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1. 2 Antenna 2 Toggles antenna 2 on or off See 2 4 1 above for more information 3 Antenna 3 Toggles antenna 3 on or off See 2 4 1 above for more information 4 Antenna 4 Toggles antenna 4 on or off See 2 4 1 above for more information 5 Power Allows you to adjust the output power of the reader NOTE There are very few situations wherein you should run at any power level other than maximum Running at lower power levels will negatively impact your read rates Do not adjust power levels below maximum unless you are absolutely sure you know what you are doing 6 Power The power of the UHF readers can be set to any value between 15 and 30 Obviously in most situations you will want to use maximum power 30 however there maybe be instances where a lower value is desired such as when working in an enclosed environment or having 2 separate timing points in close proximity 7 IP Address The 2 UHF readers in the Ultra need to have an IP address configured on them These will be pre set when the unit is shipped to you and it is not recommended that you change them unless you absolutely need to Changing the IP address of a reader using this menu option DOES NOT change the IP address of the reader itself It simply tells the internal firmware what IP address to use to connect to the reader You will also need to change the IP address of the reader using the web browser or telnet interface of the reader Please contact yo
2. RFID Ultra RACE TIMING SYSTEMS lt j igo User Manual Up to firmware version 1 40 RFID ge RACE TIMING SYSTEMS ECAMD gt DOCUMENTATION UPDATE HISTORY ccccssssscccsssscscsecssseeecscssceeeeesssecnccecessececeeeceaecesseecseesecauceesssccesessooaeeees 4 TERMIN OL k OG Vo o0cco8 scccciccceccavescdeecccccccscuctesnccaiecdecccsusessivas eicstecccdetgevesctacistieccctccedtensiseesdieesdevsnsiveddseesicesassensetess 5 A MENUS AND OPERATION OF THE ULTRA sssssssssssssssssssssssssssessssccceesssssssssncssssosssassssssssssssssssseeeeesssssesssseeeee 6 Ts IMENUS START A E NN 6 Ze MENU SETTINGS E EE A tae dieta ad 6 2 1 SNOW CUIUSCEEINGS 000 A A A Rd Ea Ea Eaa 6 2 2 Ial EA e OTE E O EA A Twas T 6 2 3 Network ana d eaa a a a AEA A E a AE EAE ea ia A id 8 2 4 Reader EEA TE A A A Leer CCrTeeeer 8 2 5 ROA 2 A id aes 11 2 6 Mode A A o 11 2 7 CA a E 2 8 Channel number ooooccconocccinccccccnaccccnnnnnono 2 9 Quick set Finish and Quick set Start E honornas seride chetevavedeusabeunsbcgube ou i euludevys chatetaed a e aT chadevach a a coatedavheds 15 3 1 SUED OE A N O O AAO 15 3 2 ReSet PC SOCK CE EAEE E EEA A A E AAA S 15 3 3 Rewind dia A aa AA AA ANR 15 3 4 Clear log fl Waits 15 3 5 LOG PIlCSIZE lt A AA E AAA A AAA AA AAA 16 3 6 REQUIGTORY O a Coes es eae 16 3 7 COMMS PrOtOCOl icici sescet Seca AAT O E ate RE 16 3 8 Chip OUTPUT TY Pe iaa 16 3 9 Remote Type 3 10 Data sending 3 117 SWINE TO
3. This will display all the current settings for both readers The settings will be displayed on 5 screens To move to the next screen press any key on the keypad 2 2 Time settings Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 6 Nov 2011 1 Set time from GPS If your Ultra has a GPS chip init then selecting this menu item will set the time on the Ultra using a GPS signal This is a very accurate method of time setting and is the recommended way to set the time The GPS chip takes approximately 40 seconds to obtain a reliable GPS signal from when the Ultra is powered up Before setting the time you must make sure the time zone is set correctly see 2 2 4 below The GPS chip provides UTC time and you will need to add a time constant depending on the time zone you are working in Important If you are in an area with there are no visible satellites then you will get an error trying to set the time Also if you have not used your Ultra for a couple of weeks the GPS receiver in the Ultra may take a few minutes to re synchronise itself with satellites During this time the time may be set incorrectly So always check the time that has been set with your wristwatch A good warning sign is that the date gets set to the year 2080 if itis still synchronsing 2 Set time manually If your Ultra does not have a GPS chip or you are in an area where no satellites are visible then you can set the time manually using this menu item This sets the tim
4. gating setting A setting of 3 seconds might be unacceptable due to the delay it would cause on display 1 Gating per reader and per box This is best explained using an example Say you have a finish line with one Ultra and 2 lines of mats 5m apart The runners first cross line 1 which is connected to reader 1 They then cross line 2 which is connected to reader 2 You have a gating period of 5 seconds With gating per reader Each reader will register a read as the runner crosses both mats The Ultra will save 2 chip reads in the log file and will send 2 chip reads to a connected client PC With gating per box Reader 1 will register 1 read and reader 2 will register no reads 1 chip read will be saved in the log file and 1 chip read will be sent to a connected client PC There are few situations will you will need gating per box All it effectively does is reduce the amount of data stored in the log file It may depend on the scoring software you use and its ability to handle multiple chip reads at a timing point 2 First Time Seen gating This is a special mode to be used when you need a chip time off the Ultra as fast as possible usually for commentator or broadcast purposes The first time the chip is seen its record is sent down the Firmware Version 1 40 Page 13 Nov 2011 TCPIP connection Thereafter it is not sent again unless seen after the gating period The disadvantage of this option is that the fir
5. 13 If you are rewinding by date time using 800 the time value must be the number of seconds after 1980 01 01 For example to rewind from 963478405 to 963479321 issue the command 800963478405 0x0D 963479321 To rewind all data use time values of zero like this 8000 0x0D O If you are rewinding by record number using 600 then the record number used is related to the number of records currently in the log file The first record is number 1 the second record is number 2 etc if you clear the log file then the record number will start at one again To rewind from record number 100 to record number 5000 use 600100 0x0D 5000 2 4 Stop rewind If you are rewinding a large amount of data which is taking some time you can issue a command to stop the rewind Send a 9 to stop the rewind although this will only work if you do a rewind while reading 2 5 Setting the time The time on the Ultra can be set by issuing the t command The format is t 0x20 HH MM SS DD MM YYYY Where 0x20 is a space character ASCII 32 The Ultra will respond with the current date and time in the format HH MM SS DD MM YYYY Firmware Version 1 40 Page 40 2 6 Getting the time You can query the current time on the Ultra by issuing a r command The Ultra will respond with the current date and time in the format HH MM SS DD MM YYYY 2 7 Current status Issue a 2 command and the Ultra with respond with the following S
6. LED light on the keypad will come on the green light which is 3 from the right Another way of checking the connection status is to start reading In the bottom right corner of the display screen you will see one of the following GOFF GPRS is turned off G Aconnection is being attempted GSOC A connection has been made successfully GERx An error has occurred an attempt will be made to reconnect Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 34 Expect to wait about 30 40 seconds for a connection to be established after you have enabled GPRS A USEFUL NOTE Try not to have the Ultra sitting on the ground when using a GPRS modem Signal strength can be dramatically improved by simply lifting the Ultra up by half a meter or more IMPORTANT If you are not using the GPRS option and even if you have no sim card in the Ultra do not turn this option on Otherwise the Ultra will be in permanent state of rebooting the internal modem and this could negatively affect performance especially on a busy timing point like a start line Using a LAN Connection The recommended method to get the Ultra connected to the internet is to buy yourself a small 3G router with Ethernet capability These small modems are freely available and use the mobile 3G network to establish an internet connection The Ultra can then share this internet connection by being connected to the modem using an Ethernet cable The scope of this document d
7. READING STATUS SENDING STATUS Reading status will be either a O ora 1 O means the Ultra is not reading 1 meansit is reading Sending status will be either a O ora 1 O means sending is off 1 means it is on See section 3 10 For example you might the response S 10 meaning the Ultra is currently reading but not sending data down the socket 2 8 Start sending data If the Ultra is set to only send data when requested see section 3 10 then sending the 700 command will start the data flowing You can optionally send a from time value which must be the time in seconds after 1980 01 01 To start sending from when the Ultra last sent a record send 7000 To start sending from 700963478405 where 963478405 is the time in seconds 2 9 Stop sending data To stop data sending issue the s command 3 Changing settings Any settings that can be set using the Ultra LCD menu can be set using various commands including some settings that cannot be set on the Ultra Settings can be changed while the Ultra is reading however some of them will require you to stop and restart reading for them to take effect Issue a u command to change the settings This is followed by a character indicating the setting type and further characters specifying what the setting is changing to then finally a OxFF character Each setting must be changed with its own u command After each command the Ultra will respond as specified below the
8. an enclosed area such as under a roof which will provide a means for tag signals to reflect off surfaces Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 37 H Communication Protocol The Ultra has a basic communication protocol for performing functions such as Starting and stopping the readers Rewinding stored data from the log file Setting the time Changing settings Some of the basic protocol from the RFID Timing HDD and DA technologies has been retained for backwards compatibility so there is a bit of a mix of methodologies however it is sufficient to get the job done All commands are issued via the TCPIP interface on port 23 The Ultra must be turned on and the socket connected NOTE Command cannot be concatenated The Ultra can only deal with one command at a time For example don t issue the start reading command and the set time commands in the same data string Connections must be made through TCPIP port 23 1 Data sent by the Ultra When you connect to the Ultra and start reading data will automatically flow down the socket connection as chips are detected There is no 2 way acknowledgement system and the data will only stop flowing when you stop the Ultra or disconnect the socket You can also expect some data other than chip time data The following is a list of record types you can expect 1 Connection confirmation Will only be seen once when you connect to the socket Chip reads Whenever a chip is detect
