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User manual TM M6e-UG Jan 2019 | Users Manual | 2.01 MiB | November 02 2019 | |||
1 2 3 | Cover Letter(s) | November 02 2019 | ||||||
1 2 3 | Cover Letter(s) | November 02 2019 | ||||||
1 2 3 | External Photos | November 02 2019 | ||||||
1 2 3 | Internal Photos | November 02 2019 | ||||||
1 2 3 | ID Label/Location Info | November 02 2019 | ||||||
1 2 3 | RF Exposure Info | November 02 2019 | ||||||
1 2 3 | Test Setup Photos | November 02 2019 | ||||||
1 2 3 | Test Report | November 02 2019 | ||||||
1 2 3 | Cover Letter(s) | October 02 2011 | ||||||
1 2 3 | Cover Letter(s) | October 02 2011 | ||||||
1 2 3 | RF Exposure Info | October 02 2011 | ||||||
1 2 3 | RF Exposure Info | October 02 2011 | ||||||
1 2 3 | RF Exposure Info | October 02 2011 | ||||||
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1 2 3 | Internal Photos | |||||||
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1 2 3 | Test Report | |||||||
1 2 3 | Test Setup Photos | |||||||
1 2 3 | Test Setup Photos | |||||||
1 2 3 | Test Setup Photos |
1 2 3 | Manual | Users Manual | 653.76 KiB |
M6e-30dBm Hardware Guide For: M6e (Firmware Ver. 1.7 and later) Government Limited Rights Notice: All documentation and manuals were developed at private expense and no part of it was developed using Government funds. The U.S. Governments rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose the technical data contained herein are restricted by paragraph (b)(3) of the Rights in Technical Data Noncommercial Items clause (DFARS 252.227-7013(b)(3)), as amended from time-to-time. Any reproduction of technical data or portions thereof marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings. Any person, other than the U.S. Government, who has been provided access to such data must promptly notify ThingMagic, A Division of Trimble. ThingMagic, Mercury, Reads Any Tag, and the ThingMagic logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ThingMagic, A Division of Trimble. Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of ThingMagic, A Division of Trimble or other companies. 2010 ThingMagic a division of Trimble Navigation Limited. ThingMagic and The Engine in RFID are registered trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited. Other marks may be protected by their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. ThingMagic, A Division of Trimble One Cambridge Center, 11th floor Cambridge, MA 02142 866-833-4069 02 Revision 4 December, 2010 Revision Table Date Version Description 4/2010 8/2010 01 RevA First Draft for Beta release 01 Rev1 Updated GPIO content Added FCC regulation info section 10/2010 02 Rev 2 updated FCC info 3 4 Contents Communication Regulation Information . 9 Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement . 9 Industry Canada . 11 Authorized Antennas. 11 Mercury6e Introduction . 13 Hardware Overview . 15 Hardware Interfaces . 16 Antenna Connections . 16 Antenna Requirements 16 Digital/Power Connector . 16 Control Signal Specification 17 General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) 19 Reset Line 20 Power Requirements. 21 RF Power Output . 21 Power Supply Ripple . 21 Power Consumption . 22 Environmental Specifications . 23 Operating Temperature . 23 Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) Specification . 23 Assembly Information. 24 Cables and Connectors . 24 Digital Interface 24 Antennas 24 M6e Mechanical Drawing. 25 Authorized Antennas. 26 Firmware Overview. 27 Boot Loader . 28 Mercury Embedded Modules Developers Guide 5 Application Firmware . 29 Programming the M6e . 29 Upgrading the M6e. 29 Verifying Application Firmware Image . 29 Custom On-Reader Applications . 30 Communication Protocol. 31 Serial Communication Protocol . 32 Host-to-Reader Communication . 32 Reader-to-Host Communication . 33 CCITT CRC-16 Calculation 33 User Programming Interface. 34 Functionality of the Mercury6e . 35 Regulatory Support . 36 Supported Regions. 36 Protocol Support . 37 ISO 18000-6C (Gen2). 37 Protocol Configuration Options 37 Protocol Specific Functionality 38 I-PX. 38 Protocol Configuration Options 38 ISO 18000-6B . 38 Protocol Configuration Options 38 Antenna Ports . 39 Using a Multiplexer . 39 Port Power and Settling Time . 41 Tag Handling . 43 Tag Buffer . 43 Tag Streaming 43 Tag Read Meta Data . 44 Power Management. 45 Power Modes . 45 Transmit Modes. 45 DRM Compliant Mode 46 Power Save Mode (non-DRM Compliant) 46 Performance Characteristics. 47 Event Response Times . 47 6 Mercury Embedded Modules Developers Guide Save and Restore Configuration . 48 Appendix A: Error Messages . 49 Common Error Messages . 49 FAULT_MSG_WRONG_NUMBER_OF_DATA (100h) 49 FAULT_INVALID_OPCODE (101h) 50 FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_OPCODE 102h 50 FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_HIGH 103h 50 FAULT_MSG_INVALID_FREQ_RECEIVED (104h) 51 FAULT_MSG_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE - (105h) 51 FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_LOW - (106h) 51 FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_FEATURE - (109h) 52 FAULT_INVALID_BAUD_RATE - (10Ah) 52 Bootloader Faults. 53 FAULT_BL_INVALID_IMAGE_CRC 200h 53 FAULT_BL_INVALID_APP_END_ADDR 201h 53 Flash Faults . 54 FAULT_FLASH_BAD_ERASE_PASSWORD 300h 54 FAULT_FLASH_BAD_WRITE_PASSWORD 301h 54 FAULT_FLASH_UNDEFINED_ERROR 302h 55 FAULT_FLASH_ILLEGAL_SECTOR 303h 55 FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_NON_ERASED_AREA 304h 55 FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_ILLEGAL_SECTOR 305h 55 FAULT_FLASH_VERIFY_FAILED 306h 56 Protocol Faults . 