouble with radio-frequency interference or a radio link of marginal strength. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 99: Radio Measurements

    This menu has two tools, the Radio Test Menu for radio technicians, and the Ping Utility for network technicians. PING can be used to verify connectivity with various pieces of equipment connected to the iNET network. This includes iNET 900 units and user-supplied Ethernet devices. 4.2 RADIO MEASUREMENTS There are several measurements that are a good practice to perform during the initial installation.

  • Page 100: Antenna System Swr And Transmitter Power Output

    4.2.1 Antenna System SWR and Transmitter Power Output Introduction A proper impedance match between the iNET 900 and the antenna system is important. It ensures the maximum signal transfer between the radio and antenna. The impedance match can be checked indirectly by measuring the SWR (standing-wave ratio) of the antenna system.

  • Page 101: Antenna Direction Optimization

    4.2.2 Antenna Direction Optimization Introduction The MDS iNET 900 network integrity depends, in a large part, on stable radio signal levels being received at each end of a data link. In general, signal levels stronger than –77 dBm will provide the basis for reliable communication that includes a 15 dB fade margin.
  • Page 102 If the RSSI peak results in an increase in the Wireless Packets Dropped and Received Error, the antenna may be aimed at an undes- ired signal source. Try a different antenna orientation. End of procedure MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 103: Planning An Inet Radio Network

    5.1.4 Antenna & Feedline Selection ............. 99 5.1.5 Conducting a Site Survey ............101 5.1.6 A Word About Radio Interference ..........102 5.1.7 How Much Output Power Can be Used? ........103 5.2 dBm-WATTS-VOLTS CONVERSION CHART ......105 MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 104 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 105: Planning An I Net Radio Network

    5.1.1 General Requirements There are three main requirements for installing iNET unit—adequate and stable primary power, a good antenna system, and the correct inter- face between the iNET 900 and the data device. Figure 5-1 shows a typ- ical Remote Gateway installation.
  • Page 106 THREADED HOLES 4.85˝ (12/3 cm) FOR MOUNTING SCREWS (4) #6-32 X 1/4˝ SIDE Not to scale 1.25˝ (3.17 cm) 4.25˝ (10.8 cm) 4.75˝ (12 cm) Figure 5-2. MDS iNET 900 Dimensions MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 107: Site Selection

    A line-of-sight transmission path between the central MDS iNET 900 unit and its associated iNET station site is highly desirable and pro- vides the most reliable communications link.
  • Page 108 Contact your MDS representative for details. Invisible place holder High-gain Type Unity-gain Type Figure 5-3. Omnidirectional antennas for the MDS iNET 900 At Remote Gateway sites and units in point-to-point LANs, a directional Yagi (Figure 5-4) antenna is generally recommended to minimize inter- ference to and from other users.

  • Page 109: Conducting A Site Survey

    The test can be performed by first installing a radio and antenna at the proposed Access Point (AP) station site (one-per-system). Then visit the Remote site(s) with a iNET 900 unit and a hand-held antenna. (A PC with a network adapter can be connected to each radio in the network to simulate data during this test using the PING command.)

  • Page 110: A Word About Radio Interference

    Another approach is to use a bandpass filter to attenuate all signals outside the 900 MHz band. 4. Multiple iNET 900 Access Point units can co-exist in proximity to each other with only very minor interference as long as they are each assigned a unique network name.

  • Page 111: How Much Output Power Can Be Used

    5.1.7 How Much Output Power Can be Used? The iNET 900 is normally supplied from the factory set for a nominal +30 dBm (1 Watt) RF power output setting; this is the maximum trans- mitter output power allowed under FCC rules. The power must be decreased from this level if the antenna system gain exceeds 6 dBi.
  • Page 112 * Most antenna manufacturers rate antenna gain in dBd in their literature. To convert to dBi, add 2.15 dB. † Feedline loss varies by cable type and length. To determine the loss for common lengths of feedline, see Table 5-1 on Page 101. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 113: Dbm-Watts-Volts Conversion Chart