9. following table The following table indicates the values to use Description Command Value Turn GPRS on or off 0x01 Oor1 0 turn off 1 turn on Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 41 GPRS server IP Address 0x02 4 characters each representing a part of the IP address For example to set the IP address to 10 0 0 1 send u 0x02 0x0A 0x00 0x00 0x01 OxFF GPRS server port 0x03 A string value representing the port number for example u 0x03 16254 0xFF for port 16524 APN name 0x04 A string representing the APN name For example u 0x04 Vodafone com OxFF APN user 0x05 A string representing the APN user name For example u 0x05 gprsuser OxFF APN password 0x06 A string representing the APN password For example u 0x06 OxFF blank password Regulatory region 0x07 A character representing the region code as per the following list 0x00 FCC 0x01 ETSI EN 300 220 0x02 ETSI EN 302 208 0x03 Australia New Zealand Hong Kong 0x04 Taiwan 0x05 Japan 0x06 Japan Max 10mW power 0x07 ETSI EN 302 208 0x08 Korea 0x09 Malaysia Ox0A China Communication protocol 0x08 A character representing the required protocol 0x00 MACH1 0x01 LLRP Chip output type 0x09 A character representing the required chip format 0x00 Decimal 0x01 Hexadecimal Reader 1 antenna 1 Ox0C A character representing the antenna on o
10. on the backup one Most start lines will have a width of 4 metres or more With a single Ultra you can manage 4 metres with a backup line If you start line is more than 4 metres wide you will need at least 2 Ultras 1 2 2 Finish lines The average weekend race will have either a 2m or a 4m finish line Whatever the layout always try and use a backup line on the finish as this is obviously the most critical timing point of the race For any width up to 4m you can use a single Ultra in a main and backup configuration The more backup lines you put in the better your chances of not missing anyone and the less time you will spend handling post race queries If you have a 2m finish line consider using all 8 mats thereby providing 4 timing lines It will only take a few minutes extra to set up the second 4 mats Firmware Version 1 40 Page 28 1 3 Using Patch Antennae Patch antennae can be used As a powerful backup to a row of mats As side antennae for multisport races such as triathlons and aquathons when you are using the RFID Tim ing Multisport Tag As side antennae for a cycling race instead of mats As antennae for timing canoe races There usage needs to be considered carefully and their setup is critical 1 3 1 Orientation Patch antennae have to be oriented according to the type of UHF tag you are using and the orientation of that tag If you hold a single tag in front of a patch antenna a few metres away you wil
11. representing the gating interval For example u Ox1E 5 OXxFF will set the gating interval to 5 The largest gating value is 20 seconds If you try and set a higher number the gating will be set to 20 Channel number Ox1F A character representing the channel number 0x00 Channel A 0x01 Channel B 0x02 Auto No longer used 0x20 Beeper volume 0x21 A character representing the beeper volume 0x00 Off 0x01 Soft 0x02 Loud Auto set from GPS time 0x22 A character representing the GPS auto set setting 0x00 Don t set using GPS 0x01 Set using GPS 0x02 Loud Time zone 0x23 A string value representing the time zone For example u 0x23 8 0xFF will set the time zone to 8 The value can be any integer number between 23 and 23 Data sending 0x24 A character representing the data sending setting 0x00 Send always 0x01 Send only when requested Ultra ID 0x25 A string value representing the Ultra ID For example u 0x25 25 0xFF will set the ID to 25 This value can be any integer number from 1 to 255 Reader 1 antenna 4 backup 0x26 A character representing the Antenna 4 backup flag 0x00 Off 0x01 On Reader 2 antenna 4 backup 0x27 As above When to beep 0x28 A character representing the when to beep setting 0x00 Beep always 0x01 Beep only when first seen URL 0x29 A string value representing the URL for HTTP uploa
12. signal For example if you have set a value of 3 then the Ultra will wait for a period of 3 seconds after a chip is first read before saving it in the log file or sending it down the TCPIP socket During these 3 seconds the Ultra will look for the chip read with the strongest signal representing the moment in time when the chip is closest to the centre line of the timing mat There will not be many scenarios where you would need the gating value higher than around 3 seconds This setting is critical in a UHF race timing environment as a means to obtain the best possible result Consider the following situations Firmware Version 1 40 Page 12 Nov 2011 Start line In a start line situation you would not want to set gating to any value other than 1 second If for example you have it set to 5 seconds then the chip read obtained 5 seconds before the gun start could potentially be the strongest one and therefore the time stored Also a high gating value requires the firmware to store more chip time records in temporary memory and with the high volumes over a start line this could cause problems and will result in lost chip times Finish line On a finish line we recommend you have gating set to 3 seconds which reduces the chance of unwanted reads being obtained on the approach to the mat especially if the participant is moving slowly If you have a commentator display running off the finish line then this could affect your
13. stop the Ultra from reading and either turn it off or leave it on but in the main menu In the latter state it uses a negligible amount of power Make sure the fan is running as it is critical to prevent the internal readers from overheating 1 4 4 Check the Settings An Ultra system is highly configurable and there are some settings that can negatively impact your day if they are set incorrectly In particular check the following e Reader mode start line or finish line e Gating period e Power e Time It is much easier to check the settings using client software such as RFIDServer as you get a much clearer picture of EVERY setting without having to go through the entire menu 2 Battery and Mains Power Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 30 2 1 Charging the Battery The Ultra has an internal lithium lon battery very similar to those found in modern day laptop computers It is charged by plugging the mains cord into the 110 240V AC connector Next to the connector is a small LED which will be red while the battery is charging and green when it is fully charged You can leave the mains plugged in while the Ultra is operating to ensure the battery never runs flat Note that while the Ultra is operating the LED will always be red even when fully charged The LED will only go green when the Ultra is off AND the battery is fully charged As with any lithium ion battery you should try and keep the battery fully charged as m
14. time record is stored in the log file This record has the following settings Chip code 0 Reader number O Firmware Version 1 40 Page 18 Nov 2011 Antenna number O RSSI O And the time value is the current time with milliseconds on the internal Ultra processor This record is also sent to any connected client software 3 13 Rewind all as Bytes This is an emergency rewind option only to be used as and when instructed 3 14 Show MAC Address Like most computer devices the Ultra has a unique network identifier known as a MAC Address This number will be unique across all Ultras distributed and is primarily used by the remote data sending function to uniquely identify an Ultra from any others You may need to know the MAC Address for configuring your device in OutReach A MAC Address looks like this E045A7 sometimes written as E0 45 A7 3 15 Battery Indicator Type Some earlier Ultras were shipped with a different type of internal battery The battery type will have been set for you when your Ultra was shipped however for various reasons you might need to change it Earlier batteries are type 1 and will display as a voltage reading on the screen when the Ultra is reading More recent batteries from around March 2011 are type 2 and these will display as a percentage indicator on the screen You must set the correct type for the display to work correctly 3 16 Battery Calibration Please note th
15. you keep the file a manageable size After clearing the log file it is recommended that you a restart the Ultra and then b read at least one chip and confirm it has been stored in the log file WARNING There is no undelete feature Once you clear the log file you lose all your chip time data so you must make sure you have all necessary data on your PC 3 5 Log file size This displays the number of records currently in the log file 3 6 Regulatory region Your Ultra needs to be set to the regulatory region you are working in in order to operate at a legal frequency The following is the full list of regions and their corresponding code FCC ETSI EN 300 220 ETSI EN 302 208 Taiwan Japan Japan Max 10mW power ETSI EN 302 208 Korea Malaysia 10 China 11 Japan 16 Australia Rev 20 Israel 3 7 Comms protocol It is unlikely that you will need to change this setting unless you reset the Ultra to factory settings Some Ultra models require a communication protocol known as LLRP and some will use a protocol known as MACH1 Please consult with your supplier before changing this setting 3 8 Chip output type Firmware Version 1 40 Page 16 Nov 2011 In order to keep the Ultra as flexible as possible you have the option to output the chip code as a decimal number or an alpha numeric code The alpha numeric code will generally be shorter than the decimal code however some race scoring
16. 1 0x4E 0x0A GPRS IP address 192 168 1 78 U 0x03 16254 0x0A GPRS port 16254 U 0x04 Vodafone com 0x0A APN name Vodafone com U Ox25 25 0x0A Ultra ID 25 U Ox26 0x01 0x0A Reader 1 Ant 4 backup ON U Ox27 0x00 0x0A Reader 2 Ant 4 backup OFF U 0x28 0x01 0x0A When to beep Only when first seen The only setting different to the above table is the log file size This is returned with setting number Ox1B For example U 0x1B 15432 0x0A Records in log file 15432 Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 44 I Firmware Upgrades The Ultra is controlled by an on board microprocessor running what is termed firmware which you could think of as being the operating system of the Ultra As with all software it is constantly being improved and changed to meet customer requirements and other technology changes These changes are provided to you free of charge in the form of firmware upgrades although it is your responsibility to do the upgrade yourself The new firmware version will come in the form of a single file called UHFxxx BIN and you can download it from http www rfidtiming com Software Software htm Make sure you only download the firmware for the Ultra If you try and upload the wrong firmware to the Ultra it will cease to work and you will have to use option 2 below for fixing it You will be notified if there any urgent upgrades otherwise it is your responsibility to check the website