57 FAULT_NO_TAGS_FOUND (400h) 58 FAULT_NO_PROTOCOL_DEFINED 401h 58 FAULT_INVALID_PROTOCOL_SPECIFIED 402h 58 FAULT_WRITE_PASSED_LOCK_FAILED 403h 59 FAULT_PROTOCOL_NO_DATA_READ 404h 59 FAULT_AFE_NOT_ON 405h 59 FAULT_PROTOCOL_WRITE_FAILED 406h 60 FAULT_NOT_IMPLEMENTED_FOR_THIS_PROTOCOL 407h 60 FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_WRITE_DATA 408h 60 FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_ADDRESS 409h 60 FAULT_GENERAL_TAG_ERROR 40Ah 61 FAULT_DATA_TOO_LARGE 40Bh 61 FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_KILL_PASSWORD 40Ch 61 FAULT_PROTOCOL_KILL_FAILED - 40Eh 61 FAULT_PROTOCOL_BIT_DECODING_FAILED - 40Fh 62 Mercury Embedded Modules Developers Guide 7 FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_EPC 410h 62 FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_NUM_DATA 411h 62 FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_OTHER_ERROR - 420h 62 FAULT_GEN2_PROTOCOL_MEMORY_OVERRUN_BAD_PC - 423h 63 FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_MEMORY_LOCKED - 424h 63 FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_INSUFFICIENT_POWER - 42Bh 63 FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_NON_SPECIFIC_ERROR - 42Fh 64 FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR - 430h 64 Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults. 65 FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_FREQ 500h 65 FAULT_AHAL_CHANNEL_OCCUPIED 501h 65 FAULT_AHAL_TRANSMITTER_ON 502h 65 FAULT_ANTENNA_NOT_CONNECTED 503h 65 FAULT_TEMPERATURE_EXCEED_LIMITS 504h 66 FAULT_POOR_RETURN_LOSS 505h 66 FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_ANTENA_CONFIG 507h 66 Tag ID Buffer Faults . 68 FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NOT_ENOUGH_TAGS_AVAILABLE 600h 68 FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_FULL 601h 68 FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_REPEATED_TAG_ID 602h 68 FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NUM_TAG_TOO_LARGE 603h 69 System Errors . 70 FAULT_SYSTEM_UNKNOWN_ERROR 7F00h 70 FAULT_TM_ASSERT_FAILED 7F01h 70 Appendix B: Getting Started - Devkit. 71 Devkit USB Interfaces. 71 USB/RS232 . 71 Native USB . 71 Demo Application. 73 Demo Tool Notes . 73 8 Mercury Embedded Modules Developers Guide Communication Regulation Information Communication Regulation Information EMC FCC 47 CFR, Part 15 Industrie Canada RSS-210 Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. This transmitter module is authorized to be used in other devices only by OEM integrators under the following conditions:
1. The antenna(s) must be installed such that a minimum separation distance of 23cm is maintained between the radiator (antenna) & users/nearby peoples body at all times. 2. The transmitter module must not be co-located with any other antenna or transmitter. As long as the two conditions above are met, further transmitter testing will not be required. However, the OEM integrator is still responsible for testing their end-product for 9 Communication Regulation Information any additional compliance requirements required with this module installed (for example, digital device emissions, PC peripheral requirements, etc.). Note In the event that these conditions can not be met (for certain configurations or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID can not be used on the final product. In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for re-
evaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization. The OEM integrator has to be aware not to provide information to the end user regarding how to install or remove this RF module in the user manual of the end product. User Manual Requirement The user manual for the end product must include the following information in a prominent location;
To comply with FCCs RF radiation exposure requirements, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed such that a minimum separation distance of 23cm is maintained between the radiator (antenna) & users/nearby peoples body at all times and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. AND The transmitting portion of this device carries with it the following two warnings:
This device complies with Part 15.... AND Any changes or modifications to the transmitting module not expressly approved by ThingMagic Inc. could void the users authority to operate this equipment End Product Labeling The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:
Contains Transmitter Module FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E or Contains FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E. 10 Communication Regulation Information Industry Canada Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the equivalent isotropically radiated power (e.i.r.p.) is not more than that permitted for successful communication. To comply with IC RF exposure limits for general population/uncontrolled exposure, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 23 cm from all persons and must not be collocated or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. End Product Labeling The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:
Contains ThingMagic Mercury6e transmitting module FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E (IC:
5407A-MERCURY6E) Authorized Antennas This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed in Authorized Antennas. Antennas not included in this list are strictly prohibited for use with this device. 11 Communication Regulation Information 12 Mercury6e Introduction The ThingMagic Mercury6e (M6e) embedded module is an RFID engines that you can integrate with other systems to create RFID-enabled products. Applications to control the M6e modules and derivative products can be written using the high level MercuryAPI. The MercuryAPI supports Java, .NET and C programming environments. The MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains sample applications and source code to help developers get started demoing and developing functionality. For more information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and the MercuryAPI SDK, available on the ThingMagic website. This document is for hardware designers and software developers. It describes the hardware specifications and firmware functionality and provides guidance on how to incorporate the M6e module within a third-party host system. The rest of the document is broken down into the following sections:
Hardware Overview - This section provides detailed specifications of the M6e hardware. This section should be read in its entirety before designing hardware or attempting to operate the M6e module in hardware other than the ThingMagic DevKit.
