FCC ID: P65B2450R01 Frequency Hopping Tag Identification Reader

ALIEN TECHNOLOGY

(2450MHz Battery System) QUICK INSTALLATION GUIDE CCaauuttiioonnss && WWaarrnniinnggss !!

Reader antennas should be positioned so that personnel in the area for prolonged periods may safely remain at least 23 cm (9 in) in an uncontrolled environment from the antennas surface. See FCC OET Bulletin 56 Hazards of radio frequency and electromagnetic fields and Bulletin 65 Human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields. You MUST connect both antennas BEFORE completing the power connections to the reader. SSyysstteemm RReeqquuiirreemmeennttss To operate the Nanoscanner reader and the Alien RFID Gateway demo software you will need the following:

PC running Windows 98 or higher, with minimum 200 MHz speed, 127 MB RAM. Minimum of 45 MB of available disk space. One available serial port. CD-ROM drive. Display/monitor set to at least 256 colors. 120 VAC standard power outlet (2). Alien Technology Corp. 18220 Butterfield Blvd. Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Tel 408-782-3900 Fax 408-782-3910 www.alientechnology.com NNaannoossccaannnneerr RReeaaddeerr HHaarrddwwaarree QQuuiicckk HHaarrddwwaarree IInnssttaallllaattiioonn 1. Situate the PC, reader and antenna on a tabletop near two 120VAC outlets. CAUTION: Set up the reader antennas so they are at least 9 inches away from the nearest person who will be in range of the RF signal for prolonged periods. (See full FCC caution on back page.) NOTE: When you are not actively using the reader for demonstration or programming purposes, we recommend you pull the power connector out of the reader to prevent unnecessary transmission of RF energy. 2. Connect the RS-232 cable to the reader. 3. Connect the RS-232 cable to the serial port on the PC. 4. Connect both antennas to the antenna ports on the nanoscanner. Screw the fitting from the cable end onto the reader connector until finger tight to secure the cable to the reader. CAUTION: You MUST connect both antennas BEFORE completing the power connections to the reader. 5. Connect the power supply to the reader. 6. Plug power cord into power supply. 7. Plug the power supply cable into the wall outlet and verify power. The green LED will be illuminated when power is on. NOTE: When you are not actively using the reader, we recommend you pull the power connector out of the reader to prevent unnecessary transmission of RF energy. 8. Plug in the PC (if necessary) and turn it on. 10. Launch the desired host software application (such as the Alien RFID Gateway). AAlliieenn RRFFIIDD GGaatteewwaayy DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn SSooffttwwaarree QQuuiicckk SSooffttwwaarree IInnssttaallllaattiioonn 1. Quit all applications/programs currently running on your PC (except Windows Explorer). 2. Make sure your display monitor is set for at least 256-bit color. 3. Place the Alien CD in your CD drive. 4. The CD will automatically launch the installation application. 5. Click on the Install Demonstration Software label to start the installation. step 6. Follow the on-screen instructions, clicking Next to move to the next 7. At the Install Finished screen, click Finish 8. To launch the Alien RFID Gateway software, double-click on its icon

(located directly on the desktop, and under Start / Programs / Alien RFID Gateway / Alien RFID Gateway) Ant with Alien 350 micron NanoBlock IC.

ALIEN TECHNOLOGY

(2450MHz Battery System) Reader Host Commands QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE HHeellpp aanndd IInnffoo HELP (h) INFO (i) General Commands List reader commands. List current reader settings. DDeessccrriippttiioonn Allows an arbitrary name to be associated with and retrieved from the reader. Get a description of the reader type Get the reader software/hardware versions. Get and Set the username used for the network-based access control. Get and Set the password used for the network-based access control. CCoommmmaanndd Get/Set ReaderName Get ReaderType Get ReaderVersion Get/Set Username Get/Set Password Get/Set AntennaSequence Get and Set the antenna port sequence the reader should use. Reboot FactorySettings Tag List Reboot the reader. Reset the reader to its original factory settings. CCoommmmaanndd Get/Set AcquireMode Get/Set PersistTime Get TagList (n) Get/Set TaglistFormat Clear TagList Time Commands CCoommmmaa nndd Get/Set Time Get/Set TimeZone Get/Set TimeServer External I/O CCoommmmaanndd Get/Set ExternalOutput Get ExternalInput DDeessccrriippttiioonn Get and Set how TagLists will be Acquried (Global Scroll or Inventory) Get and Set the persist time. Get the current list of active tags the from reader in format specified by TagListFormat Get and Set the format for how Tag Lists are returned. (Text, or XML). Clear the list of active tags on the reader. DDeessccrriippttiioonn Get and Set the real time clock on the reader in local time. Get and Set the time zone offset from UTC for the real time clock. Get and Set the location of a network time server. DDeessccrriippttiioonn Get and Set the external output pin values. Get the external input pin values. Auto Mode Commands CCoommmmaanndd DDeessccrriippttiioonn Get/Set AutoMode Get and Set Autonomous Get/Set AutoAction Get/Set AutoTrueOutput AutoFalseOutput AutoWaitOutput AutoWorkOutput Mode state. (On and Off) Set the action to be performed while working

(Acquire) Get and Set the value of the digital output pins when in the states of Autonomous Mode.

(Waiting, Working, Eval True, Eval False) Get and Set the values of the start and stop triggers for the Working state. Get and Set the delays for various Autonomous Mode states Get/Set AutoStartTrigger AutoStopTrigger Get/Set AutoStopTimer AutoTruePause AutoFalsePause Notify Mode Commands CCoommmmaanndd DDeessccrriippttiioonn Get/Set NotifyMode Get/Set NotifyAddress Get/Set NotifyTime Get/Set NotifyFormat Get/Set NotifyTrigger Get/Set MailServer NotifyNow Get and Set Notify Mode state. (On and Off) Get and Set the address to push tag lists to. Get and Set the time interval for automatically pushing tag lists. Get and Set the format for notification messages

(Text or XML) Get and Set the trigger for pushing tag lists.

(Add,Remove,Change True,False) Get and Set an SMTP mail server. This is only required if notification email messages are sent out. Send an immediate message via the notification system Network Commands CCoommmmaanndd Get/Set DHCP Get/Set IPAddress Get/Set Gateway Get/Set Netmask Get/Set DNS Get/Set HeartbeatPort Get/Set HeartbeatTime Get/Set CommandPort DDeessccrriippttiioonn Turn on or off readers DHCP mode. If DHCP is on, the reader will automatically configure itself for the network upon power-up. Get and Set the network ID (IP address) of the reader. If DHCP is enabled, this will be set automatically. Get and Set the network gateway. If DHCP is enabled, this will be set automatically. Get and Set the subnet mask. If DHCP is enabled, this will be set automatically. Get and Set the domain name server. If DHCP is enabled, this will be set automatically. The reader periodically sends out heartbeat messages to the network. The port over which this is done can configured with this command. Get and Set the time interval, in seconds, between successive heartbeats. The reader reacts to commands over the network only if they are directed at a specific command port on the reader. This port can be configured using these commands. Battery Tag Commands CCoommmmaanndd DDeessccrriippttiioonn Get and Set a mask to select a population of tags. Read the ID of the currently selected tag. Get the capabilities of the currently selected tag. Get and Set the real time clock in the selected tags. Get and Set the contents of user accessible memory. Clear user accessible memory. Get/Set Mask Get TagID Get TagInfo Get/Set TagTime Get/Set Memory ClearMemory Get/Set MemoryPacketSize Get and Set size of the packets to be transmitted from the tags. Get SensorValue Get/Set LoggingMode Get/Set LoggingInterval Read the current sensor value on the currently selected tag. Get and Set the state of Logging (On or Off) Get and Set the interval for data logging. ALIEN TECHNOLOGY CORP. 18220 Butterfield Blvd. Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Phone 408-782-3900 Fax 408-782-3910 www.alientechnology.com

ALIEN TECHNOLOGY

(2450MHz Battery System) USER GUIDE 2450MHz Battery COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The contents of this document are the property of Alien Technology Corporation and are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. For additional copies if this document please contact:

Alien Technology Corporation 18220 Butterfield Blvd. Morgan Hill, CA 95037 www.alientechnology.com The information contained herein has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate; however, no responsibility is assumed for inaccuracies. Alien Technology Corporation reserves the right to make changes without prior notice. This document is not covered by any warranty either expressed or implied. Any correction, comments, or additions to the contents of this document should be directed to Alien Technology Corporation at the above address. Copyright 2003 Alien Technology Corporation. Printed in USA. NanoBlock and FSA are registered trademarks of Alien Technology Corporation. Alien Technology is a trademark of Alien Technology Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. FCC COMPLIANCE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with instruction manual, may cause harmful interference with radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense. Any change or modification to this product voids the users authority to operate per FCC Part 15 Subpart A Section 15.21 regulations. CAUTION Reader antennas should be positioned so that personnel in the area for prolonged periods may safely remain at least 20 cm (7.9 in) in an uncontrolled environment from the antennas surface. See FCC OET Bulletin 56 Hazards of radio frequency and electromagnetic fields and Bulletin 65 Human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology i TABLE OF CONTENTS Alien Technology Nanoscanner Reader User Guide Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................1 AUDIENCE................................................................................................................1 NANOSCANNER READER OVERVIEW..........................................................................1 Requirements ..................................................................................................2 Specifications ..................................................................................................2 Nanoscanner Reader............................................................................................2 Nanoscanner Reader Transmit and Receive Antennas ........................................3 RS-232 Port Pinouts .............................................................................................3 Other Components................................................................................................4 Tag Overview ..................................................................................................4 Features and benefits ...........................................................................................4 Internal and external interface capabilities............................................................4 Benefits of Battery-powered over Beam-powered Backscatter Tags....................4 Benefits of Backscatter Tags over Active Transmitter Tags ...............................5 Tag Block Diagram ...............................................................................................5 Applications for 2450 MHz Battery-powered Backscatter Tag/Reader Systems...........................................................................................................5 Reader Block Diagrams...................................................................................6 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION................................................7 REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................................7 RECEIVING THE NANOSCANNER DEVELOPERS KIT.....................................................7 Nanoscanner Reader Features .......................................................................8 I/O Panel...............................................................................................................8 LED Designations .................................................................................................8 Antenna Panel ......................................................................................................9 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY AND BENCH TEST.....................................................................10 Bench Test or Demo Connections ................................................................10 Bench Test Procedure...................................................................................12 SYSTEM DESIGN ....................................................................................................13 INSTALLATION ........................................................................................................13 Installation Procedure....................................................................................14 SYSTEM OPERATION ..............................................................................................16 Software Developers...........................................................................................16 Custom System Users ........................................................................................16 Alien RFID Gateway Demo Software Users........................................................16 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW.......................................17 NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................17 COMMUNICATING WITH THE NANOSCANNER.............................................................17 Overview........................................................................................................17 Serial Communication.........................................................................................18 Network Communication.....................................................................................18 Web Based Communication................................................................................18 READER DISCOVERY AND THE READER HEARTBEAT.................................................18 DHCP and Device Auto Discovery................................................................18 Serial Interrogation ........................................................................................19 Network Heartbeats.......................................................................................19 Heartbeats and Software ....................................................................................20 TAG LIST CONCEPTS ..............................................................................................21 Persist Time...................................................................................................21 Tag Details ....................................................................................................21 Tag List Size..................................................................................................22 READING TAGS OVER THE NETWORK.......................................................................22 INTERACTIVE MODE................................................................................................22 Basic Text Tag Read Command .........................................................................22 XML Tag Read Command ..................................................................................22 AUTONOMOUS MODE..............................................................................................23 Defining the Autonomous Read Operation....................................................23 Enter Autonomous Mode (Not shown on the state diagram.).............................23 Waiting State.......................................................................................................23 Start Working Trigger..........................................................................................24 Working State .....................................................................................................24 Stop Working Trigger ..........................................................................................25 Evaluation ...........................................................................................................25 True/False Pause................................................................................................25 Notify Needed Trigger.........................................................................................25 Autonomous Mode Examples .......................................................................25 Example 1. Background Reading.......................................................................25 Example 2. Triggered Reading ..........................................................................26 Example 3. Triggered Reading w/Notification .....................................................26 NOTIFICATION MODE ..............................................................................................27 Defining the Notification Address ..................................................................28 Defining the Notification Format....................................................................28 LISTENING FOR TAGS OVER THE NETWORK..............................................................29 CHAPTER 4 READERHOST COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION............30 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................30 Audience........................................................................................................30 Requirements ................................................................................................31 Conventions...................................................................................................31 SETTING UP READER-HOST COMMUNICATIONS........................................................31 Command Line Operation: Direct Serial Communication .............................31 Command Line Operation: Telnet Communication.......................................32 HTML-Based Operation: Web Communication.............................................32 INSTALLING READER ON HOST VIA SERIAL PORT (ALL) ............................................32 NETWORK INSTALLATION (OPTIONAL)......................................................................34 CHAPTER 5 READERHOST PROTOCOL.....................................................37 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................37 READER OPERATION OVERVIEW .............................................................................37 Text-Based Command Line Operation..........................................................38 Web-based HTML Operation ........................................................................38 COMMANDS OVERVIEW...........................................................................................40 Interactive Commands ........................................................................................40 Autonomous Commands ....................................................................................40 NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Command Format..........................................................................................40 Suppressing Command Prompts ..................................................................41 Interactive Command Format..............................................................................41 Non-Interactive Command Format......................................................................41 XML Commands............................................................................................41 COMMAND SUMMARIES...........................................................................................42 Command List ...............................................................................................42 Command List with Functions .......................................................................43 General Commands............................................................................................43 Network Configuration Commands .....................................................................43 Time Commands.................................................................................................44 External IO Commands.......................................................................................44 Tag List Commands............................................................................................44 Autonomous Mode Commands...........................................................................44 Notify Mode Commands .....................................................................................45 USING THE COMMANDS ..........................................................................................45 General Commands Text Based................................................................46 Help (h) ...............................................................................................................46 Info (i)..................................................................................................................46