17. DEN A A dt 18 BILL TIE A at d 18 3 13 Re ewindall as Bytes A ad 19 3 14 Show MA CA dress ica 19 3 15 Battery Indicator Type oa 19 3 16 Battery Calibration 4 ONBOARD DATA STORAGE isonet resies anise aieea e iaaiiai Eni i aA Sa cado N a idia caustics ecw adan aba 4 1 Dat SO QUENCO ii A a aaia eia i ea i ai a aiaa ia E E 4 2 Retrieving Rewinding Data oooooccccooncccoonccooaonnnononononoonn conan onnconono nono non n nn nnonnnnnnnnononnnanononns 21 4 3 Firmware Updates B THE LCD DISPLAY E iii OA A 23 AS A E AE E EE E E E E E E E E 24 D CONNECTING VIA TCPIP cocoa teiaa teks tecestccesSeccedecsandsctedstecgecsedsnvedscsedccecdsedediacccice 25 E BASIC OPERATION AND TIPS s ccccccccecccssccoccessscesensecenccccccccsecsdesesccccccoccccsucdeceesecoccesesscsesvecedeccecccascscesssseses 26 Th SETTING UP THE ULTRA 000 cil tases ates EEEE AAEE Atala 1 1 Choose a suitable mat position 1 2 Deciding on a mat configuration Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 2 1 3 Starting Up the UIE iii A a e a A AAA ER II REA 29 2 BATTERY AND MAINS POWER Jitie ieie eea a aa aa a aaa aaa areta ieaiai 30 2 1 Charging the Batterye iriiria anii ainiai aE i a a a aa NEATA A agaaa dene 31 2 2 Running on Battery POET a A a tarado 31 Fz REMOTE DATA TRANSMISSION 2 220 scescscesssecccseescsacossers esenesserassvrsasecosseves seves saves sereccenes covassersseocssersessess 32 INTRODUCTION ssi oxen eines tt o ore ons eN
18. SSI Negative integer value This is the signal strength for the chip read IsRewind 0 or 1 A value of 1 means the data is being transmitted from a rewind command in other words it is not a live read Live and rewound data will be mixed up in between each other if you do a rewind while reading ReaderNo Integer value of from 1 to 3 representing the reader number There are 2 readers in an Ultra A reader number of 3 is used for MTB downhill start times UltralD Integer value See section 3 1 ReaderTime 8 characters representing the 64 bit time recorded by the UHF readers Not available for some Ultra models please speak to your supplier for more information StartTime For MTB downhill racing Integer value representing the number of seconds after 01 01 1980 LoglD Integer value representing the record s position in the log starting at one 1 3 Voltage Status This is a single string looking something like this V 25 0000 and terminated with a line feed character ASCII 10 Ox0A 2 Operational Commands Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 39 Nov 2011 2 1 Start reading Send R and the Ultra will start reading This has no effect if the Ultra is already reading 2 2 Stop reading Send S and the Ultra will stop reading 2 3 Rewind This command must be in the format 800 FromTime 0x0D ToTime or 600 FromRecordNo 0x0D ToRecordNo Where OxOD is a carriage return character ASCII
19. UHF readers has its own IP address too which will be preset for you when it ships The reader IP address can be changed see 2 4 8 below however this is not recommended for most users 2 4 Reader 1 The Ultra has 2 UHF readers inside Each one is essentially an independent reader which has 4 antenna ports and its own settings In most situations you will want both readers configured identically However if you have split your readers into 2 different timing points then you may want them configured differently 1 Antenna 1 Toggles antenna 1 on or off Antenna 1 is the right most antenna port on the Ultra while antenna 4 is the left most one under the power supply port Four green lights on the keypad will indicate which antennae are turned on and selecting Antenna 1 in the menu alternates the light on and off An illuminated light indicates the antenna is turned on Having all 4 antennae turned off essentially disables the relevant reader and it will not be used while reading The Ultra is also able to detect when an antenna is disconnected or connected while in read mode and the LED display will indicate this accordingly see below however it is not advisable to have an antenna port turned on if it isn t being used as prolonged use in this situation could damage the reader On the Ultra panel reader 1 s antenna ports are the top row and the bottom row of ports belong to reader 2 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 8 Nov 2011
20. as sound systems and VIP areas which usually have fridges and kettles Being close to those often means you end up being close to large power cables and technicians who lay them find timing mats to be a convenient object to hide their cables Stay away from refreshment tables Competitors tend to throw their half empty cups of water next to the road where your Ultra may be set up Stay away from vehicle traffic areas The Ultra mats are strong enough to withstand some vehicles but a lot of those used in finish areas to carry equipment around have small hard wheels that will damage anything they run over If you are setting up under carpets it is important to bear in mind that if it rains the carpet could become saturated with water and this could greatly affect your system performance Although the Ultra mats are relatively heavy strong gusts of wind can still lift them up If you are set up on a road and especially in cycle races make sure you use strong tape to hold them down On grassy areas you might need to hold the corners down with sandbags or similar There have been some serious incidents with timing mats blowing up in the face of competitors The Ultra mats tend to remain very still on tarmac but if laid on grass they tend to move around as competitors run over them So you may need to rearrange them occasionally during the race Try and keep the Ultra as far away from the mats as possible to avoid the common occurrence of co
21. at no calibration should be done for type 1 batteries see 3 15 above Like all lithium ion batteries the performance of the battery in the Ultra will change over time This will affect the battery level indicator on the screen which needs to be accurate so that you know when it s about to run flat Calibrating the battery tells the Ultra where its upper and lower levels are This can only be achieved by knowing what the level is when the battery is fully charged and what it is when the battery goes flat Calibration should be done at least every 6 months There are two ways to determine these levels 1 By letting the Ultra do it for you as explained below Firmware Version 1 40 Page 19 2 By entering the values manually yourself provided you know what they are 3 16 1 Automatic Battery Calibration Make sure the battery is fully charged Select the Start menu option in the battery calibration menu The Ultra will go into battery calibration mode displaying its status on screen You then need to let the battery run completely flat in other words until the Ultra goes off At this stage calibration has been completed and you can then recharge the battery and use the Ultra as normal NOTE During the calibration period which could take anything up to 5 5 hours the Ultra is in read mode using both internal readers with only antenna number 1 enabled for both readers We suggest you don t plug any mats in or at least re
22. ction cannot be established reduced from 20 seconds to 2 seconds e Included Australia Japan and Israel region support e Remote software Outreach can do a rewind e Resolved an issue where the display was showing antennae X s when you start reading only changing to 1 s when a tag is seen e GPS time is now only used if sufficient satellites can be seen e Added a reader menu item to turn all antennae on e When the antenna 4 backup option is selected antenna 4 is turned on if it is found to be off e The Ultra s subnet mask has been changed to 255 255 0 0 previously it was 255 255 255 0 e The on screen antenna indicators now display as follows 0 Off On and antenna is connected 1 Tag has been read in the last second X Antenna fault or not connected Version 1 40A e Option to beep once for each chip so the user gets feedback as to how any tags were detected Version 1 40B e If a LAN server name is blank then no connection is attempted e Invalid Gateway or DNS values are discarded e In start mode the gating period is now ignored e A trigger or photo cell beam break now displays TRIGGER PRESSED on the display for a second Version 1 40C e The client type setting is now changed automatically to OutReach when Outreach connects and other when any other client software connects So changing the client type setting is no longer necessary and this menu item has been removed Nov 2011 Fi
23. ding for example www mywebsite com Gateway 0x2A IP address of gateway for HTTP uploading See 0x1A command above for IP address format Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 43 DNS Server 0x2B IP address of DNS server for HTTP uploading See 0x1A command above for IP address format Save settings OxFF Commits the settings changes So all this requires is a u followed by OxFF U OXFF Each of the above command is acknowledged by the Ultra as confirmation that it has been received The acknowledgement looks like this u Setting number 0x02 For example if you set the time zone the following response will be received u Ox23 Ox02 4 Querying settings All the above settings can be queried by issuing a U command The Ultra will respond with a string of characters Each setting will be prefixed with a U and terminated with Ox0A line feed ASCII character 10 The format of each setting in the string of characters is U Setting number Setting value Delimiter Ox0A The setting number corresponds to the commands in the above table A typical string would look something like this U 0x01 0x00 0x0A U 0x02 0xCO 0xA8 0x01 0x4E 0x0A U 0x03 16254 0x0A U 0x04 Vodafone com 0x0A U Ox25 25 0x0A U 0x26 0x01 0x0A U 0x27 0x00 0x0A U 0x28 0x01 0x0A When Split up this string would look like this U 0x01 0x00 0x0A GPRS off U Ox02 OxCO OxA8 0x0