Firmware Overview - This section describes provides a detailed description of the M6e firmware components including the bootloader and application firmware.
Communication Protocol - This section provides an overview of the low level serial communications protocol used by the M6e.
Functionality of the Mercury6e - This section provides detailed descriptions of the M6e features and functionality that are supported through the use of the MercuryAPI.
Appendix A: Error Messages - This appendix lists and provides causes and suggested solutions for M6e Error Codes.
Appendix B: Getting Started - Devkit - QuickStart guide to getting connected to the M6e Developers Kit and using the Demo Applications included with the MercuryAPI SDK. Mercury6e Introduction 13 14 Mercury6e Introduction Hardware Overview The following section provides detailed specifications of the M6e hardware including:
Hardware Interfaces
Power Requirements
Environmental Specifications
Assembly Information Hardware Overview 15 Hardware Interfaces Hardware Interfaces Antenna Connections The M6e supports four monostatic bidirectional RF antennas through four MMCX connectors: labeled J1 through J4 on the module. See Cables and Connectors for more information on antenna connector parts. The maximum RF power that can be delivered to a 50 ohm load from each port is 1 Watt, or +30 dBm. Note The RF ports can only be energized one at a time. Antenna Requirements The performance of the M6e is affected by antenna quality. Antennas that provide good 50 ohm match at the operating frequency band perform best. Specified sensitivity performance is achieved with antennas providing 17 dB return loss or better across the operating band. Damage to the module will not occur for any return loss of 1 dB or greater. Damage may occur if antennas are disconnected during operation or if the module sees an open or short circuit at its antenna port. Antenna Detection To minimize the chance of damage due to antenna disconnection, the M6e supports antenna detection. Detection can be done automatically or manually, the choice of which is configured through API calls. Regardless of how its used it is generally recommend that antenna detection be enabled as it helps protect the module from possible damage due to return losses less than 1 dB. Digital/Power Connector The digital connector provides power, serial communications signals, shutdown and reset signals to the M6e module, and access to the GPIO inputs and outputs. These signals are provided through connector part number: Molex 53261-1571 - 1.25mm pin centers, 1 16 Hardware Overview Hardware Interfaces amp per pin rating. which mates with Molex housing p/n 51021-1500 with crimps p/n 63811-0300. See Cables and Connectors for more information on typical cable parts. M6e Digital Connector Signal Definition Molex 53261-1571 Pin Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Signal GND GND
+5VDC
+5 VDC GPIO1 GPIO2 GPIO3 GPIO4 UART_RX_TTL UART_TX_TTL USB_DM USB_DP USB_5VSENSE SHUTDOWN RESET Signal Direction
(In/Out of M6e) Notes P/S Return P/S Return P/S Input P/S Input Bi-directional Bi-directional Bi-directional Bi-directional In Out Bi-directional Bi-directional In In Bi-directional Must connect both GND pins to ground Must connect both 5V supplies Input 5VDC tolerant, 16mA Source/Sink In + 10k Ohm to Ground Out USB Data (D-) signal USB Data (D+) signal Input 5V to tell module to talk on USB Disable all 5V Inputs HIGH output indicates Boot Loader is running LOW output indicates Application Firmware is running Note: Not 5V tolerant. Control Signal Specification TTL Level UART Interface The module communicates to a host processor via a TTL logic level UART serial port or via a USB port. Both ports are accessed on the 15-pin Digital/Power Connector. The TTL logic level UART supports complete functionality. The USB port supports complete functionality except the lowest power operational mode. Note Power Consumption specifications apply to control via the TTL UART. Hardware Overview 17 Hardware Interfaces TTL Level TX V-Low: Max 0.4 VDC V-High: 2.1 to 3.3 VDC 8 mA max TTL Level RX V-Low: -0.3 to 0.6 VDC V-High: 2.2 to 5 VDC
(Tied to ground through a 10kOhm pull-up resistor. It is not harmful, but not recommended to drive the input above 3.3 V.) A level converter could be necessary to interface to other devices that use standard 12V RS232. Only three pins are required for serial communication (TX, RX, and GND). Hardware handshaking is not supported. The M6e serial port has an interrupt-driven FIFO that empties into a circular buffer. The connected host processors receiver must have the capability to receive up to 256 bytes of data at a time without overflowing. Baud rates supported:
9600 19200 38400 115200 230400 460800 921600 Note The baudrate in the Boot Loader mode depends on whether the module entered the bootloader mode after a power-up or through an assert or boot bootloader user command. Upon power up if the Reset Line is LOW then the default baud rate of 9600 will be used. If the module returns to the bootloader from Application Firmware mode, then the current state and baudrate will be retained. USB Interface Supports USB 2.0 full speed device port (12 Megabits per second) using the two USB pins (USB_DM and USB_DP). 18 Hardware Overview Hardware Interfaces General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) The four GPIO connections, provided through the M6e Digital Connector Signal Definition, may be configured as inputs or outputs using the MercuryAPI. The GPIO pins connect through 100 ohm resistors to the high current PA0 to PA3 pins of the AT91SAM7X processor. The processor data sheet can be consulted for additional details. Pins configured as inputs must not have input voltages that exceed voltage range of -0.3 volts to +5.5 volts. In addition, during reset the input voltages should not exceed 3.3V. Outputs may source and sink 16 mA. Voltage drop in the series 100 ohm resistor will reduce the delivered voltage swing for output loads that draw significant current. Input Mode TTL compatible inputs, Logic low < 0.8 V, Logic high > 2.0V. 5V tolerant Output Mode 3.3 Volt CMOS Logic Output with 100 ohms in series. Greater than 1.9 Volts when sourcing 8 mA. Greater than 2.9 Volts when sourcing 0.3 mA. Less than 1.2 Volts when sinking 8 mA. Less than 0.2 Volts when sinking 0.3 mA. Module power consumption can be adversely affected by incorrect