Technical Note 183 ProRAE Remote Host Controller
Contents
1. RAE Systems by Honeywell 877 723 2878 raesystems com TOX1 VOC TOX2 LEL OXY Figure 10 Host to Remote Link Indicator Note he antenna symbol does not indicate whether the remote RAELink is able to communicate back to the host RAELink Other Sources High power output devices located near RAELink modems can cause interference Obstacles in the line of sight containing materials that highly attenuate RF signals can also affect communication e g lead lined windows RAE Systems offers extension cable antennas and repeaters that can be used as necessary to bypass such obstacles CONTACT US For further assistance or to request RMAs please contact RAE service at tech raesystems com 888 723 4800 UPDATES Watch for updates of this and all other Technical Notes and Application Notes on the Internet at http www raesystems com2. detectors via a Unit ID If each remote detector does not have a unique Unit ID the host will experience congestion and those detectors with overlapping Unit IDs will not appear on the host interface To verify the unit ID of a RAE wireless unit 1 Turn the unit on in Diagnostic Mode by holding the Y and Mode keys while the unit is turned OFF 2 Once the unit is done warming up hold the N and Mode keys to enter the Programming Mode If prompted for a password enter the appropriate password factory default is all zeros 3 Hit N until the Change Monitor Setup screen appears Hit Y to enter this menu 4 Hit N until the Change Unit ID screen is reached Hit Y to enter this submenu and confirm that each sensing unit has a unique Unit ID number Caution Upon reloading the configuration file into RAE detectors when using ProRAE Suite the Unit ID defaults to 1 Antennas amp Battery Packs A bad antenna connection and or a faulty or weak battery pack can greatly reduce and in some cases terminate RF transmission success Swapping antennas with another detector is a quick way to identify a faulty antenna It may be necessary to inspect the internal connections as well because these can be damaged if too much torque is used when installing the antenna If power issues are suspected swapping battery packs with another detector or switching to the alkaline adapter are quick ways to isolate a faulty or weak battery pack R
3. AE Systems by Honeywell 877 723 2878 raesystems com Network ID All RAELink modems within the system need to have the same Network ID The Network ID is identified on the modem or inside the housing of the AreaRAE detector The Network ID can also be located by contacting RAE Systems service department and providing the serial number of the RAELink modem An easy way to isolate the modems and Identify the root cause of communication failure is to connect RAE Systems wireless detectors directly to the host PC as shown in Figure 8 To do this a RAE Systems communication cable part number 008 3003 000 provided with datalogging units is required With this configuration beginning to scan by selecting Begin F9 within ProRAE Remote should cause the unit status icon in Panel View to turn green Computer Interface Cable Serial to Serial Cable oi Serial to USB Cable b D Figure 8 Hardwiring RAE Wireless Detectors NOTE f AreaRAE detectors are going to be hardwired into the host PC then the Radio button must first be disabled 3 Interference Duplicate Unit IDs As discussed earlier remote detectors with the same Unit ID will cause interference A quick way to identify if multiple units have the same Unit ID is to broadcast a text message to the entire system see Figure 9 If some remote units are able to receive the message but do not appear on the host interface then there is a good chance
4. E PCMCIA adapters oH Processors Sound video and game controllers FS Storage volumes System devices Universal Serial Bus controllers Figure 6 Device Manager To access the Device Manager for Windows operating systems proceed to Classic View Category View e Start e Start e Control Panel e Control Panel e system e Performance amp e Hardware Maintenance e Device Manager e Power Options e Ports COM amp LPT e System e Hardware e Device Manager e Ports COM amp LPT Units Displayed ProRAE Remote can display up to 32 wireless detectors By default the number of units the software displays is 8 If any of the sensing units have a unit ID higher than 8 then the Define Max Units function must be initiated and the number of units displayed increased see Figure 7 2 a oon may mmis ods sr Dew en cee ie lh w col Come Figure 7 Defining Max Unit Technical Note TN 183 04 05 Bs Host RAELink Modem The RAELink modem connected to the host PC must be programmed as a host modem as opposed to a repeater or remote modem Host modems can be Identified by the label on top of the RAELink housing RAELink Host or RAELink2 Host Mode Of Operation The detector s must be in regular operation mode If any of the maintenance configuration submenus have been entered e g Calibrate Monitor then communication will fail Unit ID ProRAE Remote Identifies remote