24. e then the binary search algorithm used when rewinding retrieving data Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 20 see below will not work correctly The storage sequence can only be negatively affected in unusual circumstances such as a You set the date and time incorrectly and read some chips b You cross time zones for your next timing contract read some chips realize the time is wrong so reset the time back and read some more chips If this happens it is important that you clear the log file if possible otherwise you will probably need to do a full rewind of data This is why we recommend keeping the log file at a manageable size 4 2 Retrieving Rewinding Data The process of retrieving stored data is called rewinding The command to perform this is usually done by your client software but it can also be done by the Ultra 1 Rewinding from Client Software The command for doing a rewind is described in section G 2 3 You do a rewind of all data or based on a particular date range No matter how big the log file is the rewind data should start streaming down the TCPIP socket within a second or 2 of the command being issued If no data is forthcoming then the chances are that either 1 you do not have a TCPIP connection or 2 your date time range is wrong Rewinding can be done while the Ultra is reading without any risk of missing chip reads although we strongly recommend you don t issue a rewind while a lar
25. e on the internal processor 3 Show current time Displays the current time on the Ultra 4 Set time zone This is a value in hours to be added to the UTC time received from the GPS chip You must set this before attempting to set the Ultra s time using the GPS chip If you are unsure of the correct time zone value set the time using the GPS and compare it to your watch then calculate a time zone value by subtracting the two 5 Turn GPS on off In order to maintain an accurate time setting the Ultra can use the GPS chip to set the time at regular intervals currently set at every 10 minutes Because this process can take a few seconds it is NOT recommended that Firmware Version 1 40 Page 7 Nov 2011 you have this turned on in a start line situation In fact the time setting will not be attempted unless your current read mode is Finish line see 2 4 5 below Also if the GPS time is found to be more than 20 seconds outside the Ultra s time then the time will NOT be set This protects you against a faulty GPS chip or weak satellite readings and in situations where you have purposefully set the Ultra time differently to UTC time If this situation is found then this GPS on off setting is set back to OFF so that no further automatic time setting is attempted 2 3 Network This menu options set the IP address of the Ultra More specifically it sets the IP address of the processor inside the Ultra Each of the
26. e the device that establishes the internet connection and then connect the Ultra to that device using an Ethernet network cable Using a GPRS Modem More recent Ultra models have built in GPRS modems which can be used to send chip time data over the internet to a remote server This enables you to have remote timing points and yet still receive live timing data from them into your scoring software Using this system has the following preconditions e You will need to purchase and install a mobile sim card that is enabled for data transmission You will also need to keep the sim card topped up for future use and it would be preferable to have a contract with a provider that allows you to do this without having to remove the sim card from the Ultra The sim card MUST NOT have a pin code locking it It must be unlocked e The GPRS antenna must be plugged in to the antenna port on the front panel lower right corner under the on off switch e There must be GPRS coverage on the local mobile network for your sim card e You need to use software OutReach provided by RFID Race Timing Systems to download the chip time data to your PC This PC will require an internet connection 1 Installing the Sim Card In order to insert a sim card into the GPRS modem you will need to open up the Ultra This is not a complex task and simply requires a single screwdriver STEP 1 Remove the 8 screws from the top panel of the Ultra No
27. ed Voltage status Every 10 seconds This can also be used by the client software to detect whether or not it still has a valid connection to the Ultra This will always be sent regardless of whether or not the Ultra is reading 1 1 Connection Information This will be in the following format Connected LastTimeSent It is a comma delimited string terminated with a line feed character ASCII 10 Ox0A The first field being the word Connected and the second field is an integer value representing the time in seconds after 01 01 1980 of the last chip sent down the socket This last value can be used by the client software to determine whether or not any data has been missed 1 2 Chip Reads Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 38 These will be in the following format 0 ChipCode Seconds Milliseconds AntennaNo RSSI lsRewind ReaderNo UltralD ReaderTime StartTime LoglD It is a comma delimited string terminated with a line feed character ASCII 10 Ox0A Description of fields in the above order 0 Zero unused at present ChipCode Could be the chip code decimal or hexadecimal value depending on current setting in Ultra see section 3 8 Seconds Integer value representing the number of seconds after 01 01 1980 Milliseconds Integer value representing the millisecond portion of the time AntennaNo Integer value from 1 to 4 representing the antenna number the chip was detected on R
28. en you cannot upgrade using the above method possibly due to some corruption of your firmware file Also if you replaced the Ultra s processor yourself you will need to follow this procedure You will need a Rabbit processor 1 27mm programming cable which you can purchase here http www rabbit com products 1 27 mm rab prog cable And you will also need the Rabbit Field Utility software which you can download by copying and pasting this link into a browser http www rfidtiming com Software Rfu zi Unzip the contents of that file into a folder anywhere on your PC There is no installation utility to run STEP 1 Remove the 8 screws from the top panel of the Ultra Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 46 Step 3 Remove the rear panel by unscrewing the 11 small screws holding it down Make sure you remove the correct panel see image below Step 5 Connect the programming cable to your PC and to the Rabbit processor board The programming cable has a serial interface on one end you can use a USB Serial adaptor if you need to and the other end has 2 small black connectors looking like this Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 47 One connector has the letters PROG and the other has the letters DIAG The connector with the letters PROG has to be plugged onto the 10 pins on the Rabbit processor board as in the image below Make sure the red side of the cable is on the correct side so that the word PROG is facing the top
29. ersion 1 40 Page 45 Search Download Abort Help Exit Dynamic C RAM Loade Use Built in Softools RAM loader for Rabbit PDL Generic bin Ping Config Log Specify RAM loader e Use Buil RAM Loader Z Network Downloade User Program c temp UHF BIN F Force Short Packets T Force RFID UHF Eje RAM loader Download Vv Query for User block size j IP 192 168 1 98 2000 00 90 c2 de df c4 Flash loader STEP 6 Highlight the line showing your Ultra s IP address and click the Download button at the top of the window Ping Config Log Search Download Abort Help Exit C Specify RAM loader Use Built in Dynamic C RAM Loade Use Buji ABoftools RAM loader RAM Loader 2 Network Downloader for Rabbit PDL Generic bin y User Program c temp UHF BIN zi El F Force Short Packets i E Force RAM loader Download Vv Query for User block size j RFID UHF 8 1 98 2000 00 390 c2 dc df c4 Flash loader The UDPDownloader will go through the process of updating the firmware and it will then reboot the Ultra After that the procedure is complete The entire operation will take around 30 seconds IMPORTANT Do not try and interrupt the download If you do the Ultra will not work and you may not be able to use the UDPDownload software again If this happens please contact your supplier 2 Upgrading using a programming cable The use of a programming cable is only for wh
30. for any new versions The version of your current firmware is displayed at the top of the main menu The firmware is downloaded to the Ultra using the supplied UDPDownload software and a standard network cable between your PC and the Ultra You will need a valid IP address on your PC so that communication with the Ultra is possible IMPORTANT After uploading a new firmware version go through the settings on your Ultra to make sure they are all set correctly Although unlikely a firmware upgrade could reset some settings 1 Upgrading using a network cable STEP 1 Download UHF Bin to your PC from www rfidtiming com STEP 2 Run the UDPDownload software if you don t have it download it from www rfidtiming com STEP 3 Connect a standard network cable from your PC to either of the network ports on the Ultra and make sure you are able to connect to it by having a similar IP address STEP 4 Browse to the UHF BIN file by clicking the ellipsis button next to the User Program field Ping Config Log Search Download Abort Ip Exit C Specify RAM loader Use Built in Dynamic C RAM Loade Use Built in Softools RAM loader RAM Loader 2 Network Downloader for Rabbit PDL Generic bin User Program c temp UHF BIN z E Force Short Packets TT Force RAM loader Download V Query for User block size STEP 5 By now your Ultra should be showing in the white window If not click the Search button Nov 2011 Firmware V
31. ge start line is in progress as the Ultra s onboard processor will be very busy at that time If you do a rewind and then realize that you mistakenly selected a large date time range and don t want to wait for the process to finish you can issue a stop rewinding command from the client software or you can hit ENTER on the Ultras keypad Although you cannot hit ENTER on the Ultra to stop rewinding if the Ultra is currently reading 2 Rewinding from the Ultra This is a menu item described in section A 3 3 You can use this option to push the log file to the client software All data will be sent and you can stop the process by hitting ENTER on the keypad 4 3 Firmware Updates Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 21 The firmware controlling the Ultra is constantly being upgraded and improved Occasionally an upgrade might involve a change to the data file structure We strongly recommend that the log file is cleared immediately before or after a firmware upgrade or your data might be unusable going forward Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 22 B The LCD Display The display on the box during reading provides some valuable information and it is important that you become accustomed to it The image below shows a typical display and what each value means 10 11 12 Nov 2011 Lines 11 and 10 represent readers 1 and 2 respectively The current time Gating mode and interval The first value will be R fo