!...........................................................................................................................46 Q (Quit) ...............................................................................................................46 Get TagList .........................................................................................................46 Get ReaderName................................................................................................46 Set ReaderName ................................................................................................46 Get ReaderType .................................................................................................46 Get ReaderVersion .............................................................................................47 Get Username.....................................................................................................47 Set Username.....................................................................................................47 Get Password .....................................................................................................47 Set Password......................................................................................................47 Get AntennaSequence........................................................................................48 Set AntennaSequence ........................................................................................48 Reboot ................................................................................................................48 FactorySettings...................................................................................................48 General Commands Web Based................................................................49 Commands/Operations via Web General Tab ...................................................49 Network Configuration Commands Text Based .........................................51 Get DHCP...........................................................................................................51 Set DHCP ...........................................................................................................51 Get IPAddress.....................................................................................................51 Set IPAddress.....................................................................................................51 Get Gateway.......................................................................................................51 Set Gateway .......................................................................................................51 Get Netmask.......................................................................................................52 Set Netmask .......................................................................................................52 Get DNS..............................................................................................................52 Set DNS..............................................................................................................52 Get HeartbeatPort...............................................................................................53 Set HeartbeatPort ...............................................................................................53 Get HeartbeatTime .............................................................................................53 Set HeartbeatTime..............................................................................................53 Get CommandPort ..............................................................................................54 Set CommandPort ..............................................................................................54 Network Commands Web Based ...............................................................54 Commands/Operations via Web Network Tab....................................................54 Time Commands Text Based.......................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get Time ...............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set Time................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get TimeZone.......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set TimeZone .......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get TimeServer.....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Set TimeServer.....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Time Commands Web Based ......................Error! Bookmark not defined. Commands/Operations via Web Time Tab ...........Error! Bookmark not defined. External I/O Commands ..................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set ExternalOutput................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get ExternalOutput ...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get ExternalInput ..................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. External I/O Commands Web Based ...........Error! Bookmark not defined. Commands/Operations on Web External I/O Tab.Error! Bookmark not defined. Tag List Commands Command Line............Error! Bookmark not defined. Get TagList (n)......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set TagListFormat ................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get TagListFormat ................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AcquireMode ..................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Clear TagList.........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get PersistTime ....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set PersistTime.....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Tag List Commands Web Based..................Error! Bookmark not defined. Commands/Operations on Web Tag List Tab.......Error! Bookmark not defined. Autonomous Mode Commands.......................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoMode.......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoWaitOutput..............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoStartTrigger.............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoWorkOutput.............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoAction......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoStopTrigger .............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoStopTimer ...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoTrueOutput..............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoTruePause ..............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoFalseOutput ............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get AutoFalsePause.............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. AutoModeReset ....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Autonomous Mode Commands Web Based Error! Bookmark not defined. Commands/Operations on Web Autonomous Mode Tab.....Error! Bookmark not defined. Notify Mode Commands..................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get NotifyMode.....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get NotifyAddress.................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set NotifyAddress .................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get NotifyTime......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set NotifyTime ......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get NotifyTrigger...................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set NotifyTrigger ...................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get NotifyFormat..................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set NotifyFormat ...................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get MailServer ......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set MailServer ......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. NotifyNow..............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Notify Mode Commands Web Based ...........Error! Bookmark not defined. Commands/Operations on Web Autonomous Mode Tab.....Error! Bookmark not defined. CHAPTER 6 READERHOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS........ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. INTRODUCTION.......................................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. Masks ..............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Tags.................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Memory............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Sensors ...........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Logging............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology v TABLE OF CONTENTS COMMAND SUMMARIES...........................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. Command List .................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Command List with Functions .........................Error! Bookmark not defined. Mask Commands ..................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Tag Commands ....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Memory Commands..............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Sensor Commands ...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Logging Commands..............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. USING THE COMMANDS ..........................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. Mask Commands.............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get Mask...............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set Mask...............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Tag Commands...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get Tagid ..............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get Taginfo ...........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get Tagtime ..........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set Tagtime...........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Memory Commands ........................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set Memory...........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get Memory ..........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set MemoryPacketSize.........................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get MemoryPacketSize ........................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Clear Memory .......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Sensor Commands..........................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get SensorValue...................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Logging Commands ........................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get LoggingMode .................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set LoggingMode..................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Get LoggingInterval...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Set LoggingInterval ...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES ...ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. READOMETER ........................................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. TAG LIST................................................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. OPTIMIZE READER SETTINGS..................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. Readometer Settings.......................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Tag List Settings..............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Advanced Tag List Options .............................Error! Bookmark not defined. Running Tag List using Global Scroll as the Acquire Mode .Error! Bookmark not defined. Running Tag List in duty cycle mode ....................Error! Bookmark not defined. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 Introduction The Nanoscanner Reader User Guide provides instructions for installing and operating the Nanoscanner reader. It also covers the reader firmware protocol in detail for use in configuring reader-host communications and developing application software. This book is designed for use by those who wish to develop software products and extended systems that take full advantage of the Nanoscanner readers capabilities. For an overview of RFID technology and a glossary of terms, please refer to the RFID Primer included with your Nanoscanner Reader Developers Kit. For the purposes of this book, we assume the readers of the Nanoscanner User Guide:

Are competent PC users.

Have minimal previous knowledge of radio-frequency identification technology. Audience

Are experienced in software development and/or hardware systems integration. Nanoscanner Reader Overview The Nanoscanner is delivered with the following components and accessories:

Nanoscanner reader and tags Two antennas (1 transmit, 1 receive) with 2 coaxial cables RS-232 reader-to-PC cable (with 9-pin male and female connectors) Reader power supply and cables (two sections: one attached, one detached) Nanoscanner Reader User Guide on CD-ROM NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Requirements In order to fully interface with the Nanoscanner reader you will need the following:

PC running Windows 98 or higher, with CD-ROM drive and one available RS-232 serial port.

Standard 120 VAC power.

Host software (Alien demo software or your own custom software).

Alien battery-powered backscatter tags

Standard power cord (desired length) with grounded, 3-pronged plugs Specifications Specifications for key components of the Nanoscanner reader system are provided in the tables below:

NANOSCANNER READER Name Part Number Model Number Architecture Frequency Hopping Channels Channel Spacing Channel Dwell Time RF Transmitter Modulation Method 20 db Modulation Bandwidth RF Receiver Power Consumption Communications Interface Inputs/Outputs Dimensions Weight Operating Temperature Nanoscanner Reader 0500017-001 B2450R01 Point-to-multipoint reader network 2402 MHz 2480 MHz 79 1000 KHz

< 0.3 Seconds

< 30 dBm On Off Keying (OOK) TBD 2 channels 25 Watts (120 VAC at 500 mW) RS-232, LAN TCPI/IP 2 coax antenna, 8 logic I/O, comm ports, power

(cm) 17.8 x 24.1 x 6.7 (in) 7 x 9.5 x 2.63 Approximately 1.8 kg (4 lb) 0C to +50C (+32 F to +122F) NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 2 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION NANOSCANNER READER TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE ANTENNAS 3 dB Beamwidth Frequency Gain (dBi) Polarization RF Connector VSWR Dimensions Weight Azimuth 55 Elevation 55 2402 MHz - 2480 MHz 6 dBi Circular Reverse-gender TNC 1.5:1

(cm) 15.2 x 15.2 x 3.2 (in) 6 x 6 x 1.25

.27 kg 0.6 lb RS-232 PORT PINOUTS Pin 1 Pin 2 Pin 3 Pin 4 Pin 5 Pin 6 Pin 7 Pin 8 Pin 9 Pin 1 Pin 2 Pin 3 Pin 4 Pin 5 Pin 6 Pin 7 Pin 8 Pin 9 RS232 Connector (female) Connected to pins 4 and 6 Request to send from host Clear to send to host Connected to pins 1 and 6 Ground Connected to pins 1 and 4 Receive (Rx) from host Transmit (Tx) to host Not Connected 5 4 3 2 1 9 8 7 6 I/O Port Connector (male) Out 0 Out 1 Out 2 Out 3 Ground In 0 In 1 In 2 In 3 NOTE: Reader I/O pins can be configured for high-to-low or low-to-high transitions through software control. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 3 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION OTHER COMPONENTS RS-232 Serial Cable DB-9 male/female serial Tag Overview Battery-powered backscatter tags are used exclusively in this Alien 2450 MHz system. FEATURES AND BENEFITS Long-range tag/sensor/actuator up to 30 meters 2450MHz, FCC Part 15 unlicensed power levels

>512 bytes read-write memory 4 I/O pins, with A->D and D->A converter Expandable read/write NV memory, capable of being expanded to 256K bytes if needed using I2C bus and the addition of external flash memory chips INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL INTERFACE CAPABILITIES Temperature sensing/recording Tamper detection (banding material broken, box opened, etc.) Alien battery-powered backscatter tag: outer case (above) and (transparent case showing internal circuitry (below). Shock, vibration, tilt and acceleration monitoring Enabling and disabling electronic devices (security) Beeping or blinking tags for quick location and alarms BENEFITS OF BATTERY-POWERED OVER BEAM-POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS Higher performance-to-price ratio Monitoring (e.g., temperature logging, time-based tamper detection) Better accuracy (longer range = more margin at a shorter range Lower-power readers (unlicensed) Multi-region (worldwide) antenna (Only needs to modulate and backscatter the readers signal. RF energy is not powering the device.) Range and bearing positioning possible NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 4 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION BENEFITS OF BACKSCATTER TAGS OVER ACTIVE TRANSMITTER TAGS Lower cost, simpler circuitry Longer battery life Stealthier (safer in sensitive environments, e.g., airplane) No transmitter tags can be used worldwide due to licensing issues, spectral TAG BLOCK DIAGRAM The following diagram illustrates the design of the battery-powered backscatter tag. pollution, etc. Applications for 2450 MHz Battery-powered Backscatter Tag/Reader Systems A variety of applications have already been identified that can benefit from the use of battery-powered backscatter tags and readers, including the following:

Long range identification Vehicle-asset tracking Supply chain automation Time temperature monitoring Tamper detection (safe/secure supply chain) Security/ access systems Sensor monitoring Passive tag data storage for hierarchical asset tracking systems Location capability has been proven Immobilizer / beeper / LED (can control outputs) NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 5 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Reader Block Diagrams Receive Antenna Transmit Antenna 2450MHz Reader Front End Modulation Switch 2402 - 2480 MHz Source LNA 90 degrees From DSP Lattice Amp/Filter Q to DSP Low Pass Filter 10.7MHz IF Source Low Pass Filter Lattice Amp/Filter I to DSP Pi Pad Pi Pad 10.7 MHz Band Pass Filter 10.7 MHz Band Pass Filter Q channel I Channel 256KHz 12-bit A/D 256 KHz 12-bit A/D V1 V2 V3 Mod Out I channel Source Frequency Q channel 2450MHz Reader Logic Blocks TMS320C5402 Digital Signal Processor Rabbit LAN TCP/IP Interface

(Optional) Optically Isolated RS-485

(Optional) RS-232 Standard Serial Port Power Control Power Control Circuitry Digital I/O Signal Block 12VDC In NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 6 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION CHAPTER 2 Installation and Operation Requirements This chapter describes the Nanoscanner reader and provides installation and operation information. Later chapters detail networking and the Reader<>Host protocol, which will allow you to create software that will interact with the reader and perform the desired processing functions. In order to fully interface with the Nanoscanner reader you will need the following:

PC running Windows 98 or higher, with CD-ROM drive (for demo system software) and one available RS-232 serial port.

Standard 120 VAC power.

Host software (either Aliens demo software or your own custom software).

Alien battery-powered backscatter tags

Standard power cord (desired length) with grounded, 3-pronged plugs Receiving the Nanoscanner Developers Kit Your Nanoscanner Reader Developers Kit will be shipped with the items listed below. Please verify the contents of your received shipment before assembling. Nanoscanner reader Two antennas (1 transmit. 1 receive) with 2 coaxial cables RS-232 reader-to-PC cable (with 9-pin male and female connectors) Reader power supply and cables (two sections: one attached, one detached) CD-ROM containing demonstration software, user guides and documentation Assortment of tags NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 7 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION Nanoscanner Reader Features The Nanoscanner reader contains only two types of external user interface:

connector ports and LEDs. One panel contains I/O connectors and LEDs. The side panel contains the antenna ports I/O PANEL The I/O panel (shown below) contains the following features:

Network LEDs (2) LAN TCP/IP port 9-pin D male I/O port Reader LEDs (6) 9-pin D female RS-232 serial port Power connector Network LEDs Link Active LAN TCP/IP RS-232

(female) LEDs I/O

(male) Power connect Antenna ports (2) Reader I/O panel LED DESIGNATIONS Reader LEDs provide external indication of six conditions as shown in both the illustration below and the table that follows it:

TX RX Processor Running RF Power Sniff Lock Reader LED designations on I/O panel NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 8 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION Left Column LEDs RF on Red Yellow Green Sniff Detect tag signal Lock Lock on tag signal Reader LEDs Right Column LEDs Red Yellow Green Communications transmit Comm TX to processor Comm RX from processor Communications receive Processor Running Network LEDs Green Link Red Active ANTENNA PANEL The antenna panel (perpendicular to the readers I/O panel) contains two coax antenna connector ports as shown below. These are reverse-gender connectors. Antenna ports (reverse gender) Either antenna can be used on either port, but both antennas are required for reader operation. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 9 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION System Assembly and Bench Test Assembling the Nanoscanner reader system is very easy. We recommend you set up the system and verify its operation in a bench test configuration before installing it in a live application. You will need two available 120 VAC wall outlets. Bench Test or Demo Connections 1. Situate the PC on a tabletop. Ensure the following conditions:

Two standard 120 VAC outlets are available nearby (one for reader, one for PC if needed). Sufficient space is available on the tabletop for the PC, reader and antenna. RS-232 to PC 2. Connect the RS-232 cable to the reader. Antennas Ports To power supply &

120 VAC wall outlet Align the cable connector so that its shape and pins match the shape and holes of the DB-9 serial port. Push the aligned connector into the port. Finger-tighten the screws to secure the cable/connector to the reader. RS-232

(female) I/O

(male) Power connect Anntena Ports Reader I/O panel NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 10 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION 3. Connect the RS-232 cable to the serial port on the PC. 4. Connect antenna coaxial cables to each antenna port (0 and 1). You can use either antenna on either port. Antenna port 1 is on the right if viewing reader with flange side down. Port 0 is on the left. Align the coax cables center pin and push into the port Screw the fitting from the cable end onto the reader connector clockwise until finger tight to secure the cable to the reader. Antenna ports (reverse gender) CAUTION: Antennas must be attached before connecting power to the reader. Applying power without both antennas connected (or the ports properly terminated) can damage the reader. 5. Connect the power supply to the reader. Using the thin cable attached to power supply, push the connector into the port until it is securely seated. 6. Plug power cord into power supply. Use the female end of a standard 3-pronged power cord. 7. Plug the power supply cable into the wall outlet and verify power. The red LED will be illuminated when power is on. 8. Plug in the PC (if necessary) and turn it on. If the PC is a laptop operating on battery power, it is not necessary to plug it into the wall outlet. 9. Launch the desired host software application. You may use Aliens RFID Gateway demo system software or custom software developed per the reader-host protocol for your specific application. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 11 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION You are now ready to bench test or demonstrate the Nanoscanner system. Bench Test Procedure 1. Access an operational mode suitable for bench testing. Select a mode that will allow multiple consecutive reads of a single tag. Refer to the applicable software application user guide for specific instructions. 2. Position the reader to you can see the LEDs. You may also want to position the PC so you can view the monitor simultaneously for later tests. 3. Shield a tag in a metal enclosure or enclosed in your hand. Begin with the tag shielded from the reader antennas and move it toward the antenna while observing the LEDs. 4. Verify the Sniff LED illuminates when the tag approaches the read window. Sniff is the yellow LED on the left-hand column of LEDs at the center of the reader I/O panel. 5. Verify the Lock LED illuminates when the tag is inside the read window. Lock is the green LED in the left-hand column of LEDs at the center of the reader I/O panel. 6. Verify the host receives the tag data. Refer to indications specified in applicable user guide to verify the tag was read successfully. If bench test conditions are verified, proceed to installation. 7. NOTE: If all conditions appear to be operational but system fails to read tags, disconnect system power and reapply power to perform a hard reset. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 12 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION System Design Installation The following Installation section provides basic guidance for configuring components in your RFID system. You should consider the overall design of your specific system before permanently mounting the equipment. Installation involves all the same connection steps required for bench test. However, instead of situating equipment on a tabletop, the reader and antenna and their accessories will mounted in your application environment. Antennas should be mounted about meter (1.5 ft) apart, situated at the average height at which tags are expected to be presented to the system. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 13 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION Requirements Before installing your Nanoscanner reader system you will need the following:

PC running Windows 98 or higher, with CD-ROM drive (for demo system software) and one available RS-232 serial port

Standard 120 VAC power for the reader location and PC location

Host software

Any additional RS-232 cables or connectorized antenna coax cables needed to accommodate routing requirements

Standard grounded, three-pronged power cord of desired length

Mounting hardware suitable for the surface to which equipment is to be attached (e.g., wood screws, moly-bolts, brackets, etc.) Installation Procedure 1. Select mounting position for antenna(s). CAUTION: Reader antennas should be positioned so that personnel in the area for prolonged periods may safely remain at least 20 cm (7.9 in) in an uncontrolled environment from the antennas surface. See FCC OET Bulletin 56 Hazards of radio frequency and electromagnetic fields and Bulletin 65 Human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields. Note: Only the antennas supplied with the unit can be used in order to comply with FCC regulations. Mount the antennas at the periphery of the desired read window (either overhead or at the side), so that the position of the most distant tag passing through the window is no farther from the antenna than the maximum range specified for your system design. Place the antennas within about 1/2 meter (1.5 ft) apart. Mounting them closer than may result in crosstalk between the two antennas. Position the antennas at a height approximately midway between the highest and lowest expected tag position. (For example, a pallet tag may be the lowest tag position to be read, while the top-most case on a fully stacked pallet may represent your highest tag position.) NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 14 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION 2. Select mounting position for reader. Reader should be positioned close enough to the antenna to accommodate the cable length without putting strain on the connectors. Be sure power is available to the selected reader location. 3. Select location for host PC. 4. 5. Situate the host PC within 50 ft of the reader in a safe location away from vehicular and foot traffic. Install reader. Secure the reader through the three mounting holes on either flange to its mounting location (wall, post, mounting bracket) using appropriate hardware. If desired, position the reader so that the LEDs are easily observed. Install antennas. Secure each antenna through the mounting holes on either flange to its mounting location using appropriate hardware. 6. Connect antennas to reader. Route coax cables from antennas to reader according to your system design specifications and secure them properly. Align the connector for each cable with the reader antenna port, push into the port, and finger-tighten screw fitting. 7. Connect reader to host PC. Align the RS-232 connector with the corresponding serial port on the reader and push the connector onto the pins. Finger-tighten the screws to secure the cable to the reader. Align and connect the other end of the RS-232 with the serial port on the PC. CAUTION: Antennas must be attached before connecting power to the reader. Applying power without both antennas connected can damage the reader. 8. Connect power to the reader. Push the power supply connector into the reader port. Plug the female end of the power cord into the power supply. Plug the male end of the power cord into the 120 VAC outlet. 9. Connect power to the PC. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 15 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION System Operation SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS If you are a software developer, the balance of this document provides the information you will need to install the reader on the host computer, communicate with it, and customize its performance via text commands to enable reader operation tailored to the desired application. CUSTOM SYSTEM USERS If you are a custom system user, please refer to your host software user guide for information regarding system and software operations. ALIEN RFID GATEWAY DEMO SOFTWARE USERS If you are using the Alien RFID Gateway demonstration software, please refer to the Demonstration Software Guide. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 16 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW CHAPTER 3 Nanoscanner System Overview Introduction This chapter provides an overview of the major features found in a Nanoscanner reader. Specific instructions for setting up a reader are provided in Chapter 4: Reader-

Host Communications Installation. Reader commands and their uses are covered in Chapter 5: Reader-Host Protocol. The most basic function of the Nanoscanner reader is to read RFID tags and to allow a user or application access to a list of these tags. The Nanoscanner reader is designed to perform this function either connected to a host via serial cable, or on a network as a standalone unit or in conjunction with other readers on the network. To assist in the networked operation, the reader has two important features designed to simplify network management:

Reader Heartbeats allow network applications to easily discover readers on a network. Autonomous Mode reading allows unattended readers to look for tags and send notification messages to listening services on the network when certain conditions arise. These important concepts, along with the basics of communicating with the reader, are discussed in this chapter. Communicating with the Nanoscanner Overview Commands can be issued to the Nanoscanner in one of three ways:

Serial communication Network communication Web-based interaction NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 17 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW

: 115200

: 8

: None

: 1

: None SERIAL COMMUNICATION Commands can be issued to the Nanoscanner using a direct serial connection from a computer to the reader. The following settings are required for the serial communication:

Baud Rate Data Bits Parity Stop Bits Flow Control NETWORK COMMUNICATION Commands can be issued to the Nanoscanner over the Internet or Intranet. The reader is equipped with a standard Ethernet port (10 Base T) allowing it to be physically connected to a network. By default the Nanoscanner will use DHCP to wake up and join a network. If DHCP is not available on the network, the Nanoscanner can be manually configured for the network via Serial communication. By default the Nanoscanner will listen to incoming commands over port 23, the standard Telnet port. WEB BASED COMMUNICATION The Nanoscanner contains a built in Web-server that allows all aspects of the reader to be controlled and configured via web pages served up by the reader. This web server operates on the standard port 80 used by most web servers. One of the problems common to many network appliances is simply discovering where the device is on the network. To operate these devices over the network, users must know the devices IP address. If an IP address is hard-coded into the device, this problem is solved, and often a label on the device will detail this IP address. However, many systems do not use a hard-coded IP address, requiring the user or system to assign an address each time the device is booted up (this is called DHCP, dynamic host configuration protocol). DHCP and Device Auto Discovery The DHCP mode of operation eliminates the need for the user to perform network configuration for the device. The device simply is plugged into the network socket, booted-up and immediately becomes a citizen of the network. However, the user still needs to learn the IP address of the device; all that is known at this point is that the device does have an IP address and has booted itself on the network. The actual IP address the device is using is still not known. Reader Discovery and the Reader Heartbeat NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 18 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW Serial Interrogation One of the simplest methods to find out the readers IP address is to connect via the serial connection and type the command get IPaddress to return the IP address currently in use by the device. However, this requires a physical connection between a host computer and the readera connection that in many cases is simply impractical to set up. Network Heartbeats The preferred way to find out a readers IP address is to listen for it on a network. Once a reader has booted successfully onto a network it will repeatedly send out an electronic heartbeat to this network. This heartbeat can be listened for by network applications, and provides enough information about the reader to locate it on the network and begin communication with it. In network parlance, the heartbeat message is sent via UDP packets (universal datagram packets) to all network addresses on the readers subnet. There are two relevant configuration options available via the readers command line or web interface to affect this heartbeat:

Set | Get HeartbeatTime: This command specifies the time interval separating successive heartbeat messages sent out over the network. The time is specified in seconds, with a value of zero turning off the heartbeats. The default value for this setting is 30 seconds, i.e., send out a heartbeat message every 30 seconds. Set | Get HeartbeatPort. This command specifies the port number to address the UDP heartbeat messages to. This port number is the port number that must be listened to by interested parties on the network. The default value for this setting is 3988, i.e., send out a heartbeat message to UDP port 3988 of every machine on the subnet. The format of the heartbeat is a small XML text-based message, containing information about the reader (name and type), the readers network connection

(IP address and command port) and the length of time before the next heartbeat will be sent out.

<Alien-RFID-Reader-Heartbeat>

<ReaderName>Alien RFID Reader</ReaderName>

<ReaderType>Alien RFID Tag Reader (Class BPT /

2450Mhz)</ReaderType>

<IPAddress>10.1.60.5</IPAddress>

<CommandPort>23</CommandPort>

<HeartbeatTime>30</HeartbeatTime>

</Alien-RFID-Reader-Heartbeat>

The Reader Name parameter in the message is the user-defined name associated with the reader. This name can be set by a user to help identify which reader is which. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 19 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW For example, multiple readers in a warehouse may be named loading bay 1, loading bay 2 etc., thus providing a clear indication as to the physical location of the reader. The Reader Type parameter details the specific type of reader sending out the heartbeat. This information is hard-coded into the readers firmware and is not user-configurable. The IP Address and Command Port parameters detail the location of the reader on the network. The IP address is simply the network address of the reader. The command port is the port number on which the reader is listening for incoming user commands. Typically this is port 23, the standard telnet port, allowing a user to communicate with the reader over the network by typing telnet 23 into most computers. Heartbeat Time parameter. The final piece of information in the heartbeat message is the time to the next heartbeat. This time (in seconds) enables any application software to detect whether a reader is powered-down or the network connection breaks; if a new heartbeat is not received after the expected time period, then such an interruption to normal service can be detected. HEARTBEATS AND SOFTWARE The Nanoscanner Reader Developers Kit that accompanies the Nanoscanner reader provides source code and software libraries to listen for and understand these network heartbeats in both Java and Visual Basic languages. The Alien RFID Gateway application, also bundled with the development kit, uses the Java version of these libraries to build its active reader list on the main screen. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 20 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW Tag List Concepts During normal operation the Nanoscanner maintains an internal list of the tags that are active. Active tags are those read by the reader at least once within a predefined time period. Any new tags presented to the reader are added to this list, and any tags that have not been seen for a while are removed from the list. At any time a programmatic call can be made to the reader to retrieve this list of tags. 8000 0100 8820 FFA4 1010 A3EF New tags detected are added to the tag list. 8000 1010 A3EF 0100 8820 3F02 8000 1010 A3EF 0400 0232 3F06 8020 1010 A3EF 0150 2057 3F12 A000 1045 A3DF 0400 0232 3F06 C280 1010 A3EF 0150 2057 3F12 Reader Tag List... All tags listed are active. 8020 459E A3EF 0150 2057 3B00 Tags not read for a while are removed from the list. The reader always has a concept of whats out there, internally represented by the reader Tag List Persist Time The persist time defines the duration between the time a tag was last read and the time it is removed from the Tag List. Setting this value to a small time (~1 second) will cause the Tag List to contain only what the reader has seen in the last second, i.e., a fair representation of what the reader sees at any one time. Setting the persist time to a long duration allows a history of tags to be built up. For example, setting the persist time to 1 hour allows a list to be built up detailing all the tags read over the last hour. Tag Details Each entry in the Tag List is stored as the Tags unique 96-bit ID, followed by a 16 bit checksum (used to verify the ID was correclty read), followed by the read count (the number of times the tag has been read in the current session), the discovery time (the time the tag was first seen), and the antenna (the antenna ID that tag was last read from). NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 21 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW Tag List Size The Tag List is currently configured to hold up to 500 unique tag IDs and their associated data. Reading Tags over the Network Interactive Mode The Alien RFID reader provides two methods with which to read tags: interactive mode and autonomous mode. In interactive mode, the controlling application must issue commands to the reader to read tags. This command will always return immediately with a list of tags in view of the reader. In autonomous mode, the reader is set up to constantly reads tags, and to initiate a conversation with a network listener when certain events arise. While both methods are equally valid, the choice of method will usually be determined by the needs of the controlling application. Although it may be easier and require less coding to work in interactive mode, a little investment in programming effort lets the user set up autonomous mode to provide a more scalable system for multiple readers. Reading tags in interactive mode is as simple as issuing a single command to the reader via its network interface. BASIC TEXT TAG READ COMMAND This command is get taglist. The result is a text-based list of tags that the reader can see, for example:

Tag:041C 1820 2812 4080 0000 AB54, CRC:97FC, Disc:2003/01/21 02:24:00, Count:1, Ant:0 Tag:1155 8B14 5661 D40B 0001 F456, CRC:04C1, Disc:2003/01/21 04:14:47, Count:1, Ant:0 XML TAG READ COMMAND At any time the format of the taglist can be specified using the set tagListFormat command. One of the options is XML format which would return the same tag list as:

<Alien-RFID-Tag-List>

<Alien-RFID-Tag>

<TagID>041C 1820 2812 4080 0000 AB54</TagID>

<CRC>97FC</CRC>

<DiscoveryTime>2003/01/21 02:24:00</DiscoveryTime>

<ReadCount>1</ReadCount>

<Antenna>0</Antenna>

</Alien-RFID-Tag>

<Alien-RFID-Tag>

<TagID>1155 8B14 5661 D40B 0001 F456</TagID>

<CRC>04C1</CRC>

<DiscoveryTime>2003/01/21 02:24:00</DiscoveryTime>

<ReadCount>1</ReadCount>

NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 22 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW

<Antenna>0</Antenna>

</Alien-RFID-Tag>

</Alien-RFID-Tag-List>

Autonomous Mode Autonomous mode is a multi-stage configuration and operation mode that enables hands-free monitoring of tags. The first stage requires you to issue a series of configuration commands to the reader. These commands detail how and when to read tags, and then when tags are found, who to tell. Once configured, the reader can be left to operate on its own. The application must then set up a listening service to listen for messages from the reader detailing any tags that it has read. One of the major benefits to this mode of operation is that many readers can be configured to send tag messages to a single network application. Thus, a single application can listen for and process data from multiple readers over the network. Defining the Autonomous Read Operation Autonomous mode functionality is summarized in the state diagram shown below. Fundamentally, a reader operating in Autonomous Mode moves between several states: Waiting, Working, Evaluation and Notification. Waiting, Working and Evaluation states have associated with them an optional digital output state that is set upon entering the state. Movement from one state to another is initiated by an expiration of a timer, a trigger event on one or more of the digital input lines or changes to the tag list. Each element of the State Diagram is described below. Associated with each element are one or more commands that are used to configure the reader. ENTER AUTONOMOUS MODE (Not shown on the state diagram.) The user puts the reader into Autonomous Mode with the AutoMode command. Set AutoMode = On puts the Reader into Autonomous Mode. Set AutoMode

= Off returns it to Interactive Mode. WAITING STATE Upon entering Autonomous Mode, the reader automatically enters the Waiting State. While waiting for a Start Working Trigger (see below) the reader holds the digital output lines at a value set by the AutoWaitOutput command. (i.e., Set AutoWaitOutput=3 would cause both output lines to go high when the reader is in the Waiting state.) NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 23 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW START WORKING TRIGGER The receipt of a trigger pattern on the digital input lines will cause the reader to move from the Waiting state to the Working state. The start condition is set by the AutoStartTrigger command. The AutoStartTrigger command takes two parameters, a rising edge pattern and a falling edge pattern. Set AutoStartTrigger = 2,0 would cause the reader to enter the working state on receipt of a rising edge on pin 2. Set AutoStartTrigger= 0,3 would cause the reader to enter the working state after the receipt of a falling edge on both pins one and two. Set AutoStartTrigger= 0,0 causes the reader to immediately drop into the Working state. Note: One cannot mix rising and falling edge patterns with the current version of Nanoscanner firmware.