GPIO configuration. Similarly, the power consumption of external equipment connected to the GPIOs can also be adversely affected. The following instructions will yield specification compliant operation. On power up, the M6E module configures its GPIOs as outputs to avoid contention from user equipment that may be driving those lines. The input configuration is as a 3.3 volt logic CMOS input and will have a leakage current not in excess of 400 nA. The input is in an undetermined logic level unless pulled externally to a logic high or low. Module power consumption for floating inputs is unspecified. With the GPIOs configured as inputs and individually pulled externally to either high or low logic level, module power consumption is as listed in the M6e Power Consumption table. GPIOs may be reconfigured individually after power up to become outputs. This configuration takes effect either at API execution or a few tens of milliseconds after power up if the configuration is stored in nonvolatile memory. The configuration to outputs is Hardware Overview 19 Hardware Interfaces defeated if the module is held in the boot loader by Reset Line being held low. Lines configured as outputs consume no excess power if the output is left open. Specified module power consumption is achieved for one or more GPIO lines set as output and left open. Users who are not able to provide external pull ups or pull downs on any given input, and who do not need that GPIO line, may configure it as an output and leave it open to achieve specified module power consumption. Configuring GPIO Settings The GPIO lines are configured as inputs or outputs through the MercuryAPI by setting the reader configuration parameters /reader/gpio/inputList and /reader/gpio/outputList. Once configured as inputs or outputs the state of the lines can be Get or Set using the gpiGet() and gpoSet() methods, respectively. See the language specific reference guide for more details. Reset Line Upon power up the RESET (pin 15) line is configured as an input. The input value will determine whether the Boot Loader will wait for user commands or immediately load the Application Firmware image and enter application mode. After that action is completed, this line is configured as an output line. While the unit continues to be in bootloader the line is driven high. Once in application mode, the RESET line is driven low. if the module returns to the bootloader mode, either due to an assert or boot bootloader, the RESET line will again be driven high. To minimize power consumption in the application, the RESET line should be either left open or pulled weakly low (10k to ground). 20 Hardware Overview Power Requirements Power Requirements RF Power Output The M6e supports separate read and write power level which are command adjustable via the MercuryAPI. Power levels must be between:
Minimum RF Power = +5 dBm Maximum RF Power = +30 dBm (+0.0/- 0.5 dB accuracy above +15 dBm) Note Maximum power may have to be reduced to meet regulatory limits, which specify the combined effect of the module, antenna, cable and enclosure shielding of the integrated product. Power Supply Ripple The following are the minimum requirements to avoid module damage and to insure performance and regulatory specifications are met. Certain local regulatory specifications may require tighter specifications.
5 Volt +/- 5%,
Less than 25 mV pk-pk ripple all frequencies,
Less than 11 mV pk-pk ripple for frequencies less than 100 kHz,
No spectral spike greater than 5 mV pk-pk in any 1 kHz band. Hardware Overview 21 Power Requirements Power Consumption The following table defines the power/transmit mode settings and power consumption specifications for the M6e. Additional details about Power/Transmit Modes can be found in the Power Management section. M6e Power Consumption Operation Power/Transmit Mode Max Power1
(Watts) Voltage
(Volts) Current
(mA) RF Transmit Power Setting
(dBm) 2.5 6.2 5.8
+30
+30
+30 1400 1400 1200 1060 7.52 7.52 5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
Transmit CW Transmit Mode = DRM Tag Reading Transmit Mode = DRM Tag Reading Transmit Mode = Low Power Tag Reading Transmit Mode = DRM + PreDistortion Tag Reading Transmit Mode = DRM No Tag Reading (M6e idle) Power Mode = 0 No Tag Reading (M6e idle) Power Mode = 1 No Tag Reading (M6e idle) Power Mode = 2 Boot Shut Down In Rush Current and Power, M6e Power up and/or any state change Note: 1 - Power consumption is defined for TTL RS232 operation. Power consumption may 5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
20
< 200uA 1500 Max 0.12
< 0.001 7.5 N/A N/A N/A 5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
0.005 0.35 0.12
+30 N/A 490 N/A N/A 1.0
+5 60 20 vary if the USB interface is connected. Note: 2 - Power consumption is defined for operation into a 17dB return loss load or better. Power consumption may increase beyond this specification during operation into return losses worse than 17dB. 22 Hardware Overview Environmental Specifications Environmental Specifications Operating Temperature Clamshell temperature must not exceed 70 degrees C. Heat sinking will be required for high duty cycle applications. Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) Specification Specifications to be determined. Hardware Overview 23 Assembly Information Assembly Information Cables and Connectors The following are the cables and connectors used in the M6e Developers Kit interface board:
Digital Interface The cable assembly used consists of the following parts:
2 Connector Shells [Molex 51021-1500] with 15 Crimp Contacts each [Molex 50079-
8100]
1 Wire (#28 AWG 7x36 - Black, Teflon) for Pin 1 connection [Alpha 284/7-2]
14 Wires (#28 AWG 7x36 - White, Teflon) for other connections [Alpha 284/7-1]
Note Pin numbers and assignments are shown in the M6e Digital Connector Signal Definition table. Antennas The cable assembly used to connect the external RP-TNC connectors on the M6e Devkit to the M6e MMCX connectors consists of the following parts:
1 Reverse TNC Bulkhead Jack Connector
1 LMR-100A Coaxial Cable
1 MMCX Right Angle Plug Connector 24 Hardware Overview Assembly Information M6e Mechanical Drawing Hardware Overview 25 Authorized Antennas Authorized Antennas This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed below, and having a maxi-