32. hat gating see 2 7 below is set to 1 second Firmware Version 1 40 Page 11 Nov 2011 2 6 1 2 Finish line A finish line should be configured slightly differently to a start line The readers will be set to report as many reads as possible per chip typically up to 30 per second so that an accurate determination can be made of the actual finish time by comparing signal strengths of chips as they cross over the timing mat Gating should ideally be set to 3 seconds or more to allow for as accurate a time as possible however bear in mind this will adversely affect a commentator display if you have one running off the finish line 2 6 1 3 Desktop Desktop mode is specifically for scanning chips in an office or race registration scenario All antennae are turned off except antenna 1 on reader 1 so you MUST use reader 1 only and the power is reduced to 15 There is a second gating value used when in desktop mode so that if you hold the same chip over the antenna it will only register every x seconds After changing the reader to desktop mode go to the gating menu section 2 7 below change it to By reader then set the gating value to the setting you want The default and recommended value is 10 seconds 2 7 Gating A gating value is a time period in seconds used by the Ultra during which a chip time is not stored so that further processing can take place specifically to allow the Ultra to look for a stronger chip
33. he backup antenna field of view to the finish mat field of view For example if you have gating set to 2 seconds and a competitor gets read on antenna 4 the backup then only on the finish line mats 5 seconds later he will end up with 2 reads which is not ideal In this case you would want gating set higher than 5 seconds So to use this backup option you would generally have a higher than normal gating value which you need to take into consideration if for example you are running a commentator display off the finish line Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 10 Nov 2011 E Ultra with 3 mats Patch Antenna 2 5 Reader 2 The settings for reader 2 are identical to those for reader 1 See section 2 4 above 2 6 Mode The Ultra has 4 pre defined modes of operation It is possible to operate outside these 4 modes by changing various settings however this is NOT recommended as it could adversely affect your chip read success These pre defined modes are configured based on extensive testing in many different situations The 4 modes are 2 6 1 1 Start line This mode is configured for a typical start line situation The readers will only read and report a chip once a second which drastically reduces the amount of processing the Ultra needs to do when thousands of competitors are crossing the timing mat every minute For a typical start line situation make sure you have all 4 antenna turned on if in use and t
34. he finish line mat There are three effects that minimise this Firstly the antennas developed by RFID Race Timing Systems have a narrow focus beam that points directly vertical of the mat The beam angle is 120 degrees 60 degrees from vertical so a BAP should not be read by the antenna when more than 4m from the mat when placed at adult chest height Secondly the signal sent from the BAP is weaker when placed close to the human skin so the BAP should only be read within 3 4m of the mat Finally the advanced timestamp algorithm of Ultra constantly measures the signal strength of the BAP The BAP is only time stamped when the signal strength is at maximum directly over the mat antenna This explains why there is often a delay between the beep of the buzzer when a tag is read and the display of the tag code and time on the LCD screen Ultra correctly timestamp s the tag code when the BAP s signal strength reduces Because of its ability to read tags from a few metres away care should be taken when competitors are able to stand near the mats either before or after they finish For example a competitor who has withdrawn during a race might stand near the finish line and be read by the Ultra Likewise when you have 2 timing points in close proximity competitors could be mistakenly read by both Ultras when they should only have been picked up by one Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 36 This effect will be more pronounced when you are working in
35. heading to a nearby toilet or by taking a shortcut on a sharp corner 1 2 Deciding on a mat configuration Nov 2011 Your Ultra will give you a huge array of possible layouts with anything from 1 metre to 16 meters wide Remember that you don t need to use all 8 mats In an MTB race on a thin track you may only be able to use one mat However the more mats you lay out the less chance of someone s chip not being read The layout configurations below will all describe a main and backup line setup However in all situations bear in mind that even when you have a main and backup line if you have a single Ultra then that is a single point of failure A flat battery water spill or power spike could render your entire timing line useless The more important the race the more you should consider using 2 Ultras at all timing points Always be aware that the ends of the mats are weak signal strength zones so try and have an overlap with the edges of the finish chute to keep participants away from them and closer to the centre 1 2 1 Start lines Start lines are the hardest type to set up and require the most thought and care They have to deal with much greater densities over a very short period of time and if you make a mistake you have no time to fix it once the gun goes off Start lines should always have a main and backup line preferably using 2 Ultras If someone gets missed on the main line there is every chance they will be picked up
36. imum energy is reflected back to the reader antenna However the performance will be decreased the closer the tag is to the skin The tags should be correctly read when the BAP is placed on the back of a race bib and the bib is attached with safety pins The BAP is not designed to be placed on the back of a race number that is stuck by adhesive to the athletes clothing We have found that the act of holding a hand in front of a tag when crossing a timing mat will on rare occasions prevent the tag being read This action is sometimes performed by competitors as they reach up to turn their watch off as they cross the finish line What is the maximum number of tags that can be read at the same time UHF readers are able to read many hundreds of tags within a few seconds due to anti collision algorithms In effect the transponders are rapidly sending their signals at different times so as to avoid confusion to the reader In racing scenarios there is no upper limit to the number of athletes that can be read under normal conditions These include the start line of a running race where over 800 runners pass a 4m wide timing point every minute How far away can the tag be read As the tag is placed closer to the human body the strength of the signal reflected back to the reader is reduced The BAP can be read as far away as 60 metres line of sight to an antenna This would pose problems for timing given that the athlete should be timed when directly over t
37. l However these records are recorded as being not sent When the start sending command is issued to the Ultra the chip time data will be sent to the client as usual The command also includes a start time value which causes the Ultra to send any unsent records on or after that time This value can also be a zero which will result in the Ultra starting its sending from the last time it recorded a chip time as being sent to the socket When the data stop command is issued to the Ultra the data will stop flowing Disconnecting the TCPIP connection from the client will also stop the Ultra from sending data Firmware Version 1 40 Page 17 Nov 2011 When you first make a TCPIP connection to the Ultra it issues a value representing last time sent which is the time of the last successful chip read sent down the socket You can use this to identify what time you should issue with the start sending command Rewind Data Rewind commands are also affected by this setting If you issue a rewind command it will only be acted on when you issue the start sending command You can cancel a pending rewind state by issuing a second rewind command NOTE 1 If there currently chip reads taking place the unsent records will be included with the live chip reads on a random basis NOTE 2 If there is an unexpected disconnection while data is flowing such as a network cable being unplugged the Ultra can remai
38. l notice that turning it by 90 can result in almost no reads Some patch antennas come with labels describing how to orient according to the orientation of the tag but we suggest you spend some time trying different option so that you know exactly how yours work This will determine how you orient the antennae based on how the tag is stuck to the bib or bike post sticker 1 4 Starting up the Ultra Nov 2011 Make sure your Ultra is positioned on solid ground and away from any equipment or people traffic Before and during a race organisers will often change the position of their equipment and you don t want your Ultra knocked over by a heavy pole or driven over by a vehicle If there is any chance it is going to rain have a heavy piece of waterproof material nearby so that the Ultra can be covered Although the Pelican case is waterproof once you have the antennae leads plugged in the lid is open and water can get in 1 4 1 Connecting the antenna leads Take particular care when screwing the leads onto the Ultra The threads can be stripped quite easily Clean the connectors thoroughly making sure there is no dust or moisture in them Don t attempt to screw them on using gloves you need the feeling in your fingers so that you know you are not cross threading the connectors There is no specific order that the antenna leads should be attached in however it is a good idea to stick to a regular sequence so that is somethi
39. laa E 32 USING AGPRS MODEM 2 sss vecesdsasccccs indio Lead aves EREA A a o iaa 32 Jr Installing the SM Carde a a a a ess Aaaa a aaa a a A a i aaea a aaa 32 A c id i EL A O NA 34 USING A LAN CONNECTION 3 12 ccccic e coaciiewarnatcetiesecbiccuswt suse senaveyedlstanaccet coeesusebveshes EAE a EE EAEE E Ee eiee 35 Ge SPA TO 36 He COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL i isei c ecscsccsisccsssecessanscnacecoececdenesdenasieysascoosi ceed sevesteecescvsdsenssseradtevsdecosserssncers 38 T DATA SENT BY THE ULTRA oia ci dd inicie 38 1 1 CONNECTION INFOFMATION A aaa ia ies 38 1 2 CIID REO OS aida ad 38 1 3 VOLAGES eA K REEE E PEA a rata 39 2 OPERATIONAL COMMANDS pinra a aa a aaae A a a a i a aa a aeaa aea iata 39 2 1 Start redding laica 2 2 STOP TCAGING ARAA AAAA A A A E EE A a 2 3 ROWING DREPER io EETA 2 4 SHIA A E 2 5 Setting the time 2 6 Getting the time 2 7 CUFTONESTO US acondicionar tibia A RARA RA IAEA RARA ERA 2 8 RIA A O NN 41 2 9 STOP sending MAU 2 atte 41 3 CHANGING SETTINGS un eae de A a EE E Eae i 41 4 QUERVING SETTINGS eeno ie a das 44 l AU A O 45 1 Upgrading using a network cable csscccccccsessssseccesessnssnscesecesensseesesenenenssesesesessaasesscesseuaasseseesseeusaesesenenaaa 2 Upgrading using a programming cable Ji FIRMWARE UPGRADE HISTORY vivccessccz scesizccenccancch socsaccadescoviacadenteadceuvacdaetessieghsncvecteadacestecdseagiet Geusdeeartucccdeuvieagasvente K SPECIFICATIONS ccc