(1) Wait

(Wait Output)

(2) Start?

(R/F Edges)

(3) Doing Action

(Work Output)

(4) Stop?

(Time/Trig)

(5) Eval Found?

Prog?

(6a) True Pause

(True Output)

(7a) Pause Expired?

no no no no

(6b) False Pause

(False Output)

(7b) Pause Expired?

no yes yes

(8) Notify Needed?

no yes

(9) Issue Notification Autononmous Mode State Diagram WORKING STATE In the working state, the reader holds the digital output lines at the value defined by the AutoWorkOutput command. Set AutoWorkOutput =3 would hold both output lines high while the reader is working. The action the reader performs while in the working state is determined by the AutoAction command. Set AutoAction = Acquire causes the reader to repeatedly acquire tag list data NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 24 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW using the parameters set in the AcquireMode and PersistTime commands. The reader continues working until the Stop Working Trigger conditions are met.

(See below) STOP WORKING TRIGGER Like the Start Working Trigger, the Stop Working Trigger can be a change on the digital input lines. Use the AutoStopTrigger command with a rising,falling edge pattern to set the trigger conditions. Set AutoStopTrigger = 1,0 would look for a rising edge on pin 1 to leave the Working state. In addition, one may use the AutoStopTimer command to repeat the Working action for a specified period of time. (i.e., Set AutoStopTimer = 1300 would cause the reader to perform the Working action for 1.3 seconds and then perform the Evaluation.) EVALUATION At the Evaluation decision point, the reader looks to see if new Tags have been added to the tag list since the last evaluation. If so, it drops to the True Pause state, if not, it drops to the False Pause state. Note: the Evaluation looks at the tag list and thereby is dependent on the state of the PersistTime variable. TRUE/FALSE PAUSE After evaluation, the Reader sets the output lines to the values specified in the AutoTrueOutput and AutoFalseOutput commands. This condition is held for AutoTruePause or AutoFalsePause milliseconds before the test for Notification. Set AutoTrueOutput = 1 and Set AutoTruePause=20 would cause the reader to hold pin 1 high and pin 2 low for 20 milliseconds before returning to the Waiting State. NOTIFY NEEDED TRIGGER The reader checks if Automatic Notification is enabled, (NotifyMode=On) and if the notification conditions are met to see if a notification should be issued. Notify conditions are set by the state of the NotifyTrigger command and may be set to add remove change or true false. If a notification is to be issued, the tag list data is sent to the NotifyAddress. The Reader then returns to the Waiting state. Autonomous Mode Examples EXAMPLE 1. BACKGROUND READING In this case, we would like the reader to monitor the tag field continuously. The application will periodically poll for the tag list. If a new tag is seen, pin 1 will be flashed high for 50 msec. Otherwise, pin 2 will be flashed high for 50 msec. AutoModeReset Set AutoAction=Acquire NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 25 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW Set AutoStartTrigger=0,0 Set AutoStopTimer = 0 Set AutoTrueOutput =1 Set AutoTruePause =50 Set AutoFalseOutput = 2 Set AutoFalsePause = 50 Set AutoMode=On EXAMPLE 2. TRIGGERED READING Here a forklift will cause an electric eye to send a pulse to the reader. We want the reader to look for the rising edge on this pulse and look for tags for 1.8 seconds before going back to the Wait state. We wont make any changes to the output pins. AutoModeReset Set AutoAction=Acquire Set AutoStartTrigger=1,0 Set AutoStopTimer = 1800 Set AutoTruePause =0 Set AutoFalsePause = 0 Set AutoMode=On EXAMPLE 3. TRIGGERED READING W/NOTIFICATION A trigger is used to start the reading. If a tag is found, send an email message. After the email is sent, return to the waiting state. AutoModeReset Set AutoAction=Acquire Set AutoStartTrigger=1,0 Set AutoStopTimer = 0 Set AutoTruePause =0 Set AutoFalsePause = 0 Set NotifyAddress = Borg@AlienTechnology.com Set MailServer= sigourney.alien.com Set NotifyTrigger=Add Set NotifyMode=On Set AutoMode=On NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 26 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW Notification Mode The last stage in configuring the autonomous mode is to tell the reader under what conditions to notify listeners about tag lists. Listeners (network applications /

people) will be notified only when preset conditions arise, such as when new tags are read, or tags disappear from view. Set NotifyTime = time (secs) The NotifyTime command instructs the reader to send out a copy of its tag list to a listener every n seconds, regardless of changes to the tag list or not. Thus, this is a simple, predetermined way to force the reader to send out its tag list to a listener. Set NotifyTrigger = trigger The NotifyTrigger command specifies a trigger that must occur before a tag list is sent out to a listener. There are a number of permissible triggers than can be set:

Trigger Name Meaning ADD REMOVE CHANGE TRUE FALSE Send message when new tag is read and added to the tag list Send message when a tag is removed from the tag list Send message when a tag is either added to or removed from the tag list Send messages when the evaluation task of the autonomous state loop evaluates to true, i.e., typically when tags are added Send messages when the evaluation task of the autonomous state loop evaluates to false, i.e., typically when tags are not found NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 27 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW Defining the Notification Address You must tell the reader where to send notification messages to when it is operating in autonomous mode. The Alien reader can be instructed to send out messages over the internet to a specified machine or over email to specified email address. This is configured using a single command:

Set NotifyAddress = address The format of the address indicates the method of delivery:

NotifyAddress user@domain.com hostname:port serial Description Send a message via e-mail to the address specified. The address is specified in standard email form, i.e., user@domain.com NOTE: the MailServer parameter must be configured for this to work. Send a message to a specified port on a networked machine. The address takes the form hostname:port. For example, 123.01.02.98:3450 or listener.alientechnology.com:10002 Send a message to the serial connection. The word serial is used as the address. The word is not case sensitive. Defining the Notification Format You must tell the reader the format required for any tag list that it sends out. When a notification message is sent out it contains two parts to its document:

The first part of the document details the reader that sent the message and the reason the message was sent. The second part to the message is a list of tags (either newly added or removed tags, or the complete list of tags as seen by the reader):

The format of the message is configured using a single command:

Set NotifyFormat = format The format may be one of the following:

NotifyFormat Description text xml Tag lists are sent out as plain text messages, one tag ID per line. Tag lists are sent out as an XML text format NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 28 CHAPTER 3 NANOSCANNER SYSTEM OVERVIEW Text formatted tag lists take the form:

#Alien RFID Reader Auto Notification Message

#ReaderName: Spinner Reader

#ReaderType: Alien RFID Tag Reader (Class BPT / 2450Mhz)

#IPAddress: 10.1.70.13

#CommandPort: 23

#Time: 2003/01/21 12:48:59

#Reason: TEST MESSAGE Tag:1115 F268 81C3 C012 0000 4523, CRC:2483, Disc:2003/01/21 09:00:51, Count:1, Ant:0 Tag:0100 0100 0002 0709 1234 A34E, CRC:8594, Disc:2003/01/21 11:00:10, Count:1, Ant:0 Tag:1054 A334 54E1 7409 F983 2DE5, CRC:2083, Disc:2003/01/21 11:50:03, Count:1, Ant:0

#End of Notification Message XML Formatted tag lists take the form:

<Alien-RFID-Reader-Auto-Notification>

<ReaderName>Spinner Reader</ReaderName>

<ReaderType>Alien RFID Tag Reader (Class BPT / 2450Mhz)</ReaderType>

<IPAddress>10.1.70.13</IPAddress>

<CommandPort>23</CommandPort>

<Time>2003/01/21 12:49:22</Time>

<Reason>TEST MESSAGE</Reason>

<Alien-RFID-Tag-List>

<Alien-RFID-Tag>

<TagID>0102 0304 0506 0709 0020 1020</TagID>

<CRC>87B4</CRC>

<DiscoveryTime>2003/01/17 11:37:01</DiscoveryTime>

<Antenna>0</Antenna>

<ReadCount>1413726</ReadCount>

</Alien-RFID-Tag>

<Alien-RFID-Tag>

<TagID>2283 1668 ADC3 E804 E456 0293</TagID>

<CRC>9FD0</CRC>

<DiscoveryTime>2003/01/19 07:01:19</DiscoveryTime>

<Antenna>0</Antenna>

<ReadCount>1</ReadCount>

</Alien-RFID-Tag>

</Alien-RFID-Tag-List>

</Alien-RFID-Reader-Auto-Notification>

Listening for Tags over the Network When a reader has been configured for autonomous mode, all interactive communications with the reader can be stopped and it can be left to work on its own. It is then up to the network application to listen for any notification messages from the reader. Libraries are provided in the Nanoscanner Reader Developers Kit to provide this functionality in both Java and Visual Basic languages. In both cases, setting up a listening service is a simple coding task, involving less than 10 lines of code. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 29 CHAPTER 4 READER-HOST COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION CHAPTER 4 ReaderHost Communications Installation The Nanoscanner reader is designed to be programmed using simple ASCII text-

based commands from any programming language. Introduction The CD provided with your Nanoscanner Reader Developers Kit includes extensive examples of code developed by Alien for the Nanoscanner using Java and VisualBasic programming languages. These examples will serve as models for developing new software for the reader. This section of the Nanoscanner Reader Developers Guide describes how to install the reader on a host computer, as well as how to issue commands and interact with the reader using three different methods:

Command line operation over serial communication. Command line operation over Telnet communication. HTML based operation over Web communication. Whether using direct serial communication with the reader or using one of the network communication options, you will require serial communications for initial reader installation. Audience For the purposes of this chapter, it is assumed that users:

May be IT specialists, network specialists or programmers. Will operate the reader via the host either with direct serial communication or via network. technology. Have minimal previous knowledge of radio-frequency identification Additionally, it is assumed that:

Users installing the reader via direct serial communication are skilled in the application of RS-232 serial protocol. Users installing the reader for network communication are skilled in basic network configuration. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 30 CHAPTER 4 READER-HOST COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION Programmers are competent in at least one programming or scripting language and have the ability to issue ASCII-based commands with that language. Requirements Serial communication requires:

A text-based serial communications program (such as Windows HyperTerminal) running on any computer. Ethernet communication requires:

An Ethernet network. Standard Web browser or Telnet communication program Conventions The following conventions are used in this section:

Keys to be pressed are shown in brackets and all caps. Example: Press the

[ENTER] key. Upon entering any command instruction, you must press [ENTER] to send the command. Specific characters and commands to be typed in are shown within quotation marks. Example: At the prompt type Set DHCP=ON. Values to be provided and typed in by the user are shown within brackets in upper and lowercase. Example: At the prompt type Set IPaddress=[ IP address value] or Set IPaddress=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx. The actual command typed in would appear as: Set IPaddress=10.1.60.5. Nanoscanner reader commands are case insensitive. Although, for clarity, the commands may be shown in upper and lower case in this document, you may type them in all lowercase characters, if you prefer. A space is required between the command (verb) such as get or set and the specific parameters as in the example Get IPaddress. However, no space is required between the parameter elements such as IP and address. Setting up Reader-Host Communications You can interact with the reader via the three methods mentioned earlier: direct serial, Telnet and Web. Serial and Telnet communications both involve command line operation. Web communication uses HTML. Command Line Operation: Direct Serial Communication This method is required for installing a new Nanoscanner, whether directly or via network. Serial communications requires no preconfiguration and can be performed easily with most computers. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 31 CHAPTER 4 READER-HOST COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION This method enables real-time operation of the reader via a serial communications (comm.) port. Serial communication is the simplest means by which to connect the reader to the host and implement ASCII command protocol. Command Line Operation: Telnet Communication Telnet communication requires a network connection via the readers Ethernet port and allows the reader to operate like a Telnet server. This mode offers the same form of command line interaction with the Nanoscanner, but requires the Nanoscanner to be configured for and running on a network in order to use it. HTML-Based Operation: Web Communication This mode allows you to operate and interact with the reader via the Web interface. Web mode offers the simplest means of interaction via a series of HTML pages and Java Applets served up by the Nanoscanner itself. All interaction with the reader takes place inside a standard Web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. NOTE: Before for you can configure the reader for network (Telnet or Web) access, you must first set up the reader for direct serial communications. By default, all Nanoscanner readers are preconfigured to use DHCP when presented with an Ethernet connection. However, you must first establish a direct serial connection in order to learn the readers IP Address. Installing Reader on Host via Serial Port (ALL) Whether you will ultimately be operating the reader directly via serial communications or via a network connection, you will need to install the reader initially using the serial port instructions. NOTE: Example screens shown in this section are from HyperTerminal. 1. Ensure the reader is properly connected to power and at least one antenna per installation instructions in Chapter 2. 2. Connect one end of the serial cable to the readers COM port and the other end to either COM port 1 or COM port 2 on the host computer. 3. Launch the desired serial communications program (such as HyperTerminal which is supplied with Windows 98 and 2000). 4. Enter (or verify) the following settings to configure the serial communications program:

Baud Rate:

Data Bits:

Parity:

Stop Bits:

Flow Control: None 115200 8 None 1 NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 32 CHAPTER 4 READER-HOST COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION Once configured, the software should allow you to communicate with the Nanoscanner. HyperTerminal example configuration screens are shown below:

5. At the command prompt, you may now type any command followed by the

[ENTER] key to submit the command. The following basic commands are helpful in verifying the reader-host interface:

Help (or h) Provides a list of all commands available Get TagList Scans field immediately for tags and reports the results Info (or i) Provides a list of current settings for the reader NOTE: Nanoscanner reader commands are case insensitive and may be typed in all lowercase characters, if preferred. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 33 CHAPTER 4 READER-HOST COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION For a detailed explanation of all commands available, please refer to Chapter 6:

ReaderHost Protocol. Network Installation (Optional) To configure the system for network operation, you will use the commands shown under the NETWORK heading. There are 5 NETWORK commands that may be used for network configuration:

Get | Set DHCP (On of Off) Get | Set IP address Get | Set Netmask Get | Set Gateway Get | Set DNS 1. To access the command list, type H or Help. 2. If DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - an automatic configuration protocol that runs on many networks) is supported at your site, proceed to step 3. If DHCP is NOT supported at your site, skip to step 6. If DHCP is supported at your site:

3. Type Set DHCP=ON. 4. DHCP will automatically configure the other four parameters. Issue the command Get IPaddress and the reader will return its assigned address. 5. Skip to step 9. If DHCP is not supported at your site:

6. Type Set DHCP=OFF. Reader will return the message DHCP = OFF. 7. Contact your system administrator for the following parameter values:

IPaddress Netmask (or sub-netmask) Gateway DNS 8. Type each of the 4 commands below with the assigned values:

Set IPaddress=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Set Netmask=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (or sub-netmask) Set Gateway=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Set DNS=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx If value is accepted, the reader will return accepted value. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 34 CHAPTER 4 READER-HOST COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION If value is not accepted, reader will return 0.0.0.0. 9. Type Reboot to reboot the reader and implement the commands. To verify your network connection to the reader:

10. Launch a browser. 11. Enter the readers assigned IP address. If the IP address is valid, the Alien reader portal will display. Web portal (above) Telnet portal (right) 12. For Web access, click the [ENTER] box. 13. At the prompt, enter your username and password. (These are case For Telnet access, skip to step 13. sensitive and must be typed as specified.) Current settings are:

Username = alien NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 35 CHAPTER 4 READER-HOST COMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION Password = password 14. You are now ready to interact with the reader via commands. For Telnet operation, you will be using the text command lines in the same manner as in direct serial communication. The only difference is in the use of the Q command to quit the Telnet session. For Web operation, you will be using the HTML screens as shown. Reader commands and instructions for their use in both command line and HTML operations are provided in the next chapter, Chapter 5: Reader-Host Protocol. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 36 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES CHAPTER 5 ReaderHost Protocol The Reader <> Host protocol is a text-based communications protocol for configuring and operating the Alien Nanoscanner RFID reader for enterprise host systems connectivity. Introduction Reader Operation Overview This chapter describes the programming interface that links the Alien Nanoscanner RFID reader to the outside world. For a overview of the reader system, see Chapter 3: Nanoscanner System Overview. For instructions on setting up reader operation via a host computer, see Chapter 4: Reader-Host Communications Installation. As detailed in Chapter 4, you may interact with the reader and configure its operation using either of two methods:

Text-based command line operation (via direct serial or Telnet connection) Web-based HTML operation For the purposes of these instructions, the serial and Telnet operations will be considered essentially identical. Where any significant differences exist in the command line operation methods or the Web-based HTML operation, the instructions will note those exceptions. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 37 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Text-Based Command Line Operation To interact with the reader via command line operation you must either be communicating directly with the reader via the serial port connection to the host, or via the Internet and a Telnet connection. In both cases the screens will look similar and will thus be considered identical for the purposes of the instructions that follow. Telnet connection (right) Direct serial connection via HyperTerminal (below) Telnet Exceptions:

In Telnet operation you must issue the command Q to quit the session. Accessing reader control via Telnet requires an authorized user name and password (both of which can be changed via the General command set). Web-based HTML Operation The Nanoscanner reader includes a built-in Web server that can serve up a number of easy-to-use Web pages for configuring and using the reader. Like Telnet, the Web connection also requires an authorized user name and password. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 38 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Most of the pages served up by the Web server are simple HTML pages. Web-based HTML screen showing general commands tab with username and password fields. However there also a number of simple Java Applets that are used to provide an interactive environment for reading tags in the field. These Java Applets are all Java 1.1 compliant applets and will work in standard Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers. Once access with the reader has been established through the Web, you may execute any of the reader commands discussed in this chapter. The presentation of these commands differs from command-line operation only in the simplicity and convenience of the HTML screens and prompts. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 39 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Commands Overview There are two distinct categories of reader-host command: those initiated by the enterprise host (interactive commands), and those initiated by the reader itself

(autonomous commands). INTERACTIVE COMMANDS Interactive commands are initiated by a programmer, who creates and issues a command to the reader. The reader always responds to these commands with an immediate reply. Interactive commands are used to configure and operate the reader, as well as to interrogate tags and retrieve stored lists on demand. AUTONOMOUS COMMANDS Autonomous commands instruct the reader to perform certain tasks, without human intervention, according to conditions set by the programmer. These commands typically tell the reader to read tags and then send messages to the outside world based on user-defined triggers. For example, the reader can be instructed to search the field until it sees a tag, then to read the tag and mail the tag ID to a specified email address. Command Format All commands between the enterprise host system and the reader are human readable ASCII text-based messages. For example, a command to set the logical name of the reader using the Set Reader Name command takes the form:

Set ReaderName = My Alien Reader [CR][LF]

All commands to the reader are single line ASCII commands. These commands are always terminated by a single carriage return / line feed character pair

[CR][LF], ascii code 0x0D followed by ascii 0x0A. All replies from the reader are either single line or multiple line ASCII replies. These replies are always terminated by a single carriage return / line feed character pair [CR][LF] followed by a NULL character, ASCII codes 0x0D, 0x0A, 0x00. Where a reply comprises multiple text lines, each line is separated by a single carriage return / line feed character pair [CR][LF], ascii code 0x0D followed by ASCII 0x0A. An example of a single line command / response is:

>Get ReaderName[CR][LF]

>ReaderName = Alien Reader[CR][LF][0]

NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 40 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES An example of a multiple line command / response is:

>Get ReaderVersion[CR][LF]

>ReaderVersion = 1.0[CR][LF]

FirmwareVersion = 1.0[CR][LF]

SoftwareVersion = 1.0[CR][LF][0]

Commands are case insensitive, i.e., set readername is equivalent to Set ReaderName. Suppressing Command Prompts By default all commands are set up for interactive use over a serial console or telnet style interface. Consequently replies are always followed by a command prompt indicating that user input is required. Often this command prompt is not required, especially when client software is written that programmatically communicates with the reader. To account for these applications, all command prompts can be suppressed by making the first character of any command be an 0x1 character. For example:

INTERACTIVE COMMAND FORMAT Alien> get ReaderName[CR][LF]

ReaderName = Alien Reader[CR][LF][0]

Alien>[CR][LF]

NON-INTERACTIVE COMMAND FORMAT

[1]get ReaderName[CR][LF]

ReaderName = Alien Reader[CR][LF][0]

XML Commands There are a few cases where text-based replies and messages are formatted in XML format for easier computer parsing. The following messages are sent in XML format:

Heartbeat Messages (see Heartbeat command description). Notification Messages (if notifyFormat = xml; see Notify command description). The Get TagList commands (if tagListFormat = xml) NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 41 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Command Summaries Command List General Commands Help Info

! (repeat last command) Q (Quit) Telnet Only Get|Set ReaderName Get ReaderType Get ReaderVersion Get|Set Username Get|Set Password Get|Set AntennaSequence Reboot FactorySettings Network Configuration Commands Get|Set DHCP Get|Set IPAddress Get|Set Gateway Get|Set Netmask Get|Set DNS Get|Set HeartbeatPort Get|Set HearbeatTime Get|Set CommandPort Time Commands Get|Set Time Get|Set TimeZone Get|Set TimeServer External I/O Commands Get|Set ExternalOutput Get ExternalInput Tag List Commands Get|Set AcquireMode Get|Set PersistTime Get TagList (n) Get|Set TagListFormat Clear TagList Autonomous Mode Commands Get|Set AutoMode Get|Set AutoWaitOutput Get|Set AutoStartTrigger Get|Set AutoWorkOutput Get|Set AutoAction Get|Set AutoStopTrigger Get|Set AutoStopTimer Get|Set AutoTrueOutput Get|Set AutoTruePause Get|Set AutoFalseOutput Get|Set AutoFalsePause AutoModeReset Notify Mode Commands Get|Set NotifyMode Get|Set NotifyAddress Get|Set NotifyFormat Get|Set NotifyTime Get|Set NotifyTrigger Get|Set MailServer NotifyNow NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 42 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Command List with Functions GENERAL COMMANDS Command Help (or h) Info (or (i) Get TagList

! (exclamation mark) Q Get ReaderName Set ReaderName Get ReaderType Get ReaderVersion Get Username Set Username Get Password Set Password Get AntennaSequence Set AntennaSequence Reboot FactorySettings Description List all reader commands available. List all current reader settings. Scan the field, read tags and report. (see Tag List Commands for details.) Repeats the last command issued. Quit session (TELNET ONLY) Allows an arbitrary name to be associated with and retrieved from the reader. Get a description of the reader type Get the reader software/hardware versions. Get and Set the Username used for the Network based access control Get and Set the Password used for the Network based access control Get and Set the antenna port sequence the reader should use. Reboot the reader. Reset the reader to its original factory settings. NETWORK CONFIGURATION COMMANDS Command Description Get DHCP Set DHCP Get IPAddress Set IPAddress Get Gateway Set Gateway Get Netmask Set Netmask Get DNS Set DNS Get HeartbeatPort Set HeartbeatPort Get HeartbeatTime Set HeartbeatTime Get CommandPort Set CommandPort Turn on or off the DHCP mode for the reader. If DHCP is on, the reader will automatically configure itself for the network on power-up. Set and Get the network ID (IP Address) of the reader. If DHCP is enabled this will be set automatically. Set and Get the network gateway. If DHCP is enabled this will be set automatically. Set and Get the subnet mask. If DHCP is enabled this will be set automatically. Set and Get the domain name server. If DHCP is enabled this will be set automatically. The reader periodically sends out heartbeat messages to the network. The port over which this is done can configured. Set and Get the time interval, in seconds, between successive heartbeats. The reader reacts to commands over the network only if they are directed at a specific command port on the reader. This port can be configured using these commands. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 43 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES TIME COMMANDS Command Description Get Time Set Time Get TimeZone Set TimeZone Get TimeServer Set TimeServer EXTERNAL IO COMMANDS Command Get ExternalOutput Set ExternalOutput Get ExternalInput TAG LIST COMMANDS Command Get AcquireMode Set AcquireMode Get PersistTime Set PersistTime Get TagList (n) Get TagListFormat Set TagListFormat Clear TagList Get and Set the real time clock on the reader in Local time. Get and Set the time zone offset from UTC for the real time clock. Get and Set the location of a network time server. Description Get and Set the External Output pin values. Get the External Input pin values. Description Specifiy how the Nanoscanner reads tags. Get the current list of active tags the from reader in plain text format. Get the current list of active tags the from reader in plain text format. Set and Get the format for tag lists. Clear the list of active tags on the reader. AUTONOMOUS MODE COMMANDS Command Get AutoMode Set AutoMode Get AutoWaitOutput Set AutoWaitOutput Get AutoStartTrigger Get AutoStartTrigger Get AutoWorkOutput Set AutoWorkOutput Get AutoAction Set AutoAction Get AutoStopTrigger Description Switch auto mode on and off. Speicify the value of the output pins while in wait mode. Get and Set the trigger that sends the auto mode state into working state. Specify the value of the output pins while in work mode. Get and Set the action to perform in auto mode Set and Get the external trigger that will move the auto mode state from work mode to evaluate mode. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 44 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Set AutoStopTrigger Get AutoStopTimer Set AutoStopTimer Get AutoTrueOutput Set AutoTrueOutput Get AutoTruePause Set AutoTruePause Get AutoFalseOutput Set AutoFalseOutput Get AutoFalsePause Set AutoFalsePause AutoModeReset NOTIFY MODE COMMANDS Command Get NotifyMode Set NotifyMode Get NotifyFormat Set NotifyFormat Get NotifyAddress Set NotifyAddress Get NotifyTime Set NotifyTime Get NotifyTrigger Set NotifyTrigger Get MailServer Set MailServer NotifyNow Set and Get the timer that will move the auto mode state from work mode to evaluate mode. Specify the value of the output pins when the auto mode evaluation returns a True condition. Set and Get the pause time after the auto mode evaluation returns a True condition. Specify the value of the output pins when the auto mode evaluation returns a False condition. Set and Get the pause time after the auto mode evaluation returns a False condition. Reset all automode values to their default states. Description Switch notify mode on and off. Get and Set the format for tag lists pushed out in notify mode. Get and Set the address to push tag lists to. Get and Set the time interval for automatically pushing tag lists. Get and Set the trigger for pushing tag lists. Set and Get an SMTP mail server. This is only required if notification email messages are sent out. Send an immediate message via the notification system. Using the Commands This section describes each command, its use and the response formats. NOTE: Nanoscanner reader commands are case insensitive, that is, you can use upper or lower case, or any combination thereof, and the reader will understand the command. Capitalization of commands is used in this document and in actual command responses is solely for the purpose of readability. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 45 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES General Commands Text Based General commands cover basic reader and antenna functions and information. HELP (H) This command lists all reader commands available. You may also type just the letter h to send this command. INFO (I) This provides a list of current reader settings. You may also type just the letter i to send this command.

This command (exclamation mark) asks the reader to repeat the last command issued. Q (QUIT)

(For Telnet operation only) The Quit command allows you to exit the current Telnet session. GET TAGLIST This instructs the reader to scan the field for tags, read them and report the results. (For more details, see the Get TagList command under the Tag List Commands section.) GET READERNAME SET READERNAME The reader can be assigned an arbitrary text name to aid identification in multiple-reader environments. This name can be retrieved and changed at any time throughout reader operation. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get ReaderName

>ReaderName = My First Alien Reader

>Set ReaderName = My Second Alien Reader

>ReaderName = My Second Alien Reader GET READERTYPE The reader type can be retrieved using this command. The resulting text will be a single-line reply describing the model number of the reader and related information. Command Response Example

>Get ReaderType

>ReaderType = Alien RFID Tag Reader (Class 1 / 915MHz) NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 46 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES GET READERVERSION The reader version can be retrieved using this command. The resulting text is a multi-line reply. Each line of the reply describes the version number of a major reader component. Command Response Example

>Get ReaderVersion

>Enterprise Software Version = 1.05.01 Micro Firmware Version = 02.04.18 DSP Firmware Version = 02.13.02 GET USERNAME SET USERNAME The reader can be operated over the network. When operated in this mode it uses a simple username/password authentication scheme to stop unwelcome visitors accessing it. This command allows the username to be defined and obtained. A username/password pair is not required when operating the reader via serial connection. The default username setting is alien NOTE: The username is case sensitive and must be entered in all lowercase. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get Username

>Username = alien

>Set Username = hal

>Username = hal GET PASSWORD SET PASSWORD The reader can be operated over the network. When operated in this mode it uses a simple username/password authentication scheme to stop unwelcome visitors accessing it. This command allows the password to be defined and obtained. A username/password pair is not required when operating the reader via serial connection. The default password setting is password NOTE: The password is case sensitive and must be entered in all lowercase. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get Password

>Password = password

>Set Password = 1234fab

>Password = 1234fab NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 47 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES GET ANTENNASEQUENCE SET ANTENNASEQUENCE The reader can support the use of multiple antennas. This command allows the user to select which antenna port(s) to use and in what sequence. NOTE: Currently, the reader supports only one set of antennas on port 0. To instruct the reader to cycle through the antenna list on each If using only one antenna, you will assign just one antenna port number. successive tag read, enter the port designations for all antennas to be used

(0 and 1) and the order in which they should be used. Multiple antennas are specified by passing in a comma separated list as the argument. An asterisk (*) by a number indicates the antenna currently in use. The default value is 0. Example Command Response Command Response To always use antenna 1:

Command Response To cycle between antenna 0 and antenna 1:

Command Response

>Get AntennaSequence

>AntennaSequence = 0*

>Get AntennaSequence

>AntennaSequence = 0, 1*

>Set AntennaSequence =1

>AntennaSequence =1

>Set AntennaSequence =0, 1

>AntennaSequence =0*, 1 REBOOT The Reboot command will immediately cause the reader to reboot itself. Command Response Example

>Reboot

>Reader is rebooting now !