    2.85 10.0 -136 10mW -137 2.25 .1µW -138 6.4mW .001nW -139 .500 -140 .01ƒW .445 5.75 .400 3.2mW .355 2.5mW 1.25 .320 2.0mW 1.18 .280 1.6mW 1.00 3.51 .252 1.25mW 0.90 MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 114 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 115: Technical Reference

    6.1 DATA INTERFACE CONNECTORS......... 109 6.1.1 LAN Port ..................109 6.1.2 COM1 Port ................110 6.1.3 COM2 Port ................110 6.2 FUSE REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE ........111 6.3 MDS iNET 900 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ..... 112 MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 116 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 117: Data Interface Connectors

    6.1 DATA INTERFACE CONNECTORS Three data interface connectors are provided on the face of the iNET 900. The first, the LAN Port, is an RJ-45 connector. The other two use two DB-9 interface connectors that use the RS-232 (EIA-232) sig- naling standard.

  • Page 118: Com1 Port

    In ]<— Transmit Data (TXD) Out ]—> Data Terminal Ready (DTR) Out ]—> Signal Ground (GND) Data Set Ready (DSR) In ]<— Request-to-Send (RTS) Out ]—> Clear-to-Send (CTS) In ]<— Unused MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 119: Fuse Replacement Procedure

    6.2 FUSE REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE An internal fuse protects the iNET 900 unit. The fuse will be blown by a reverse polarity of the primary DC power, an over-voltage transient or an internal failure. The fuse should not be replaced until you are certain you are in a safe environment.

  • Page 120: Mds Inet 900 Technical Specifications

    6.3 MDS iNET 900 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL Temperature Range: –30° C to +60° C (–22° F to 140° F) Humidity: 95% at +40° C (104° F); non-condensing Primary Power: 10.5–30 Vdc (13.8 Vdc Nominal) External Power Supply Options: 110–120/210–220 Vac...
  • Page 121 –100 dBm @ 256 kbps < 1x10 - Intermodulation: 59 dB Minimum (EIA) Desensitization: 70 dB Spurious: 60 dB Time Required to Synchronize with Access Point Radio: ;Less than 20 seconds (typical) MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 122 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 123: Glossary Of Terms & Abbreviations

    AP—See Access Point Association—Condition in which, the frequency hopping pattern of the iNET 900 Remote is synchronized with the Access Point station in an iNET network and is ready to pass traffic. Authorization Key—Alphanumeric string (code) that is used to enable additional capabilities to iNET 900 equipment.
  • Page 124 Decibel (dB)—A measure of the ratio between two signal levels. Fre- quently used to express the gain (or loss) of a system. Device Mode—The operating mode/role of an MDS iNET 900 pro- grammed to serve as the master station in an iNET network.
  • Page 125 Frequency Hopping—The spread spectrum technique used by the MDS iNET 900 units, where two or more associated radios change their operating frequencies several times per second using a set pattern. Since the pattern appears to jump around, it is said to “hop” from one fre- quency to another.
  • Page 126 SNMP—Simple Network Transfer Protocol SNR—Signal-to-Noise Ratio. A measurement of relative received signal quality. High ratios will likely result in better signal detection and performance. MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...
  • Page 127 As a general guideline, reflected power should not exceed 10% of the forward power (≈ 2:1 SWR). TCP—Transmission Control Protocol UDP—User Datagram Protocol Zone—See Frequency Zone. MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide...
  • Page 128 MDS iNET 900 User’s Guide MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. A...

  • Page 129: Factory Service

    The radio must be properly packed for return to the factory. The original shipping container and packaging materials should be used whenever possible. All factory returns should be addressed to: Microwave Data Systems Inc. Customer Service Department (RMA No. XXXX)
  • Page 130 175 Science Parkway, Rochester, New York 14620 General Business: +1 (585) 242-9600 FAX: +1 (585) 242-9620 Web: www.microwavedata.com...

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