40. move any tags in the vicinity 3 16 2 Manual Battery Calibration The battery upper and lower levels are simply 2 numeric values which will differ from one Ultra to the next The values can be manually entered from the calibration menu You can obtain the values as follows Charge the Ultra fully and select the set upper now menu option Run the Ultra flat charge it for 2 minutes remove the charger and then select the set lower now menu option Your battery settings are now calibrated and you can recharge the Ultra fully 4 Onboard Data Storage The Ultra has an onboard flash memory module capable of storing approximately 1 million chip reads The chip times are saved to this memory at the same time that they are outputted to the TCPIP socket if any client software is connected see section G The data will remain in the memory until you delete it see section A 3 4 although we recommend you don t allow the memory to fill up Clear the log file on a regular basis to keep it a manageable size DO NOT use the Ultra as a permanent storage of your timing data If the Ultra unexpectedly shuts down due to power loss you will not lose any data of course with the exception of those chips that cross the antennas while the Ultra is not working 4 1 Data Sequence In order to allow the Ultra to manage such a large volume of data it requires the chip times to be stored in DATE AND TIME sequence If the data gets out of sequenc
41. mpetitors tripping over them In open areas place warning barriers around your equipment Where to put the start and finish lines is unambiguous When it comes to positioning other timing points though some careful thought needs to go into where you place your mats Remember that a UHF tag can be read from a long distance away When a mat is lying flat on the ground you need a dead zone at least 3 metres from the mats to prevent tags being read while competitors walk around before during or after the race This also means you will need to keep adjacent timing points at least that distance apart For races using the Ultra disposable tags it would be worth your while to discuss this with the race director before he decides on a layout You don t want to arrive at the race site at 4am on a Sunday only to find that you have to ask him to move his barrier fencing around Remote timing points such as a marathon halfway mark will often have lower densities of competitors crossing per second however race organisers often have an entire road closed for the race and will allow competitors to spread out over the whole road Consider using Firmware Version 1 40 Page 27 barriers or traffic cones to force competitors into a narrower zone over your mats so that you can get a main and backup line in You should also have a good look at the immediate vicinity to see if competitors could have any reason to run round around your mats for example by
42. n in a state where it is unaware that there is no longer a connection and it continues to send data to the TCPIP port In this situation if you reconnect then you should do a manual rewind of any possible missing data 3 11 When to beep The Ultra can be set to beep e All the time ie whenever a chip is in contact If you hold a chip over the mat the Ultra will beep continuously e On first time seen The Ultra will beep once when the chip is first read and then again only after the current gating period So if your gating period is 3 seconds and you hold a chip over the mat it will only beep every 3 seconds e Once per read The Ultra will beep once for EVERY chip read up to a maximum of 10 beeps So if 6 competitors come past the Ultra will beep 6 times This option works in conjunction with your current gating period If your gating is set to 5 seconds then the beeps will only occur after 5 seconds have past For this reason we recommend that this option only be used when the gating period is set to 1 second It is only really useful in situations where you are unsure of your tag performance and you want to make sure every competitor is being picked up Obviously if you have a busy timing point with high competitor density this option becomes useless 3 12 Trigger For Ultra models that have a GPIO port the external trigger interrupt is turned on with this option When triggered by something like a photocell beam being broken a
43. ng goes wrong you know where to start looking For example try and always put the shortest lead into antenna port 1 which is the right most antenna port and the longest lead into antenna port 4 which is the left Firmware Version 1 40 Page 29 most antenna port Then if you have a faulty antenna indicated by an X on the LCD display you know immediately which one it is and it can be removed quickly 1 4 2 Connecting power supplies Depending on your Ultra model you may or may not be using external power If you are plug it in now and make sure all your power leads are away from any moisture and feet 1 4 3 Turn on the Ultra The Ultra takes about 10 seconds to boot up to the main menu The internal UHF readers take about a minute to complete their boot process so even once the Ultra menu has appeared you will still need to wait another 50 or so seconds before you can start reading This is important to bear in mind if you prefer to only start your timing equipment when the first finisher is a short distance away which is NOT a recommended habit to get into While the unit is booting up you are still able to use the menu to change or check settings Once you have set up all your timing mats it is strongly recommended that you turn on your Ultra and do some tests even if you are hours away from the race finish This gives you time to consider any contingencies if you find you have an equipment fault Do your tests then
44. nnects to the Ultra via a TCPIP socket connection When this connection is made the right most orange light on the keypad lights up When you disconnect the PC application the orange light turns off When there is an unexpected disconnection typically when a network failure takes place such as a cable being pulled out then the Ultra s operating system is not aware of the disconnection and it holds the socket making it unavailable for further connections rendering the Ultra uncontactable Some PC software such as RFIDServer can force the connection to close Alternatively you can select this menu option WARNING If you currently have a valid connection from a PC this will force a disconnection and you could potentially lose data although it can be rewound If more than 1 client is connected then all clients will be disconnected 3 3 Rewind all A rewind is the term used to recall chip time data from an Ultra to a PC This process is generally done from the PC based software however you can force all the data on the Ultra down a socket connection by using this menu item Note that you have no option of specifying a date by default all data is rewound 3 4 Clear log file Firmware Version 1 40 Page 15 Nov 2011 This clears the chip time log file on the Ultra The log file can hold approximately 500 000 reads however as with any file system the larger the file the more operations on it slow down We recommend that
45. oes not extend to providing help on the use of these modems All that the Ultra requires is a Gateway IP address which will be the IP address of your 3G router You can specify this Gateway IP address using RFIDServer NOTE If you are using one of RFID Timing s servers then a DNS value is not required you can leave this value blank or enter 0 0 0 0 Once you have enabled the LAN option the Ultra will attempt to establish a connection Note that this will occur even when the Ultra isn t reading Once a connection has been established an LED light on the keypad will come on the green light which is 3 from the right Another way of checking the connection status is to start reading In the bottom right corner of the display screen you will see one of the following LOFF LAN is turned off L Aconnection is being attempted LSOC A connection has been made successfully LERx An error has occurred an attempt will be made to reconnect Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 35 G FAQ Do tags read through the human body The UHF tag sends back very weak signals to the reader and these can be weakened further in the presence of water and metal The BAP PowerlD tag will not read through the human body and requires a fairly direct path between antenna and tag The signals will wrap around certain barriers The BAP is able to read very close to the human body i e a race bib on the chest because the on board battery ensures max
46. panel NOTE Make sure the plug is placed correctly over the 10 pins It is very easy to completely miss one row and it would still feel like it was seated correctly STEP 6 Start and configure the RFU software Run the program called Rfu exe The click Setup gt Communications and make sure the settings are as in the image below The COM port setting may differ on your PC Do not use the Use USB to Serial convertor option even if you are using one Communications Options meom Connection Type Serial Options Use Serial Connection Baud Rates Debug Baud Rate 115200 X Max Download Baud Rate s20 y IV Disable Baud Negotiation SerialPort COM2 Stop Bits 2 X J Enable Processor verification Use USB to Serial Converter Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 48 STEP 7 Upload the firmware From the top menu in the RFU program click File gt Load flash image and browse to the UHFxxx BIN firmware file you downloaded earlier This should be enough to start the upload process which will take a minute or two If you get an Error reading bytes message then the chances are you haven t connected the programming cable correctly to the header on the board Remove it and try again Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 49 J Firmware Upgrade History Version 1 40 e Extensive GPRS and LAN remote connection changes e Added battery calibration menu e Initial connection timeout if a reader conne