5. ELink modem is connected Technical Note TN 183 04 05 BS Figure 4 ProRAE Remote legend to must be set within ProRAE Remote Enter the setup menu oress the Begin F9 key and under the Host tab enter the correct communication port number see Figure 5 Host EEN Unit Data Connection Host T Com Port to RAELink Host ID 1 250 fi e Master Interval s iz peat m Number of Polling Retries Record Shown in Unit Status Window Coma coms Activate Remote Alarm Notification Set as Host Controller Tl Enable Passive Monitor l Activate Local Voice Alarm Gal as Paaso honio Show Status Window Manually C On lam Figure 5 Selecting COM Port When using a serial to USB adapter the operating system may assign a different number to the port in use The communication port number can be verified within the host PC operating system s Device Manager see Figure 6 Note For complete instructions on using USB adapters refer to TN 170 USB to Serial Port Adapter RAE Systems by Honeywell 877 723 2878 raesystems com REE File Action View Help 8 4 2 a l Batteries 1 Y Bluetooth VCOMM Port iy Computer Se Disk drives Z Display adapters 4 2 DYD CD ROM drives H E Human Interface Devices IDE ATAJATAPI controllers H S IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers Keyboards Mice and other pointing devices Bo Modems 2 Monitors i Network adapters a
6. Sequence The sequence in which the components of the system are turned on can affect communication especially when using USB adapters and or RAELink repeaters For best results use the following sequence when starting the system 1 Turn on the host PC 2 Launch ProRAE Remote 3 Begin scanning press the Begin F9 key 4 Turn on the host modem RAELink The power switch on the back of the host RAELink should be in the up position and the CD LED glowing see Figure 1 D LED Glowing Figure 1 RAELink turned on RAELink2 Press ON on off power switch and hold until the LED glows steadily Release the ON button when the Power LED steadily glows green see Figure 2 RAELink a f Power yY LED Glowing Figure 2 RAELink2 turned on Technical Note TN 183 04 05 BS 5 Turn on RAELink repeater if one is being deployed Note For complete instructions on deploying repeaters and precautions to take when deploying multiple repeaters refer to Technical Note TN 184 RAELink Repeater Deployment Procedures 6 Turn on passive monitor PC s if any are to be used 7 Turn on passive RAELink modem s as necessary for passive monitors 8 Turn on RAE Systems wireless detector s 9 Turn on remote RAELink modem s AreaRAE detectors come equipped with an internally housed remote RAELink modem that needs to be turned on by activating the RADIO button Other RAE Systems wireless detectors are conne
7. Technical Note TN 183 04 05 BS PRORAE REMOTE HOST CONTROLLER COMMUNICATION TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE INTRODUCTION This technical note provides simple procedures that can be performed in the field to help identify and correct the cause of communication failure between the ProRAE Remote host controller and detectors equipped with RAELink or RAELink2 remote wireless modems Instructions on setup configuration and operation can be found in the ProRAE Remote User s Guide If setting up a system for the first time check all components and establish a radio frequency RF link prior to deploying detectors downrange If communication is not established or if communication fails after some time proceed to the troubleshooting steps TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS The common causes of communication failure can be grouped into the three major categories listed below The remainder of this tech note provides detail on these troubleshooting steps in the sequence listed 1 Power e Start up sequence e Host personal computer PC operating system power settings 2 Setup e Software o Compatibility with Firmware o Communication port o Units displayed e Hardware o Host RAELInk modem o Detector mode of operation o Unit ID o Antennas and battery packs o Network ID 3 Interference e Duplicate Unit IDs e Wave coupling RAE Systems by Honeywell 877 723 2878 raesystems com e Duplicate Network IDs e Other sources 1 Power Start Up