mum gain of 6 dBiL. Antennas not included in this list or having a gain greater than 6 dBiL are strictly prohibited for use with this device. The required antenna impedance is 50 ohms. Manufacturer Manufacturer Part Number Max. Linear Gain (dBiL) Laird Laird MTI Wireless MTI Wireless S9025P S8658WPL MTI-262013 MTI-242043 4.3 6.0 6.0 6.0 26 Hardware Overview Firmware Overview The following section provides detailed description of the M6e firmware components:
Boot Loader
Application Firmware
Custom On-Reader Applications Firmware Overview 27 Boot Loader Boot Loader The boot loader provides low-level functionality. This program provides the low level hardware support for configuring communication settings, loading Application Firmware and storing and retrieving data to/from flash. When a module is powered up or reset, the boot loader code is automatically loaded and executed. Note Unlike previous ThingMagic modules (M4e and M5e) the M6e bootloader should effectively be invisible to the user. The M6e is by default configured to auto-boot into application firmware and for any operations that require the module be in bootloader mode the MercuryAPI will handle the switching automatically. 28 Firmware Overview Application Firmware Application Firmware The application firmware contains the tag protocol code along with all the command interfaces to set and get system parameters and perform tag operations. The application firmware is, by default, started automatically upon power up. Programming the M6e Applications to control the M6e module and derivative products are written using the high level MercuryAPI. The MercuryAPI supports Java, .NET and C programming environments. The MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains sample applications and source code to help developers get started demoing and developing functionality. For more information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and the MercuryAPI SDK, available on the ThingMagic website. Upgrading the M6e New features developed for the M6e are made available to existing modules through an Application Firmware upgrade, along with corresponding updates to the MercuryAPI to make use of the new features. Firmware upgrades can be applied using the MercuryAPI to build the functionality into custom applications or using the MercuryAPI SDK demo utilities. Verifying Application Firmware Image The application firmware has an image level Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) embedded in it to protect against corrupted firmware during an upgrade process. (If the upgrade is unsuccessful, the CRC will not match the contents in flash.) When the boot loader starts the application FW, it first verifies that the image CRC is correct. If this check fails, then the boot loader does not start the application firmware and an error is returned. Firmware Overview 29 Custom On-Reader Applications Custom On-Reader Applications The M6e does not support installing customer applications on the reader. Continuous reader, tag streaming, scripting and other methods of configuring the module to operate in an autonomous or semi-autonomous reading modes maybe supported through the MercuryAPI but custom application cannot be installed on the module. 30 Firmware Overview Communication Protocol The following section provides an overview of the low level serial communications protocol used by the M6e. Communication Protocol 31 Serial Communication Protocol Serial Communication Protocol The serial communication between a computer (host) and the M6e is based on a synchronized command-response/master-slave mechanism. Whenever the host sends a message to the reader, it cannot send another message until after it receives a response. The reader never initiates a communication session; only the host initiates a communication session. This protocol allows for each command to have its own timeout because some commands require more time to execute than others. The host must manage retries, if necessary. The host must keep track of the state of the intended reader if it reissues a command. Host-to-Reader Communication Host-to-reader communication is packetized according to the following diagram. The reader can only accept one command at a time, and commands are executed serially, so the host waits for a reader-to-host response before issuing another host-to-reader command packet. Header Data Length Command Data CRC-16 Checksum Hdr Len Cmd I CRC Hi CRC LO 1 byte 1 byte 1 byte 0 to 250 bytes 2 bytes 32 Communication Protocol Serial Communication Protocol Reader-to-Host Communication The following diagram defines the format of the generic Response Packet sent from the reader to the host. The Response Packet is different in format from the Request Packet. Header Data Length Command Status Word Data CRC-16 Checksum Hdr Len Cmd Status Word CRC HI CRC LO 1 byte 1 byte 1 byte 2 bytes 0 to 248 bytes 2 bytes CCITT CRC-16 Calculation The same CRC calculation is performed on all serial communications between the host and the reader. The CRC is calculated on the Data Length, Command, Status Word, and Data bytes. The header is not included in the CRC. Communication Protocol 33 User Programming Interface User Programming Interface The M6e does not support programming to the serial protocol directly. All user interaction with the M6e must be performed using the MercuryAPI. The MercuryAPI supports Java, .NET and C programming environments. The MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains sample applications and source code to help developers get started demoing and developing functionality. For more information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and the MercuryAPI SDK, available on the ThingMagic website. 34 Communication Protocol Functionality of the Mercury6e The following section provides detailed descriptions of the M6e features and functionality that are supported through the use of the MercuryAPI. Functionality of the Mercury6e 35 Regulatory Support Regulatory Support Supported Regions The M6e has differing levels of support for operation and use under the laws and guidelines of several regions. The regional support is shown in the following table. Supported Regions Region North America (NA) Regulatory Support FCC 47 CFG Ch. 1 Part 15 Industrie Canada RSS-210 The regional functionality is set using the MercuryAPI. Setting the region of operation configures the regional default settings including:
Loads the frequency hop table with the appropriate table for the operational region.