FACTORYSETTINGS The FactorySettings command will reset all settings in the reader to their default values. Example

>FactorySettings

>All settings have been reset !

Command Response NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 48 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES General Commands Web Based General commands are issued via the Web page to manipulate reader and antenna functions and access information. ..Plus Reboot and Factory Settings COMMANDS/OPERATIONS VIA WEB GENERAL TAB Command equivalents found on the Web-based General tab are:

Get | Set ReaderName Get ReaderType and Reader Version Get | Set Username Get | Set Password Web view General tab covers all Get and Set general commands... This screen lets you cancel or continue to reset reader to factory settings. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 49 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Get | Set AntennaSequence Reboot Factory settings (see below) When you click on the Reset reader factory settings option at the bottom of the General tab screen, you will have an opportunity to change your mind before the command is accepted. At this second screen you may click -[CANCEL] to stop the reset, or you can click the [Reset Reader Factory Settings] button to proceed. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 50 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Network Configuration Commands Text Based These commands allow you to configure and retrieve settings related to reader communications with the network. GET DHCP SET DHCP The reader supports automatic network configuration using the widely available DHCP protocol. If DHCP is available at the reader installation site, this protocol can be switched on. If DHCP is not available or not desired the use of this protocol can be switched off. Valid command parameters are ON and OFF. The default setting is ON. NOTE: After making changes with this command, you must reboot the reader to implement the changes. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get DHCP

>DHCP=ON

>Set DHCP=OFF

>DHCP=OFF GET IPADDRESS SET IPADDRESS If DHCP is not used for automatic configuration, the reader must be manually configured for use on a network. The IPAddress command pair allow you to assign and retrieve the hosts IP address. NOTE: After making changes with this command, you must reboot the reader to implement the changes. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get IPAddress

>IPAddress =12.34.56.78

>Set IPAddress =34.55.33.12

>IPAddress =34.55.33.12 GET GATEWAY SET GATEWAY If DHCP is not used for automatic configuration, the reader must be manually configured for use on a network. The gateway command pair allow the network gateway to be assigned and retrieved. Gateway must be specified as a numerical IP address. NOTE: After making changes with this command, you must reboot the reader to implement the changes. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 51 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Command Response Command Response Example

>Get Gateway

>Gateway=34.56.78.90

>Set Gateway=12.56.23.01

>Gateway=12.56.23.01 GET NETMASK SET NETMASK If DHCP is not used for automatic configuration, the reader must be manually configured for use on a network. The subnet mask command pair allow the subnet mask to be assigned and retrieved. A subnet mask must be specified as a numerical IP address. NOTE: After making changes with this command, you must reboot the reader to implement the changes. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get Netmask

>Netask=255.255.255.128

>Set Netmask=255.255.255.0

>Netmask=255.255.255.0 GET DNS SET DNS If DHCP is not used for automatic configuration, the reader must be manually configured for use on a network. The DNS command pair allow the DNS server location to be assigned and retrieved. A DNS server must be specified as a numerical IP address. NOTE: After making changes with this command, you must reboot the reader to implement the changes. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get DNS

>DNS=12.34.56.78

>Set DNS=45.224.124.34

>DNS=45.224.124.34 NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 52 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES GET HEARTBEATPORT SET HEARTBEATPORT The reader can be configured to periodically send out a heartbeat message to the network. This heartbeat takes the form of a single UDP packet (Universal Datagram Packet) broadcast out to the entire subnet that the reader is configured for. The Set HeartbeatPort command allows you to configure the actual port number that this packet is sent out to. Listening for this heartbeat can be used to initially locate a reader on a network and subsequently make sure that the reader is still alive. The default port setting for this command is 3988 The format of the UDP packet is a single XML document detailing the reader:

<Alien-RFID-Reader-Heartbeat>

<ReaderName>Alien RFID Reader</ReaderName>

<ReaderType>Alien RFID Tag Reader (Class 1 / 915Mhz)</ReaderType>

<IPAddress>10.1.60.5</IPAddress>

<CommandPort>23</CommandPort>

<HeartbeatTime>30</HeartbeatTime>

</Alien-RFID-Reader-Heartbeat>

NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get HeartbeatPort

>HeartbeatPort=3004

>Set HeartbeatPort=10002

>HeartbeatPort=10002 GET HEARTBEATTIME SET HEARTBEATTIME The reader can be configured to periodically send out a heartbeat message to the network. This heartbeat takes the form of a single UDP packet (Universal Datagram Packet) broadcast out to the entire subnet that the reader is configured for. The time interval between heartbeats can be assigned and retrieved using this command. All intervals are specified in seconds. A setting of zero (seconds) will suspend the output of any further heartbeats. The default setting for this command is 30 seconds. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 53 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Command Response Command Response Example

>Get HeartbeatTime

>HeartbeatTime=30

>Set HeartbeatTime=60

>HeartbeatTime=60 GET COMMANDPORT SET COMMANDPORT The reader can be configured and operated over the network using standard network sockets. The CommandPort settings are used to assign and retrieve the exact port number used by the reader for this network connectivity. The default setting for this command is 23 (the standard Telnet port) Changes to this setting do not affect serial communication and/or Web communication with the reader. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get CommandPort

>CommandPort=23

>Set CommandPort=10004

>CommandPort=10004 Network Commands Web Based Network commands are issued via the Web page to set up and access reader networking parameters. Web view Network tab covers all Get and Set network commands. Toggles DHCP On and Off COMMANDS/OPERATIONS VIA WEB NETWORK TAB Command equivalents found on the Web-based Network tab are:

Get DHCP NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 54 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Set DHCP (toggles DHCP On and OFF) Get | Set IPaddress Get | Set Gateway Get | Set Netmask Get | Set DNS Get | Set HeartbeatPort Get | Set HearbeatTime Get | Set CommandPort NANOSCANNER READER USERGUIDE DOC ???

2003 Alien Technology 55

CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Time Commands Text Based The time at which tags are read by a reader is particularly important for many applications. For this reason, the reader has three time commands to ensure that the onboard real-time clock is always set accurately. GET TIME SET TIME These commands allow the current time to be assigned to or retrieved from the reader. Times used by this command are always specified in local time, as defined by the TimeZone command. Times are always specified by the format YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm:ss. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Example

>Get Time

>Time = 2002/6/3 9:23:01

>Set Time = 2002/6/3 19:23:01

>Time = 2002/6/3 19:23:01 GET TIMEZONE SET TIMEZONE These commands allow the current time zone to be assigned to or retrieved from the reader. The time zone specifies the number of hours that must be added to or subtracted from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time; also known as GMT or Zulu) to determine a local time reference. For example, to convert from UTC to Pacific Standard Time, set the TimeZone to 8. To convert from UTC to Pacific Daylight Time, set the TimeZone to 7. The default setting for this command is -7 hours (Pacific Daylight Time) because PDT is UTC time minus 7 hours. For more information about time zones, servers and UTC, refer to the Website listed under the Get/Set TimeServer command. The TimeZone parameter is only useful if the TimeServer is used to automatically set the system clock. In this case, the TimeServer always retrieves the time in UTC format and will need to be offset to reflect local time using this parameter. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. 2450MHz Battery CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Command Response Example

>Get TimeZone

>TimeZone = -8

>Set TimeZone = 3

>TimeZone = 3 GET TIMESERVER SET TIMESERVER The reader uses the Internet to accurately set its internal clock every time it is rebooted. The protocol it uses is called the Daytime Protocol (RFC-867) which typically returns the time in UTC format. In order to use this feature, a TimeServer must be specified. This is the network address of a machine that is constantly running the Daytime Protocol. In the US there are a number of machines owned and operated by the Government explicitly providing the time and date to Internet users. By default the reader is configured to connect to one of these machines on boot-up to get the current time. For a more in-depth description of this server, and a list of other publicly accessible Daytime Protocol Servers, see:

http://www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/service/its.htm The default setting for this command is 132.163.4.101, a primary NIST network time server. Some alternative time servers are:

time-a.nist.gov /

time-b.nist.gov /

time.nist.gov 129.6.15.28 129.6.15.29 192.43.244.18 NOTE: After making changes with this command, you must reboot the reader to implement the changes. Command Response Example

>Get TimeServer

>TimeServer = 129.6.15.28

>Set TimeServer = 129.6.15.28

>TimeServer = 129.6.15.28 The TimeServer is only used once when the reader is booted up. A message in the boot sequence (sent out to the serial console) indicates success or failure of this option. For example, a successful boot sequence will report the following messages to the serial console:

Booting Alien RFID Reader Boot> Boot Level 1 (Console Communication) : Success Boot> Boot Level 2 (Reader Communication) : Success Boot> Boot Level 3 (Tag Manager) : Memory for 1000 Tags CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Boot> Boot Level 4 (System Settings) : Success Boot> Boot Level 5 (Network) : Success - IP Address is 10.1.60.4 Boot> Boot Level 6 (Telnet Interface) : Success - Port 23 Ready Boot> Boot Level 7 (Web Interface) : Success Boot> Boot Level 8 (Network Time Service) : Success - Time Set to 2002/08/23 16:50:24 Boot> Ready Time Commands Web Based Time commands are issued via the Web page to set up and access reader time parameters. Web view Time tab covers all Get and Set time commands. COMMANDS/OPERATIONS VIA WEB TIME TAB Command equivalents found on the Web-based Time tab are:

Get | Set Time Get | Set TimeZone Get | Set TimeServer CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL External I/O Commands These commands allow you to configure and retrieve current data regarding the readers external output functions. SET EXTERNALOUTPUT GET EXTERNALOUTPUT The reader controls four external output pins, which can subsequently be used to control external devices such a doors/gates, security lights. etc. Please refer to Chapter 1, Specifications section in this document for pinout diagrams. With this command you can set the external output pin values. The command takes a single parameter that represents the bit mask settings of the external pins. Bit 0 represents the state of pin 0, and Bit 1 represents the state of pin 1, Bit 2 is state of pin 2 and Bit 3 is state of pin 3. For example, to set pin 1 to high and pin 0 on low, use the bit mask of 10binary which translates to 2decimal NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Set ExternalOuput = 2

>ExternalOutput = 2

>Get ExternalOuput

>ExternalOutput = 2 GET EXTERNALINPUT The reader also monitors four external input pins, which can subsequently be controlled by external proximity detectors and other input devices such as magic-eyes and magnetic switches. This command allows these external input pin values to be obtained.Please refer to Chapter 1, Specifications section in this document for pinout diagrams. The command returns a single byte result that represents the bit mask settings of the external pins. Bit 0 represents the state of pin 0, and Bit 1 represents the state of pin 1, Bit 2 is state of pin 2 and Bit 3 is state of pin 3. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Example

>Get ExternalInput

>ExternalInput = 2 (i.e., binary 10) Command Response CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL External I/O Commands Web Based Time commands are issued via the Web page to set up and access external input and output parameters. Web view I/O tab covers all Get and Set External I/O commands. COMMANDS/OPERATIONS ON WEB EXTERNAL I/O TAB Command equivalents found on the Web-based External I/O tab are:

Get | Set ExternalOutput Get ExternalInput CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Tag List Commands Command Line Tag list commands allow you to retrieve immediate listings of tags that have been read and saved by the reader, and to assign and retrieve tag list functional parameters. NOTE: Web versions of these operations are shown in the next section. GET TAGLIST (N) You can retrieve the readers stored tag list either a single time (Get TagList) or multiple times (Get TagList n). The maximum number of tags that can be stored in the tag list is 1000. Using the Get TagList to retrieve the stored list only once:

If the reader is currently in interactive mode, the reader will immediately perform a full tag search (read and report) and display its current internal tag list. The reply will be a multi-line command with each line listing an active tag. If the tag list is empty, the message (No Tags) will be returned. If the reader is in Autonomous mode, the reader will display its current internal tag list only. Using the Get TagList with an optional integer n instructs the command to be repeated n times before a combined result is returned. The format of the data returned by this command is specified using the Set TagListFormat command, described below. Command Response Command Response Example Get TagList Tag: 0002 0030 A233 0400 0000 1023, CRC: B340, Disc:

2002/03/23 15:36:33, Count: 4, Ant: 0 Tag: 8080 AAAB ECF0 0000 125E 0102, CRC: 3021, Disc:

2002/03/22 12:26:01, Count: 3, Ant: 1 Get TagList

(No Tags) SET TAGLISTFORMAT GET TAGLISTFORMAT The Get and Set TagListFormat commands specify the formatting of tag lists. The command itself takes a text string as its argument, and can be one of the following:

The format may be one of the following:

CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL TagListFormat Description text xml Tag lists displayed as plain text messages, one tag ID per line. Tag lists are displayed in XML text format Text formatted tag lists take the following from:

Tag:1115 F268 81C3 C012 0000 1E45, CRC:2483, Disc:2003/01/21 09:00:51, Count:1, Ant:0 Tag:0100 0100 0002 0709 0303 5752, CRC:8594, Disc:2003/01/21 11:00:10, Count:1, Ant:0 Tag:1054 A334 54E1 7409 A434 8972, CRC:2083, Disc:2003/01/21 11:50:03, Count:1, Ant:0 XML Formatted tag lists take the form:

<Alien-RFID-Tag-List>

<Alien-RFID-Tag>

<TagID>0102 0304 0506 0709 0020 2020</TagID>

<CRC>87B4</CRC>

<DiscoveryTime>2003/01/17 11:37:01</DiscoveryTime>

<Antenna>0</Antenna>

<ReadCount>1413726</ReadCount>

</Alien-RFID-Tag>

<Alien-RFID-Tag>

<TagID>2283 1668 ADC3 E804 3403 3030</TagID>

<CRC>9FD0</CRC>

<DiscoveryTime>2003/01/19 07:01:19</DiscoveryTime>

<Antenna>0</Antenna>

<ReadCount>1</ReadCount>

</Alien-RFID-Tag>

</Alien-RFID-Tag-List>

In all cases the following information is reported per tag:

TagID: The 96 bit tag ID. CRC: The checksum built into the tag that guarantees that the tagID was read correctly. Disc: The time the tag was first read by the reader in the current session. Count: The number of times the tag has been read in the current session. Ant: The antenna port number that the tag was LAST seen at. Command Response Command Response Example Set TagListFormat = XML TagListFormat = XML Get TagListFormat TagListFormat = Text NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL SET ACQUIREMODE GET ACQUIREMODE Whenever the reader is called upon to read a tag it does so using the current AcquireMode. Currently the allowable modes are as follows:

AcquireMode Inventory Global Scroll Description Perform full inventory of multiple tags. Perform fast search for single tag. The default setting is Inventory Global Scroll Mode Inventory Mode The Inventory acquire mode performs a full anti-collision search on tags in the readers field of view. This method will locate and distinguish multiple tags infront of the reader at the same time. The Global Scroll acquire mode instructs the reader to read a single tag repeatedly. This is a very fast tag reading method which is most effective when only one tag at a time is expected to be within reader range, as in conveyor belt applications. Under such circumstances, the performance for single tag reading is considerably faster than repeatedly doing a full tag search using the Inventory mode. NOTE: If multiple tags are in range of the reader when this mode is used, the reader will either select one of the tags (usually the strongest or loudest) to read and report, or will read none of the tags. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. CLEAR TAGLIST The Clear TagList command instructs the reader to immediately clear its internal tag list. Command Response Example

>Clear TagList

>Tag List has been reset!

NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL GET PERSISTTIME SET PERSISTTIME The PersistTime specifies the length of time a tags data will remain in the readers internal list of active tags. Persist times are specified in seconds. The default setting is 10 seconds. Setting the persist time to a positive number (1-n) will establish a persist time of the desired number of seconds A zero persist time (0) will guarantee that tags are not stored in the tag list. However issuing a get taglist command in interactive mode will return any tags immediately found even though they wont be stored in the taglist. Setting the persist time to 1 will cause the history to build indefinitely until a get taglist command is issued; at this point the tag list is returned, and then immediately cleared. The maximum number of tags that can be stored in the tag list is 1000. Once this tag limit is reached, error messages will be reported to the serial console, and no new tags will be added to the list until room is available. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Example

>Get PersistTime

>PersistTime=10

>Set PersistTime=300

>PersistTime=10 Command Response Command Response CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Tag List Commands Web Based Tag List commands are issued via the Web page to set up and access tag information. Allows you to:

Get and Set Acquire Mode Get and Set Persist Time... Display TagList... and Clear TagList. Tag List displays:

Tag ID CRC Discover time Reading Antenna Read count COMMANDS/OPERATIONS ON WEB TAG LIST TAB NOTE : Every time the Tag List page is loaded / refreshed, it is the equivalent of issuing a Get Taglist command to the reader. The results are displayed on the page. Command equivalents found on the Web-based Tag List tab are:

Get | Set AcquireMode Get | Set PersistTime Get TagList(n) Includes tag ID, crc, discover time, reading antenna and read count. Clear Taglist CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Autonomous Mode Commands Autonomous mode is a multi-stage configuration and operation mode that enables hands-free monitoring of tags. The first stage requires you to issue a series of configuration commands to the reader. These commands detail how and when to read tags, and then when tags are found, who to tell. Once configured, the reader can be left to operate on its own. For a detailed description of the Automonous mode system please refer to Chaprer 4 of this guide. SET AUTOMODE GET AUTOMODE The AutoMode command turns on or off the automode. Valid command parameters are ON and OFF The default setting is OFF NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoMode

>AutoMode=ON

>Set AutoMode=on

>AutoMode=ON SET AUTOWAITOUTPUT GET AUTOWAITOUTPUT The AutoWaitOutput specifies the output pin settings to effect while in the wait state of autonomous mode. The parameter is a bit mask for the four external output pins, where a 1 sets a pin to high, and a 0 sets a pin to low. Pin 1 is specified by bit one in the mask, and Pin 0 is specified by bit zero in the mask etc NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Example

>Get AutoWaitOutput

> AutoWaitOutput =0

>Set AutoWaitOutput =3 //Turn pins 0 and 1 to high

> AutoWaitOutput =3 Command Response Command Response CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL SET AUTOSTARTTRIGGER GET AUTOSTARTTRIGGER The AutoStartTrigger specifies the external input pins to monitor to cause the automode to jump from wait state to work state. Triggers can either be a pin going from low to high (rising edge) to high to low (falling edge). For each type of change, an integer bit mask must be provided to specify the pins to listen for changes on. The command takes two parameters, a rising edge bit mask and a falling edge bit mask. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoStartTrigger

> AutoStartTrigger(rising, falling)= 0, 0

>Set AutoStartTrigger =3, 0 //Listen for rising edges on pins 0 and 1

> AutoStartTrigger (rising, falling)= 3, 0 SET AUTOWORKOUTPUT GET AUTOWORKOUTPUT The AutoWorkOutput specifies the output pin settings to effect while in the work state of autonomous mode. The parameter is a bit mask for the four external output pins, where a 1 sets a pin to high, and a 0 sets a pin to low. Pin 1 is specified by bit one in the mask, and Pin 0 is specified by bit zero in the mask etc NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoWorkOutput

> AutoWorkOutput =0

>Set AutoWorkOutput =3 //Turn pins 0 and 1 to high

> AutoWorkOutput =3 SET AUTOACTION GET AUTOACTION The AutoAction command specifies the action to perform when running in the work mode of auto mode. This can be one of the following options:

AutoAction Description Acquire Perform an acquire action, as specified by the AcquireMode options. CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL The default setting is Acquire NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoAction

> AutoAction = Acquire

>Set AutoAction =Acquire

> AutoAction = Acquire SET AUTOSTOPTRIGGER GET AUTOSTOPTRIGGER The AutoStopTrigger specifies the external input pins to monitor to cause the automode to jump from work state to evaluate state. Triggers can either be a pin going from low to high (rising edge) to high to low (falling edge). For each type of change, an integer bit mask must be provided to specify the pins to listen for changes on. The command takes two parameters, a rising edge bit mask and a falling edge bit mask. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoStopTrigger

> AutoStopTrigger(rising, falling)= 0, 0

>Set AutoStopTrigger =3, 0 //Listen for rising edges on pins 0 and 1

> AutoStopTrigger (rising, falling)= 3, 0 SET AUTOSTOPTIMER GET AUTOSTOPTIMER The AutoStopTimer offers an alternative way to jump from work state to evaluate state. This is a time based jump, that will happen after the timer period specified by this command expires. The parameter is a single time period, specified in milliseconds. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Example Command Response Command Response

>Get AutoStopTimer

> AutoStopTrimer (ms) = 0

>Set AutoStopTimer =1000 //Acquire for 1sec then evaluate

> AutoStopTimer (ms)= 1000 SET AUTOTRUEOUTPUT GET AUTOTRUEOUTPUT The AutoTrueOutput specifies the output pin settings to effect if the evaluate mode of autonomous mode evaluates to true. The parameter is a bit mask for the four external output pins, where a 1 sets a pin to high, and a 0 sets a pin to low. Pin 1 is specified by bit one in the mask, and Pin 0 is specified by bit zero in the mask etc NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoTrueOutput

> AutoTrueOutput =0

>Set AutoTrueOutput =3 //Turn pins 0 and 1 to high

> AutoTrueOutput =3 SET AUTOTRUEPAUSE GET AUTOTRUEPAUSE The AutoTruePause specifies a millisecond pause to effect if the autonomous evaluation mode evaluates to true. This pause will occur after the AutoTrueOutput command has been processed. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoTruePause

> AutoTruePause (ms)=0

>Set AutoTruePause =500 //Pause for half a sec.

> AutoTruePause = 500 SET AUTOFALSEOUTPUT GET AUTOFALSEOUTPUT The AutoFalseOutput specifies the output pin settings to effect if the evaluate mode of autonomous mode evaluates to false. The parameter is a bit mask for the four external output pins, where a 1 sets a pin to high, and a 0 sets a pin to CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL low. Pin 1 is specified by bit one in the mask, and Pin 0 is specified by bit zero in the mask etc NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoFalseOutput

> AutoFalseOutput =0

>Set AutoFalseOutput =3 //Turn pins 0 and 1 to high

> AutoFalseOutput =3 SET AUTOFALSEPAUSE GET AUTOFALSEPAUSE The AutoFalsePause specifies a millisecond pause to effect if the autonomous evaluation mode evaluates to false. This pause will occur after the AutoFalseOutput command has been processed. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get AutoFalsePause

> AutoFalsePause (ms)=0

>Set AutoFalsePause =500 //Pause for half a sec.

> AutoFalsePause = 500 AUTOMODERESET The AutoModeReset command will reset all auto mode parameters to their default values, including setting the auto mode to off. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response

>AutoModeReset

> All AutoMode settings have been reset !

Example CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Autonomous Mode Commands Web Based Autonomous Mode commands are issued via the Web page to set up and access autonomous mode parameters. Web view Autonomous Mode tab covers all Get and Set autonomous mode commands. COMMANDS/OPERATIONS ON WEB AUTONOMOUS MODE TAB Command equivalents found on the Web-based Autonomous Mode tab are:

Get | Set AutoMode Get | Set AutoWaitOutput Get | Set AutoStartTrigger Get | Set AutoWorkOutput Get | Set AutoAction Get | Set AutoStopTrigger Get | Set AutoStopTimer Get | Set AutoTrueOutput Get | Set AutoTruePause Get | Set AutoFalseOutput Get | Set AutoFalsePause CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Notify Mode Commands The Notify Mode commands are used to set up automated event notification when the reader is running in Auto Mode. SET NOTIFYMODE GET NOTIFYMODE The NotifyMode command turns on or off the notify mode. Valid command parameters are ON and OFF The default setting is OFF NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Example

>Get NotifyMode

> NotifyMode =ON

>Set NotifyMode =on

> NotifyMode =ON Command Response Command Response GET NOTIFYADDRESS SET NOTIFYADDRESS The Notify Address command pair specify where notification messages should be sent when they occur and how they should be sent. The form of the address determines the method of delivery. Currently there are 3 delivery methods supported as shown in the table below:

NotifyAddress user@domain.com hostname:port serial Description Send a message via e-mail to the address specified. The address is specified in standard email form, i.e., user@domain.com NOTE: the MailServer parameter must be configured for this to work. Send a message to a specified port on a networked machine. The address takes the form hostname:port. For example, 123.01.02.98:3450 or listener.alientechnology.com:10002 Send a message to the serial connection. The word serial is used as the address. The word is not case sensitive. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Command Response Command Response Example

>Get NotifyAddress

>NotifyAddress=10.1.0.12:4000

>Set NotifyAddress=user@msn.com

>NotifyAddress=user@msn.com GET NOTIFYTIME SET NOTIFYTIME The Notify Time commands assign and retrieve the time interval for automatic tag list pushing to a listening machine. The time is specified in seconds. If set to zero or a negative number the time-based automatic notification is disabled. When set to a positive number of seconds, a standard notification message will be sent out each period. NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get NotifyTime

>NotifyTime=30

>Set NotifyTime=30

>NotifyTime=30 GET NOTIFYTRIGGER SET NOTIFYTRIGGER The NotifyTrigger commands specify and retrieve the event conditions (other than time-based) upon which a notification message is sent out to any listener. Notify messages can be triggered under any of the following conditions:

Trigger Name Meaning ADD REMOVE CHANGE TRUE FALSE Send message when new tag is read and added to the TagList Send message when a tag is removed from the TagList Send message when a tag is either added to or removed from the TagList Send messages when the evaluation task of the autonomous state loop evaluates to true, i.e., typically when tags are added Send messages when the evaluation task of the autonomous state loop evaluates to false, i.e., typically when tags are not found CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL NOTE: Changes made with this command will take effect immediately. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get NotifyTrigger

>NotifyTrigger= REMOVE

>Set NotifyTrigger=ADD

>NotifyTrigger=ADD GET NOTIFYFORMAT SET NOTIFYFORMAT The NotifyFormat parameter specify the format of any notification message. The format may be one of the following:

NotifyFormat Description text xml Tag lists are sent out as plain text messages, one tag ID per line. Tag lists are sent out as an XML text format Text formatted tag lists take the form:

#Alien RFID Reader Auto Notification Message

#ReaderName: Spinner Reader

#ReaderType: Alien RFID Tag Reader (Class BPT / 2450Mhz)

#IPAddress: 10.1.70.13

#CommandPort: 23

#Time: 2003/01/21 12:48:59

#Reason: TEST MESSAGE Tag:1115 F268 81C3 C012 0020 2202, CRC:2483, Disc:2003/01/21 09:00:51, Count:1, Ant:0 Tag:0100 0100 0002 0709 1202 E404, CRC:8594, Disc:2003/01/21 11:00:10, Count:1, Ant:0 Tag:1054 A334 54E1 7409 1922, CRC:2083, Disc:2003/01/21 11:50:03, Count:1, Ant:0

#End of Notification Message XML Formatted tag lists take the form:

<Alien-RFID-Reader-Auto-Notification>

<ReaderName>Spinner Reader</ReaderName>

<ReaderType>Alien RFID Tag Reader (Class BPT / 2450Mhz)</ReaderType>

<IPAddress>10.1.70.13</IPAddress>

<CommandPort>23</CommandPort>

<Time>2003/01/21 12:49:22</Time>

<Reason>TEST MESSAGE</Reason>

<Alien-RFID-Tag-List>

<Alien-RFID-Tag>

<TagID>0102 0304 0506 0709 0020 2022</TagID>

<CRC>87B4</CRC>

CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL

<DiscoveryTime>2003/01/17 11:37:01</DiscoveryTime>

<Antenna>0</Antenna>

<ReadCount>1413726</ReadCount>

</Alien-RFID-Tag>

<Alien-RFID-Tag>

<TagID>2283 1668 ADC3 E804 2939 2021</TagID>

<CRC>9FD0</CRC>

<DiscoveryTime>2003/01/19 07:01:19</DiscoveryTime>

<Antenna>0</Antenna>

<ReadCount>1</ReadCount>

</Alien-RFID-Tag>

</Alien-RFID-Tag-List>

</Alien-RFID-Reader-Auto-Notification>

GET MAILSERVER SET MAILSERVER The MailServer command pair allow you to define an SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) mail server. This mail server is used only when automatic notification is configured (see Notify commands) and is set to use Mail as its delivery method. NOTE: Changes to this setting will take immediate effect. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get MailServer

>MailServer=12.34.56.78

>Set MailServer=45.224.124.34

>MailServer=45.224.124.34 NOTIFYNOW The NotifyNow command instructs the reader to send out an immediate notification of its tag list to the address currently set by the NotifyAddress command. Example Where the reader is set to notify a Telnet address. Command Response Where no NotifyAddress has been set. Command Response

>NotifyNow

>Notification sent to Telnet

>NotifyNow

>Notification Address not set CHAPTER 5 READER-HOST PROTOCOL Notify Mode Commands Web Based Notify Mode commands are issued via the Web page to set up and access notify mode parameters. The commands are accessed at the bottom of the Autonomous Web Page section. Web view Notify Mode tab covers all Get and Set notify mode commands. This web page is located at the bottom of the Autonomous Mode web page. COMMANDS/OPERATIONS ON WEB AUTONOMOUS MODE TAB Command equivalents found on the Web-based Autonomous Mode tab are:

Get | Set NotifyMode Get | Set NotifyAddress Get | Set MailServer Get | Set NotifyTrigger Get | Set NotifyTime Get | Set NotifyFormat CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS CHAPTER 6 ReaderHost Protocol Extensions for Battery Powered Backscatter Tags Introduction The Reader <> Host protocol detailed in Chapter 5 is a text-based communications protocol for configuring and operating the entire family of Alien Nanoscanner RFID readers. This chapter details extensions to this standard protocol that directly address the extended functionality of the Battery Powered Backscatter tags running at 2450Mhz. The Battery Powered Backscatter readers fully support the Class I protocol as described in chapter 5 of this document. In addition to the basic Class I command set, these readers also support extra commands especially designed to address the enhanced functionality of the Battery Powered Backscatter tags. These extra commands fall into one of five categories:

Masks All commands aimed at Battery Powered Backscatter tags require the setting of a mask, which directs the commands only at the tags whos ID matches the mask. This mechanism allows commands to be sent to one specific tag, a selective group of tags or the whole field of tags. Tags The tag commands are used to explicitly communicate with a tag, to either interrogate its features and functionality, or its ID. Memory The Battery Powered Backscatter tags support a read-write on-board memory typically in the range of 4K bytes to 16K bytes. The memory commands described in this document allow the tag memory to be read and written in discrete blocks via RF communication. Sensors The Battery Powered Backscatter tags can optionally support the use of on-

board sensors such as temperature or vibration sensors. The sensor commands can be used to interrogate and control the use of these on-board devices. Logging If a tag is equipped with one or more sensors, they can be instructed to autonomously log data to tag memory even in the absence of an RF field. The logging commands are the interface to this functionality. CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS Command Summaries Command List Sensor Commands Get SensorValue Logging Commands Get | Set LoggingMode Get | Set LoggingInterval Mask Commands Get | Set Mask Tag Commands Get TagID Get TagInfo Get | Set TagTime Memory Commands Get | Set Memory Get | Set MemoryPacketSize Clear Memory CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS Command List with Functions MASK COMMANDS Command Description Get and Set the current mask as an array of bytes Get Mask Set Mask TAG COMMANDS Command Description Get TagID Get TagInfo Get TagTime Set TagTime Get the ID of a tag Get information about a tag Get and Set the time and date on the tags built in clock MEMORY COMMANDS Command Get Memory Set Memory Get MemoryPacketSize Set MemoryPacketSize Clear Memory SENSOR COMMANDS Command Get SensorValue LOGGING COMMANDS Command Get LoggingMode Set LoggingMode Get LoggingInterval Set LoggingInterval Description Get and Set data from the tag memory Get and Set the size of the memory packets used in get and set memory commands Clear the tag memory Description Get the current value from a tags sensor Description Get and Set the automatic logging mode Set and Get the interval between automatic log recording events CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS Using the Commands This section describes each command, its use and the response formats. NOTE: Nanoscanner reader commands are case insensitive, that is, you can use upper or lower case, or any combination thereof, and the reader will understand the command. Capitalization of commands is used in this document and in actual command responses is solely for the purpose of readability. Mask Commands Mask commands tell the reader which tag to direct further commands to. GET MASK SET MASK The Get and Set Mask commands will control the current mask that the reader uses. Masks are important in both addressing tags and interrogating them. In order to interrogate a single tag, a mask must be set that will single out this tag in a field. The most commonly used mask in this case would be the entire unique tag ID. Once this mask has been set, all subsequent commands sent out from the reader will be listened to and answered only by the one tag that matches the mask ID. However there may be cases where it is useful to address a number of tags in the field at the same time. In cases such as these, a mask can be set that addresses the range of tags of interest, and reader commands can be issued to all these tags at once. The commands issued in this case can only be used to direct the tag to perform an operation such as clear its memory or set a parameter. Commands that require a response from a tag will result in unpredictable results if multiple tags are trying to answer at the same time. Mask Example Set Mask = 4, 0, 00 (4 bit mask, all zeros, starting at bit 0 from left) All threes tags will respond. One set command will affect all three tags One get command will not work as all three tags will respond at same time Set Mask = 8, 0, 01 (8 bit mask of 01 starting at bit 0 from left) Only first tag will respond (0100 0001 0203) One set command will affect only one tag One get command will work as only one tag will respond

(Also equivalent in this case to Set Mask = 48, 0, 01 00 00 01 02 03 to mask to entire tag ID) Three tags in field 0000 0003 4504 0300 0002 3039 0100 0001 0203 CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS The Set Mask command takes three parameters:

Bit Length of Mask, as a decimal number

Bit Pointer of Mask, as a decimal number

Array of Hex Bytes separated by white spaces Tag IDs are referenced where bit 0 is the left most bit. The Get Mask command takes no parameters but returns the three parameters described above. Note:

Setting an empty mask will address all tags currently in the RF field. i.e., set mask=

The Class I command get taglist also uses the set mask command internally. Thus the mask settings will be left in an unpredictable way after issuing any of these commands. Command Response Command Response Command Response Example

>Set Mask = 8, 0, 3

>Mask (BitLen, BitPtr, XX XX) = 8, 0, 3

>Set Mask = 16, 0, 00 03

>Mask (BitLen, BitPtr, XX XX) = 16, 0, 00 03

>Get Mask

>Mask (BitLen, BitPtr, XX XX) = 16, 0, 00 03 Tag Commands These commands allow a unique tag (as specified by the mask commands) to be interrogated. GET TAGID Get TagID is used to return the ID of a unique tag specified by the mask commands. If no unique tag can be found (either the mask is incorrect or not specific enough to singulate a tag), the result will be no tags Example

>Get TagID

>1010 2033 0330 3334 DE90 EE02

>Get TagID

>No Tags Command Response Command Response CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS GET TAGINFO Get TagInfo command will return information about a single tag defined using the set mask command. The information returned will be a multi-line reply containing the following elements:

Tag Firmware Version

Memory Size

Sensor Type Command Response Example

>Get TagInfo

>Firmware = 1.0.0 Memory = 4096 bytes Sensor = Dallas Semiconductor Temperature Sensor GET TAGTIME SET TAGTIME Each tag has an on-board real-time clock. The time represented by this clock can be obtained or set using these commands. Times are specified by the format:

yy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss The Set TagTime command can take one special parameter now which causes the reader to syncronize the tags clock with its own. Command Response Command Response Command Response Example

>Set TagTime = 02/12/03 16:13:00

>TagTime = 02/12/03 16:13:00 Set TagTime = now

>TagTime = 02/12/03 16:13:00 //Current reader clock setting

>Get TagTime

>TagTime = 02/12/03 16:13:00 CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS Memory Commands Each tag has on-board memory that can be used for arbitrary user data storage, or for holding sensor logging data. These commands allow this memory to be interrogated and programmed. As always, use the set mask command to identify the unique tag to communicate with. SET MEMORY GET MEMORY Set and Get Memory commands allow the direct manipulation and interrogation of the tag memory. The Get Memory command will return blocks of the tag memory, and the Set Memory command will write data to the tag memory. Get Memory takes two parameters (length, address). Parameter one is the number of bytes to get expressed as a single decimal number. Parameter two is the start address of the memory to get, expressed as a single decimal number. The maximum number of bytes that this command will return is 4Kb, i.e., 4096 bytes. The results of the Get Memory command are multiple lines of ascii data, where each line of data will represent up to 16 hexadecimal bytes of memory. A line of data may include asterisk characters instead of expected data this indicates that the request for a particular block of memory failed (usually RF communications failure). The data can usually be extracted by repeating the command after repositioning the tag. Set Memory takes two parameters (address, data). Parameter one is the start address of the memory to set, expressed as a single decimal number. The second parameter is an ascii string of hex bytes, up to a total of 64. This process is usually a slow process so the progress of the write operation is displayed on screen as each memorypacketsize bytes are written. Note: Memory is transferred to and from the tag in blocks of memory defined by the memorypacketsize command. The smaller the packet (i.e. 1 or 2 bytes) the smaller the transmission rate but also the smaller the error rate. Likewise the higher the packet size (i.e. 16 bytes) the higher the transmission rate but also the higher the error rate in a noisy environment. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get Memory 20, 0 Memory@0000 = AF 00 A5 17 59 01 01 01 01 01 A5 0A 00 00 A5 80 Memory@0010 = 16 80 16 80

>Set Memory 0, 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0A 0B Set Memory @0 Set Memory @4 Set Memory @8 Set Memory Success CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS SET MEMORYPACKETSIZE GET MEMORYPACKETSIZE Set and Get MemoryPacketSize commands determine the number of bytes to use in each memory related transmission packet to and from the tag. The smaller the packet (i.e. 1 or 2 bytes) the smaller the transmission rate but also the smaller the error rate. Likewise the higher the packet size (i.e. 16 bytes) the higher the transmission rate but also the higher the error rate in a noisy environment. The default setting for this value is 16 bytes. The allowable range is 1 to 16 bytes. Command Response Command Response Example

>Set MemoryPacketSize =4 MemoryPacketSize=4

>Get MemoryPacketSize MemoryPacketSize=16 CLEAR MEMORY Clear memory will completely erase the memory of a tag. Command Response Example

>Clear Memory Memory has been Cleared !

CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS Sensor Commands The sensor commands deal exclusively with a tags onboard sensor. GET SENSORVALUE Get SensorValue will return the sensors current value. If the sensor was already switched off, this command will start the sensor before returning a value, which may take up to 1 second. Sensors will automatically be switched off two seconds after this command has been completed in order to preserve the battery life of the tag. Typically the tag has no knowledge of the type of sensor attached to it. Consequently this command simply returns the raw number as returned by the sensor. No attempt is made to process this number into a humanly understandable form. Example

>Get SensorValue

>SensorValue = 4539 Command Response Logging Commands These commands control the automatic logging of sensor data into the tags memory. Once set up, a tag can be removed from an RF field and still have sensor data logged periodically to memory. Bringing the tag back into an RF field will allow the memory to be retrieved and examined. GET LOGGINGMODE SET LOGGINGMODE The automatic, time based logging of sensor data to a tag memory is controlled by setting the logging mode on the tag. Setting a logging mode to OFF will turn off all automatic logging. Setting a logging mode to ON will turn on the automatic logging as defined by the logging interval command. Turning on the logging mode like this will not erase the tags memory; it will simply cause logged data to be appended to the current memory store. (Use the clear memory command to erase the memory before logging). Command Response Command Response Example

>Get LoggingMode

>LoggingMode =Off

>Set LoggingMode = On

>LoggingMode =On CHAPTER 6 READER-HOST PROTOCOL EXTENSIONS FOR BATTERY POWERED BACKSCATTER TAGS GET LOGGINGINTERVAL SET LOGGINGINTERVAL When automatic logging is active, the tag will retrieve a value from the sensor and store it in tag memory on a periodic basis until the memory is full. At this point logging will cease. The periodicity of this logging is controlled by the logging interval parameter. This parameter is defined in terms of hours:mins:secs and defines the period between sensor logs. The minimum allowable logging interval is 1 minute. Note that the tag will sleep while not in use, and then will wake up to take a sensor reading and then sleep again. This mode of operation ensures a long battery life. The logging interval command takes three parameters, each separated by a colon, in the form hh:mm:ss. Command Response Command Response Example

>Get LoggingInterval

>LoggingInterval = 00:01:00

>Set LoggingInterval = 03:21:00

>LoggingInterval = 03:21:00 CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES CHAPTER 7 Web Based Application Examples As part of the standard functionality of the Nanoscanner reader, the built-in web server is able to serve up a simple web based application example. This application example can be found under the last tab on the Web pages, named Applications. Under this tab is a simple Applet running two applications that use reader commands. These provide an interactive environment for reading tags in the field. NOTE: The Java Applets are all Java 1.1 compliant applets and will work in standard Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers. The readometer graphically displays a single tag and antenna information in real time. This screen allows the user to:

View a single tag (as returned by the Get TagList / Set AcquireMode= Global Scroll command) and the reading antenna Readometer View a cumulative and dynamic number of reads since starting or resetting this value View a dynamic Reads per Second value for the current tag Change the antenna sequence (see General Commands) Reset the Total Reads counter Stop/start the tag reading operation Switch to a different display mode Readometer mode is active Antenna Sequence selector/display Click to reset total reads Click either to stop/start tag reads Click to select an alternative read mode Reads / second Total cumulative reads (since reset) Current tag ID and reading antenna (in parentheses) CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Tag List The Tag List applet provides a graphical view of the readers current tag list. This screen allows the user to:

View tags that have been read and acquired by the reader most recently

(typically using get tagList / set acquireMode = Inventory) View the Persist Time countdown for each tag after it is read Clear the tag list manually Change the number of cells in the display grid via pulldown menu Change the Persist Time via pulldown menu Start/stop tag reading Switch to a different tag display mode. Current display mode Clear Tag List Display (n) Items Persist (n) Seconds Start/Stop reading Switch display mode Displays data for all tags currently and recently read, including... Tag ID... Product icon

(optional)... and Persist Time countdown. CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Optimize Reader Settings Readometer Settings On each of the Tag List and Readometer screens is a small checkbox option entitled Optimize Reader Settings, which by default is checked (a tick mark is present). When checked this tells the applet to optimize the reader settings the next time one of the two applications is started (i.e., the HAL eye turns to red). The following optimization settings are made to the reader depending on the application that is started:

When the Readometer is started with the optimize option checked, the following commands are issued to the reader to put it into an optimized state for readometer readings. Set persisttime = 0 Set TagListFormat = Text AutoModeReset Set AcquireMode = Global Scroll When running, the readometer performs repeated bursts of get taglist 25 followed by a 200 ms pause. The timing results displayed on the screen are calculated based on each get taglist 25 command. Thus for optimal timings, Global Scroll is used for the Acquire Mode. The auto mode is reset, and left off; the readometer screen always works in foreground mode. When the optimize option is turned off, only one command is issued to the reader when readometer is started:

Set TagListFormat = Text When the Tag List is started with the optimize option checked, the following commands are issued to the reader to put it into an optimized state for tag list readings. Set persisttime = -1 Set TagListFormat = Text AutoModeReset Set AcquireMode = Inventory When running, the tag list switches on auto mode, forcing the reader into autonomous acquisitions as fast as it can. The optimized acquisition mode is Inventory and the persist time is 1, telling the reader to build up a tag list until next interrogated. While the reader is building its tag list, the applet periodically Tag List Settings CHAPTER 7 WEB BASED APPLICATION EXAMPLES Advanced Tag List Options

(~every 250ms) issues a get taglist command, forcing the full tag list to be returned and the reader to reset its internal tag list. When the optimize option is turned off, only one command is issued to the reader when tag list is started:

Set TagListFormat = Text By turning off the optimization check box and running tag list, the reader can be set up manually to perform different actions:

RUNNING TAG LIST USING GLOBAL SCROLL AS THE ACQUIRE MODE In some instances it is desirable to set the acquire mode to Global Scroll. By default, with the tag list optimize checkbox on, the tag list will set the reader into Inventory mode. However with the optimize checkbox off, the following manual settings can be made:

Set AcquireMode = Global Scroll The next time the tag list is started, it will run using the new settings. RUNNING TAG LIST IN DUTY CYCLE MODE In some instances it is desirable to run the reader in duty cycle mode, where instead of reading tags without a break, a timed pause is inserted into the read-

cycle. By default, with the optimize checkbox on, the Tag List will set the reader into full time acquire mode. However with the optimize checkbox off, the following manual settings can be made:

Set AutoStopTimer = 500 Set AutoTruePause = 200 Set AutoFalsePause = 200 The next time the Tag List is started, it will run using the new settings, forcing it into a cylce of reading tags for 500ms, followed by a 200ms pause regardless of whether tags were found or not. For further details on these commands and other autonomous mode options, please refer to the autonomous mode overview in this document.