8. cted to a remote RAELink modem via the serial communication port Ensure that all of these remote transceivers are turned on by following the same procedures for turning on the host modem Note RAE Systems Detectors and RAELink modems are equipped with rechargeable battery packs The detectors can also run on alkaline batteries via the alkaline adapter provided in the kit Communication will fail when batteries near complete depletion The entire system can run continuously using the AC power adapters If the application classification requirements permit this option Power Options Properties 7 x Power Schemes Alarms Power Meter Advanced Hibemate gt Select the power scheme with the most appropriate settings for a this computer Note that changing the settings below will modify the selected scheme Power schemes PowerSuite Scheme OOOO Save As Delete Settings for PowerSuite Scheme power scheme s J w i When computer is Plugged in F Never krill BP Turn off hard disks Never 7 B Never After 5 mins Running on battenes Turn off monitor System standby Figure 3 Power Options Properties RAE Systems by Honeywell 877 723 2878 raesystems com Operating System Power Settings If the hosts PC s power settings turn off the monitor turn off the hard disk or put the system in standby or hibernate then ProRAE Remote may malfunction and w
9. ill require a reboot For optimal performance It is recommended that these power settings be disabled see Figure 3 For Windows operating systems the power settings can be verified under Classic View e Start Category View e Start e Control Panel e Control Panel e Performance amp Maintenance e Power settings e Power Options 2 Setup Compatibility With Firmware Refer to Table 1 to verify that the firmware on the detectors and the version of the ProRAE Remote are compatible for wireless communication The firmware version of the detector is listed as the unit goes through tts initial warm up sequence Note In addition to the correct firmware MultiRAE MiniRAE 2000 and ppbRAE Plus detectors require the wireless communication protocol within the firmware to be enabled This is performed at RAE headquarters at the time of purchase or can be done as an upgrade The software version can be found by accessing the legend at the top right within ProRAE Remote see Figure 4 alee ee ProRAE V1 30 ProRAE V1 40 ProRAE V1 41 MultiRAE Plus 23 11 MiniRAE 2000 gt 1 20 ppbRAE Plus gt 1 20 AreaRAE gt 2 30 Table 1 Compatibility chart of ProRAE Remote and remote detector firmware Communication Port The host RAELink is connected to the host PC via a serial computer interface cable A serial to USB adapter is required when connecting to a USB communication port on the host computer The communication port that the RA
10. that these units have overlapping Unit IDs Proceed to change Unit IDs as described in the Unit ID section covered earlier Wave Coupling If two or more remote detectors are located too close to each other coupling of their antennas can occur causing interference To ensure no such interference deploy remote units as least 5 apart Technical Note TN 183 04 05 BS Unit Name Unit Status Unit 7 Label 7 Z Title Bar oa Serial Number 17 28 19 on 17 22 20 Concentration Data 17 28 21 o Unit a 17 28 22 17 28 23 Status OK OK Sensor Status Message Box Message Up to 32 Characters Watch Out S B M GPS Coordinates Unit Status i a GPS Signal Unit Statue OK Print 3 Ex Indicator m N 37024 43 4 W 1220001 Figure 9 Broadcasting text message Duplicate Network IDs Each RAE wireless system has a unique Network ID number Upon the request and approval of all involved parties some systems are programmed with the same Network ID If multiple systems with the same Network ID are deployed within range of each other interference will occur A quick way to identify if another host RAELink is operating within range is to shut down the host and see if any of the remote RAE Systems detectors continue to display an antenna symbol on the LCD after a few minutes see Figure 9 An antenna symbol on the detector LCD indicates that a host RAELink is able to communicate with the remote RAELink connected to the detector
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