Sets the PLL frequency setting to the first entry in the hop table, even if the RF is off.
Selects the transmit filter, if applicable. 36 Functionality of the Mercury6e Protocol Support Protocol Support The M6e has the ability to support many different tag protocols. Using the MercuryAPI ReadPlan classes the M6e can be configured to single or multi-protocol Read operations. The current protocols supported are (some may require a license to enable):
ISO 18000-6C (Gen2)
I-PX
ISO 18000-6B ISO 18000-6C (Gen2) Protocol Configuration Options The M6e supports multiple ISO-18000-6C profiles including the ability to specify the Link Frequency, encoding schemes, Tari value and modulation scheme. The protocol options are set in the MercuryAPI Reader Configuration Parameters (/reader/gen2/*). The following table shows the supported combinations:
ISO-18000-6C Protocol Options Backscatter Link Frequency
(kHz) 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 40 400 640 Encoding Miller (M=8) Miller (M=4) Miller (M=2) FM0 Miller (M=8) Miller (M=4) Miller (M=2) FM0 Miller (M=8) FM0 FM0 FM0 Tari
(usec) Modulation Scheme Notes 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 25 25 25 25 25 25 6.25 6.25 PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK DSB-ASK DSB-ASK PR-ASK Not supported in PRC Region Functionality of the Mercury6e 37 Protocol Support Protocol Specific Functionality See the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and language specific reference guides for details on supported Gen2 command functionality. I-PX Protocol Configuration Options The M6e supports multiple I-PX profiles including the ability to specify the Return Link Frequency, encoding and modulation scheme. The two profiles are treated as distinct protocols, the individual parameters are not configurable as with the other protocols. The following table shows the supported combinations:
ISO-18000-6B Protocol Options Return Link Freq (kHz) Modulation Scheme Notes 64 256 PWM PWM Protocol ID = TagProtocol.IPX64 Protocol ID = TagProtocol.IPX256 Note The two link rates are effectively two different protocols and treated as such. I-PX tags are fixed to one of the two frequencies and cannot communicate on the other, unlike ISO 18000-6B/C tags which can operate under multiple profiles. ISO 18000-6B Protocol Configuration Options The M6e supports multiple ISO-18000-6B profiles including the ability to specify the Return Link Frequency, encoding, Forward Link Rate and modulation scheme. The protocol options are set in the MercuryAPI Reader Configuration Parameters (/reader/
iso18000-6b/*). The following table shows the supported combinations:
ISO-18000-6B Protocol Options Return Link Freq (kHz) Return Encoding Forward Link Freq (kHz) 40 160 FM0 FM0 10 40 Forward Encoding Manchester Manchester 1 2 Notes 38 Functionality of the Mercury6e Antenna Ports Antenna Ports The M6e has four monostatic antenna ports. Each port is capable of both transmitting and receiving. The modules also support Using a Multiplexer, allowing up to 16 total logical antenna ports, controlled using two GPIO lines and the internal physical port J1/J2/J3/J4 switching. Note The M6e does not support bistatic operation. Using a Multiplexer Multiplexer switching is controlled through the use of the internal module physical port J1/
J2/J3/J4 switch along with the use of one or more of the General Purpose Input/Output
(GPIO) lines. In order to enable automatic multiplexer port switching the module must be configured to use Use GPIO as Antenna Switch in /reader/antenna/
portSwitchGpos. Once the GPIO line(s) usage has been enabled the following control line states are applied when the different Logical Antenna settings are used. The tables below show the mapping that results using GPIO 1 and 2 for multiplexer control (as is used by the ThingMagic 1 to 4 multiplexer) allowing for 16 logical antenna ports. Note The Logical Antenna values are static labels indicating the available control line states. The specific physical antenna port they map to depends on the control line to antenna port map of the multiplexer in use. The translation from Logical Antenna label to physical port must be maintained by the control software. Functionality of the Mercury6e 39 Antenna Ports GPIO 1 & 2 Used for Antenna Switching Logical Antenna Setting GPIO Output 1 State GPIO Output 2 State Active M6e Physical Port 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low High High High High High High High High Low Low Low Low High High High High Low Low Low Low High High High High J1 J2 J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 If only one GPIO Output line is used for antenna control, the combinations of the available output control line states (the GPIO line in use and the module port) result in a subset of logical antenna settings which can be used. ONLY GPIO 1 Used for Antenna Switching Logical Antenna Setting 1 2 GPIO Output 1 State Low Low Active M6e Physical Port J1 J2 40 Functionality of the Mercury6e Antenna Ports Active M6e Physical Port J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 Logical Antenna Setting GPIO Output 1 State 3 4 9 10 11 12 Low Low High High High High Note The missing logical antenna settings are still usable when only one GPIO line is used for antenna control and simply results in redundant logical antenna settings. For example, using only GPIO 1, logical setting 4 and 8 both result in GPIO1=Low and M6e port J4 active. ONLY GPIO 2 Used for Antenna Switching Logical Antenna Setting GPIO Output 2 State Active M6e Physical Port 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Low Low Low Low High High High High J1 J2 J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 Port Power and Settling Time The M6e allows the power and settling time for each logical antenna to be set using the reader configuration parameters /reader/radio/portReadPowerList and /