47. r per reader and B for per box The value in parenthesis indicates the gating interval 1 59 seconds Chip code of last chip read Number of client connections T1 one connection T2 2 connections T3 3 connections See section D in this manual SON sending on SOFF sending off See section 3 10 GPRS connection status GOFF GPRS modem is off GON GPRS modem is on but not connected GSOC GPRS modem is on and connected successfully to the remote web service Number of chip reads since reading was started When this value reaches 100 000 it will cycle back to O zero again Reader mode and session S start line mode F finish line mode D desktop mode R raw mode The session number will be 1 2 3 or 4 Antenna indicator A value of indicates antenna on a value of 0 indicates antenna off and when a tag is detected the will change to a 1 for one second so that you can see which antenna read the tag Pictorially the numbers are laid out as per the antenna connectors on the front panel with the top line being reader 1 and the bottom line being reader 2 The left most value is antenna 4 and the right most value is antenna 1 If you have an antenna turned on and the reader detects that there is nothing connected then the will change to an X until an antenna is connected Reader 2 Reader 1 Current voltage reading of the power supply This should remain
48. r is unaware of the disconnection No further connections can then be made above the 3 connection limit until the connection is forced to close You can do this in 2 ways 1 The client software can issue a reset command to close any open connections forcibly 2 On the Ultra 2 1 If not reading go to the Other menu and select Reset PC Socket 2 2 If reading click the down arrow on the keypad Connecting with more than one client When 2 or more clients are connected to the Ultra the following will happen 1 Any chip reads will be transmitted to all clients Rewound data will only be sent to the client that requested the data 3 When a client does a rewind you should ensure that no other clients do the same until the rewind is complete Otherwise the first connection will stop receiving rewound data 4 When you reset the TCPIP port see 2 2 above all current socket connections are closed Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 25 E Basic Operation and Tips Ultra has one or two Generation 2 EPC Readers built into the case Each one of these readers has four 4 multiplexed antenna ports which rapidly switch between each other during reading of tags The start up procedure is to first attach the antennas to the desired ports There is no prescribed sequence of antenna ports needed as long as the attached antenna ports match those in the settings for each reader 1 Attach the antennas to the ports Take special care no
49. r off status 0x00 Off 0x01 On Reader 1 antenna 2 Ox0D As above Reader 1 antenna 3 OxOE As above Reader 1 antenna 4 OxOF As above Reader 2 antenna 1 0x10 As above Reader 2 antenna 2 0x11 As above Reader 2 antenna 3 0x12 As above Reader 2 antenna 4 0x13 As above Reader 1 mode 0x14 A character representing the reader mode 0x00 Start 0x01 Desktop 0x02 Raw 0x03 Finish 0x04 MTB Downhill Reader 2 mode 0x15 As above Reader 1 session 0x16 A character representing the reader session 0x00 Session O 0x01 Session 1 0x02 Session 2 0x03 Session 3 Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 42 IMPORTANT See section Error Reference source not found above Reader 2 session 0x17 As above Reader 1 power 0x18 A string value representing the power value For example u 0x18 29 0xFF will set the power to 29 Reader 2 power 0x19 As above Reader 1 IP address Ox1A 4 characters each representing a part of the IP address For example to set the IP address to 192 168 1 78 send u Ox1A 0xC0 0xA8 0x01 0x4E OxFF IMPORTANT See section 2 47 above Reader 2 IP address 0x1B As above Gating mode 0x1D A character representing the gating mode 0x00 Per reader 0x01 Per box 0x02 First time seen Gating interval Ox1E A string value
50. rmware Version 1 40 Page 50 Version 1 40E e In an 8 port Ultra you can no longer have one reader set to start mode and the other set to finish mode Both readers have to be on either start or finish mode e Changes to cater for South African readers Version 1 40F e The reset settings menu option has been removed Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 51 K Specifications Power Internal lithium ion battery 27V 28V output 180Wh Approx running time See section E 2 2 External 110V 220V AC used to charge the battery Antenna Ports 8 monostatic ports with reverse TNC connector Frequency FCC 902 928MHz ETSI 866 868MHz Australia 920 924MHz Antenna Gain 10dBi designed bandwidth Communications Two 10 100BaseT Ethernet ports Wi Fi Bridge infrastructure and ad hoc modes GPIO connector for customised inputs and outputs Options GPS time synchronisation GPRS modem with TCP IP stack Weight 5 9kg Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 52
51. s Start Reading Settings Other You navigate the menu using the UP and DOWN arrows on the keypad and activate a menu item by pressing the ENTER key The menu options are explained below 1 Menu Start Reading This initializes the UHF readers and starts the read process Depending on the type of UHF reader in your Ultra this process will take anything between 1 and 3 seconds After the initialization process the readers are in read mode and are ready to read chips The readers start their boot up process when you first turn on the Ultra This boot up takes approximately 50 seconds and you will be prevented from initializing them for this period If you try and start reading you will see a message like this Readers starting up 23 sec left Wait for the specified period before trying again Remember that there are 2 UHF readers in your Ultra and both need to be initialized unless you have one turned off see section 2 4 below To stop reading press the plus and ENTER keys in that order NOTE The Ultra has an automated restart feature to minimize lost reads in exceptional circumstances If the readers are not stopped by the user for example when the battery runs flat then the next time the Ultra is powered on it will automatically restart the readers During the boot process it will beep every 3 seconds as it waits for the reader boot up period see above to complete 2 Menu Settings 2 1 Show all settings
52. sssssescccsssescccccscscseceeseeecnccscsseececssececcseesssecseeseeaaceessscseecseauecseeauccsceseeseseeaaueseseoens 52 Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 3 Documentation Update History August 9 2011 Added instructions for battery calibration November 16 2011 Updated for all firmware changes up to version 1 40 February 7 2012 Updated the remote data transmission section adding documentation for LAN connections Added explanation of the Once per read beep option August 2012 Some minor changes to bring the document in line with the latest firmware Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 4 Terminology Reader UHF reader These are the UHF readers inside the Ultra There may be 1 or 2 readers depending on your system Rabbit processor The Ultra s internal central processing unit NAND memory The box has an internal processor that controls the UHF readers Chip time data is not stored on the UHF readers it is stored by the processor in some memory called NAND flash which is much like the memory used in USB memory sticks GPS Your Ultra may have an internal GPS receiver and antenna which can be used to set the Ultras time very accurately Antenna Mats These are the receive antenna usually in the form of EVA or rubber mats that plug into one of the 8 antenna ports on the Ultra Rewinding Rewind This is the term used for retrieving old chip reads from the Ultra s log file A rewind command is is
53. st time seen is not necessarily an accurate representation of when the competitor crosses the mat He could be first seen a few metres before the mat For this reason this mode is unsuitable for results purposes 2 8 Channel number UHF readers operate within specified frequency bands as regulated by individual countries and regions The readers do what is termed frequency hopping in that they constantly change the frequency they are operating in to reduce the possibility of conflicts with other UHF readers in the vicinity ETSI readers for European countries operate at 4 possible frequencies also called 4 channels and the readers can be set to either hop between these frequencies or to only operate at one of them FCC readers for the USA are not allowed to frequency hop In order to simplify operation of the Ultra and to reduce the likelihood of configuration errors by users we have reduced the selection of channels to 2 or to auto Channel A Reader 1 operates at 865 70 Mhz channel 4 Reader 2 operates at 866 30 Mhz channel 7 Channel B Reader 1 operates at 866 90 Mhz channel 10 Reader 2 operates at 867 50 Mhz channel 13 Auto Both readers frequency hop If you only have one Ultra then this setting should make no difference to its operation If you have 2 Ultras then it is possible that you could achieve better read rates if you set one Ultra to Channel A and the other one to Channel B However i
54. static at 27V Firmware Version 1 40 Page 23 C Hot Keys During read operation there are some hot keys which perform various functions They can only be used while the box is in read mode Left Arrow Toggles the beeper volume between loud soft and off The new beep volume will briefly appear on the LCD display Minus Key Resets the on screen counters to zero Down Arrow Resets the TCP IP socket that RFIDServer connects to thereby allowing another connection to be made If you are using the internal GPRS modem this will also force a modem reboot Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 24 D Connecting via TCPIP Chip reads on the Ultra have to be downloaded to a client PC using a TCPIP socket connection using software like RFIDServer which is issued free with your purchase of an Ultra Once a connection is made data can be rewound any time after the race or it can be received live less than a second after a chip is read on a timing mat When you make a TCPIP connection the right most orange LED on the keypad will be lit up When you disconnect the light goes off The Ultra can accept up to 3 connections from client PCs See below for procedures that are followed when more than 1 client is connected NOTE The client PC should initiate a disconnection If there is an unexpected disconnection such as a network cable being pulled out then sometimes the orange light will remain on as the Ultra s processo