Functionality of the Mercury6e 41 Antenna Ports reader/antenna/settlingTimeList, respectively. The order the antennas settings are defined does not affect search order. Note Settling time is the time between the control lines switching to the next antenna setting and RF turning on for operations on that port. This allows time for external multiplexers to fully switch to the new port before a signal is sent, if necessary. Default value is 0. 42 Functionality of the Mercury6e Tag Handling Tag Handling When the M6e performs inventory operations (MercuryAPI Read commands) data is stored in a Tag Buffer until retrieved by the client application, or streamed directly to the client if operating in Streaming mode [Not Yet Implemented]. Tag Buffer The M6e uses a dynamic buffer that depends on EPC length and quantity of data read. As a rule of thumb it can store a maximum of 1024 96-bit EPC tags in the TagBuffer at a time. Since the M6e supports streaming of read results the buffer limit is, typically, not an issue. Each tag entry consists of a variable number of bytes and consists of the following fields:
Tag Buffer Entry Total Entry Size Field Size Description 68 bytes
(Max EPC Length = 496bits) EPC Length 2 bytes PC Word EPC Tag CRC Indicates the actual EPC length of the tag read. Cannot exceed the Max EPC length setting. Contains the Protocol Control bits for the tag. 2 bytes 62 bytes Contains the tags EPC value padded with trailing zeros if the size is less than the Max EPC Length size. The tags CRC. 2 bytes Tag Read Meta Data The Tag buffer acts as a First In First Out (FIFO) the first Tag found by the reader is the first one to be read out. Tag Streaming When reading tags during inventory operations (MercuryAPI Reader.Read() and Reader.StartReading()) by default the M6e streams the tag results back to the host processor. This means that tags are pushed out of the buffer as soon as they are processed by the M6e and put into the buffer. The buffer is put into a circular mode that keeps the buffer from filling. This allows for the M6e to perform continuous search operations without the need to periodically stop reading and fetch the contents of the buffer. Aside from not seeing down time when performing a read operation this behavior is essentially invisible to the user as all tag handling is done by the MercuryAPI. Functionality of the Mercury6e 43 Tag Read Meta Data Tag Read Meta Data In addition to the tag EPC ID resulting from M6e inventory operation each TagReadData
(see MercuryAPI for code details) contains meta data about how, where and when the tag was read. The specific meta data available for each tag read is as follows:
Meta Data Field Antenna ID Read Count Timestamp Tag Data Frequency Tag Phase LQI/RSSI GPIO Status Tag Read Meta Data Description The antenna on with the tag was read. If the same tag is read on more than one antenna there will be a tag buffer entry for each antenna on which the tag was read. When Using a Multi-
plexer, if appropriately configured, the Antenna ID entry will contain the logical antenna port of the tag read. The number of times the tag was read on [Antenna ID]. The time the tag was read, relative to the time the command to read was issued, in milliseconds. If the Tag Read Meta Data is not retrieved from the Tag Buffer between read commands there will be no way to distinguish order of tags read with dif-
ferent read command invocations. When reading an embedded TagOp is specified for a Read-
Plan the TagReadData will contain the first 4 bytes of data returned for each tag. Note: Tags with the same TagID but different Tag Data can be considered unique and each get a Tag Buffer entry if set in the reader configuration parameter /reader/tagReadData/
uniqueByData. By default it is not. The frequency on which the tag was read Average phase of tag response in degrees The receive signal strength of the tag response in dBm. The signal status (High or Low) of all GPIO pins when tag was read. 44 Functionality of the Mercury6e Power Management Power Management The M6e is designed for power efficiency and offers several different power management modes. The following power management modes affect the power consumption during different periods of M6e usage and impact performance in different ways. The available power management modes are:
Power Modes - set in /reader/powerMode - Controls the power savings when the M6e is idle.
Transmit Modes - set in Power Modes The Power Mode setting (set in /reader/powerMode) allows the user to trade off increased RF operation startup time for additional power savings. The details of the amount of power consumed in each mode is shown in the table under Power Consumption. The behavior of each mode and impact on RF command latency is as follows:
Power Mode 0 In this mode, the unit operates at full power to attain the best performance possible. This mode is only intended for use in cases where power consumption is not an issue. This is the default Power Mode at startup.
Power Mode 1 This mode may add up to 50 ms of delay from idle to RF on when initiating an RF operation. It performs more aggressive power savings, such as automatically shutting down the analog section between commands, and then restarting it whenever a tag command is issued.