55. sued to the Ultra from the client PC including a from and to date and time and the Ultra sends the chip read data to the client PC via the TCPIP connection Client Software The Ultra is best operated in conjunction with PC based client software to set settings and receive chip time data RFID Race Timing Systems in conjunction with the RaceTec software suite provides RFIDServer free of charge to all clients This software is used extensively worldwide and is developed as part of the RaceTec timing and scoring software See www racetectiming com for more information You do not have to own a RaceTec licence to use RFIDServer unless you want to use it to write directly to a database If you don t wish to use RFIDServer then you may develop your own software using the commands described in this manual OutReach OutReach has been designed and developed by RFID Timing and is a software package specifically developed to connect to the Ultra and to receive chip read data and channel it to a file or database The Ultra can be connected via a LAN or remotely In other words you can receive chip reads from an Ultra anywhere in the world and you can configure the Ultra start reading stop reading etc Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 5 A Menus and Operation of the Ultra When turning the Ultra on it will go through a few initialization steps after which a menu will appear This is the main menu and it has the following option
56. systems may not accept anything other than numeric characters in the chip code Also with decimal number it is possible for the chip code to match the race bib number which some race timers might prefer The alpha numeric chip code is simply the hexadecimal equivalent of the decimal chip code It will contain numbers O 9 and the letters A F 3 9 Remote Type Use this menu option to turn remote data transmission on or off to set whether GPRS or LAN connectivity will be used and to reset the current record pointer See section F below Make sure you turn remote sending OFF when not in use 3 10 Data sending In standard mode the Ultra will send any chip time records to the connected TCPIP socket as and when they occur There is another mode in which you can connect to the socket using software like RFIDServer but the Ultra will not send any data until it is instructed to You turn this mode on using this menu option Change the setting from Send Always to Send on Request When in read mode the LCD display of the Ultra will show SON if sending is on and SOFF if sending is off NOTE This option can only be used in conjunction with client software that supports it and is able to send the necessary command to start the data send process With this option on Send on Request when you start the Ultra reading it will not send any data to a connected client but the chip reads are stored on the Ultra in the onboard memory as per usua
57. t must be noted that extensive testing in a laboratory environment has produced no discernible improvement in read rates by operating each reader on a different channel This setting is therefore currently provided for more flexibility for advanced users however more information and recommendations may come to light after more field experience This setting has no effect on FCC readers 2 9 Quick set Finish and Quick set Start You may often find yourself in a situation where you have changed a number of settings in your Ultra and rather than go through them all to get ready for a start or finish line you can use these 2 menu options to do it for you The following is done e All antennae on all readers are turned on Firmware Version 1 40 Page 14 e Gating mode is set to per reader e Reader power is set to maximum e Antenna 4 backup is turned off e Readers are set to Finish or Start mode depending on which menu item you select e For finish mode the gating period is set to 3 seconds and for start mode the gating period is set to 1 second 3 Menu Other Nov 2011 3 1 Ultra ID You can give each Ultra a unique ID which is then transmitted along with the chip time details to the client PC via the TCPIP connection The ID can be any number from 1 to 255 This ID is stored in the data file so any later rewinding of data will produce the ID that was set when the chips were read 3 2 Reset PC socket A computer co
58. t to cross thread the screw on connectors and keep these connectors free of dirt and sand 2 Turn on the power 3 Check antenna port settings for each reader and select the desired timing point setup i e start line or finish line We recommend you use RFIDServer to check and set the Ultra settings instead of the LCD display menu as RFIDServer provides a richer easier to use interface 4 Set the time of the box This can also be done remotely via RFIDServer or by using the internal GPS receiver 5 Start reading and check that no X characters show up on the screen for the associated antenna port This will signify that the antenna is not attached or damaged a short in the circuit 6 Check that the system reads a test tag and that the buzzer volume is set to the desired level Ultra is very easy to setup and use In general you should not have to worry about metal or electric cables in the road or interference due to nearby readers The readers do not require synchronisation and avoid interference with each other by frequency hopping between channels on most units depends on the country specification that the readers are set to Please note that readers are set for very specific country specifications and therefore cannot be shipped to other countries and used without checking first with RFID Race Timing Systems In general systems made for North and South America cannot be used in European countries due to the widely different freq
59. uch as possible and don t allow it to remain empty for too long Charging time Approximately 7 5 hours to fully charge from empty 2 2 Running on Battery Power Nov 2011 The Ultra has 2 UHF readers inside and you can run it with either 1 or 2 readers operating at the same time Having 2 readers running will obviously use more power The power consumption also increases with the number of antenna ports used Running Time Approximately 8 hours with 1 reader powering 4 antennas and approximately 4 5 hours with 2 readers powering 8 antennas With the mains power connected the Ultra will run indefinitely IMPORTANT The lithium ion battery has an intelligent battery management system which shuts it down when the voltage drops below a specified level When the Ultra runs flat the entire system shuts down without warning Try and avoid getting to this point by connecting mains power See also section 3 16 on battery calibration Firmware Version 1 40 Page 31 F Remote Data Transmission Introduction The Ultra is capable of uploading chip reads to a remote server from where it can be downloaded using software like OutReach The same interface is used to configure the Ultra remotely In order to do the upload the Ultra needs a connection to the internet This connection can be obtained in two ways 1 By using the inbuilt GPRS modem Note that some Ultras do not have this option 2 By using a LAN connection whereby you provid
60. uency bands used Illegal use of a system will result in severe penalties from the relevant Government regulatory body The Ultra System usually comes with 8 antenna ports allowing either a 4 4 or 8 8m wide timing point In almost all cases we strongly recommend that two rows of mats are used per timing point This can either consist of two Ultra units Each unit with eight antenna mats in a row for the entire 8 8m width or one Ultra unit reader 1 4 mats and 4 4m width reader 2 4 mats and 4 4m width We recommend at least a 2m gap between each row of mats and preferably 3m or more As the rows are brought closer together there may the possibility of increased interference between the two readers 1 Setting up the Ultra The following procedure should be followed every time you set up an Ultra or an array of Ultras It is suggested that you get into the habit of following a set procedure all the time so that nothing gets forgotten of neglected 1 1 Choose a suitable mat position Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 26 Nov 2011 Where you locate your mats is often dictated by the layout of the start finish or transition area however common sense needs to prevail in some circumstances which may require some negotiation with the race organisers Although the Ultra is not easily affected by outside interference try and avoid setting up near power sources such as generators and keep away from devices drawing large current such
61. ur Ultra supplier for more information 8 Antenna 4 Backup Firmware Version 1 40 Page 9 This option is a special use function allowing the Ultra to make use of a dedicated backup antenna The concept is this If you have a finish line 3 metres or less in width then you have an extra antenna port which won t be used You can use it plug in a powerful patch antenna which is then placed on the side of the finish line or on the gantry These antennae will assist in reading any chips that may otherwise not be read by the mats on the finish line If a chip is read on the backup antenna which must always be plugged into antenna port 4 the one on the far left of the Ultra front panel and then subsequently read on antennas 1 2 or 3 then the read from antenna 4 gets overwritten How you position the backup antenna is at your discretion however the following is recommended e Don t point the antenna away from the oncoming runners The UHF chip is usually on their front race bibs and once the runners backs are facing the antenna the chips won t be read e Try not to point the antenna directly down the finish chute as UHF tags can be read a considerable distance away up to 80 metres e The diagram below shows the recommended layout for this system NOTE You must set the gating on the Ultra to per reader and your gating period must take into account the backup antenna and what time will be taken for competitors to get from t
62. v 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 32 STEP 2 Pull the silver case out of the black pelican case Step 3 Remove the rear panel by unscrewing the 11 small screws holding it down Make sure you remove the correct panel see image below Step 6 Insert the sim card into the raised bracket Nov 2011 Firmware Version 1 40 Page 33 2 GPRS Settings You need to enter some configuration settings for the GPRS modem instructing it what settings to use to connect to the mobile network and also what remote server to connect to These settings cannot be changed on the Ultra itself you will need some software such as RFIDServer that can do it instead The following settings will need to be configured e APN Name This stands for Access Point Name and is required by your cell provider to connect to it Wikipedia describes this and has some links to websites which display a list of worldwide APN names http en wikipedia org wiki Access Point Name e APN user name and password Also obtainable from the websites pointed to by Wikipedia e Server and port The settings to use for these will be provided to you by your supplier From the Ultra menu see section A Error Reference source not found above you can turn the GPRS data transmission on and off Once you have enabled GPRS the Ultra will attempt to establish a connection Note that this will occur even when the Ultra isn t reading Once a connection has been established an

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