Power Mode 2 This mode essentially shuts down the digital and analog boards, except to power the bare minimum logic required to wake the processor. This mode may add up to 100 ms of delay from idle to RF on when initiating an RF operation. Power Mode 2 is not supported when using the USB interface. Note See additional latency specifications under Event Response Times. Transmit Modes The Transmit Mode setting (set in /reader/radio/enablePowerSave) allows the user to trade off RF spectral compliance with the Gen2 DRM Mask for increased power savings while transmitting. The details of the amount of power consumed in each mode is shown in the table under Power Consumption. The behavior of each mode is as follows:
Functionality of the Mercury6e 45 Power Management DRM Compliant Mode This mode maximizes performance in dense reader environments, minimizing interference when used with other M6e or similar DRM-compliant readers, and is fully compliant with the Gen2 DRM spectral mask. Power Save Mode (non-DRM Compliant) This mode reduces the power consumption during RF operations but is not 100%
compliant with the DRM spectral mask. This can result increased interference with other readers and reduce overall systems performance. 46 Functionality of the Mercury6e Performance Characteristics Performance Characteristics Event Response Times The following table provides some metrics on how long common M6e operations take. An event response time is defined as the maximum time from the end of a command (end of the last bit in the serial stream) or event (e.g. power up) to the response event the command or event causes. Event Response Times Start Command/
Event Power Up End Event Application Active
(with CRC check) Time
(msecs) 800 Power Up Application Active 100 Tag Read Tag Read Tag Read Change to Mode 1 Change to Mode 2 RF On RF On RF On Power Mode 1 Power Mode 2 20 50 120 5 5 Notes This longer power up period should only occur for the first boot with new firm-
ware. Once the firmware CRC has been veri-
fied subsequent power ups do not require the CRC check be performed, saving time. When in Power Mode = 0 When in Power Mode = 1 When in Power Mode = 2 From Power Mode =0 From Power Mode =0 Functionality of the Mercury6e 47 Save and Restore Configuration Save and Restore Configuration The M6e supports saving module and protocol configuration parameters to the module flash to provide configuration persistence across boots. See the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and sample applications for details on saving and restoring reader configuration. 48 Functionality of the Mercury6e Appendix A: Error Messages Common Error Messages The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section. Fault Message FAULT_MSG_WRONG_NUMBER_OF_DATA (100h) FAULT_INVALID_OPCODE (101h) FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_OPCODE 102h FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_HIGH 103h FAULT_MSG_INVALID_FREQ_RECEIVED (104h) FAULT_MSG_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE - (105h) FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_LOW - (106h) FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_FEATURE - (109h) FAULT_INVALID_BAUD_RATE - (10Ah) Code 100h 101h 102h 103h 104h 105h 106h 109h 10Ah FAULT_MSG_WRONG_NUMBER_OF_DATA (100h) Cause If the data length in any of the Host-to-M5e/M5e-Compact messages is less than or more than the number of arguments in the message, the reader returns this message. Solution Make sure the number of arguments matches the data length. Appendix A: Error Messages 49 Common Error Messages FAULT_INVALID_OPCODE (101h) Cause The opCode received is invalid or not supported in the currently running program
(bootloader or main application) or is not supported in the current version of code. Solution Check the following:
Make sure the command is supported in the currently running program.
Check the documentation for the opCode the host sent and make sure it is correct and supported.
Check the previous module responses for an assert (0x7F0X) which will reset the module into the bootloader. FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_OPCODE 102h Cause Some of the reserved commands might return this error code. This does not mean that they always will do this since ThingMagic reserves the right to modify those commands at anytime. Solution Check the documentation for the opCode the host sent to the reader and make sure it is supported. FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_HIGH 103h Cause A message was sent to set the read or write power to a level that is higher than the current HW supports. 50 Appendix A: Error Messages Common Error Messages Solution Check the HW specifications for the supported powers and insure that the level is not exceeded. The M5e 1 Watt units support power from 5 dBm to 30 dBm. The M5e-Compact units support power from 10 dBm to 23 dBm. FAULT_MSG_INVALID_FREQ_RECEIVED (104h) Cause A message was received by the reader to set the frequency outside the supported range Solution Make sure the host does not set the frequency outside this range or any other locally supported ranges. FAULT_MSG_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE - (105h) Cause The reader received a valid command with an unsupported or invalid value within this command. For example, currently the module supports four antennas. If the module receives a message with an antenna value other than 1 to 4, it returns this error. Solution Make sure the host sets all the values in a command according to the values published in this document. FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_LOW - (106h) Cause A message was received to set the read or write power to a level that is lower than the current HW supports. Appendix A: Error Messages 51 Common Error Messages Solution Check the HW specifications for the supported powers and insure that level is not exceeded. The M6e supports powers between 5 and 30 dBm. FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_FEATURE - (109h) Cause Attempting to invoke a command not supported on this firmware or hardware. Solution Check the command being invoked against the documentation. FAULT_INVALID_BAUD_RATE - (10Ah) Cause When the baud rate is set to a rate that is not specified in the Baud Rate table, this error message is returned. Solution Check the table of specific baud rates and select a baud rate. 52 Appendix A: Error Messages Bootloader Faults Bootloader Faults The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section. Fault Message FAULT_BL_INVALID_IMAGE_CRC FAULT_BL_INVALID_APP_END_ADDR Code 200h 201h FAULT_BL_INVALID_IMAGE_CRC 200h Cause When the application firmware is loaded the reader checks the image stored in flash and returns this error if the calculated CRC is different than the one stored in flash. Solution The exact reason for the corruption could be that the image loaded in flash was corrupted during the transfer or corrupted for some other reason. To fix this problem, reload the application code in flash. FAULT_BL_INVALID_APP_END_ADDR 201h Cause When the application firmware is loaded the reader checks the image stored in flash and returns this error if the last word stored in flash does not have the correct address value. Solution The exact reason for the corruption could be that the image loaded in flash got corrupted during the transfer or, corrupted for some other reason. To fix this problem, reload the application code in flash. Appendix A: Error Messages 53 Flash Faults Flash Faults The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section. Fault Message FAULT_FLASH_BAD_ERASE_PASSWORD 300h FAULT_FLASH_BAD_WRITE_PASSWORD 301h FAULT_FLASH_UNDEFINED_ERROR 302h FAULT_FLASH_ILLEGAL_SECTOR 303h FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_NON_ERASED_AREA 304h FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_ILLEGAL_SECTOR 305h FAULT_FLASH_VERIFY_FAILED 306h Code 300h 301h 302h 303h 304h 305h 306h FAULT_FLASH_BAD_ERASE_PASSWORD 300h Cause A command was received to erase some part of the flash but the password supplied with the command was incorrect. Solution When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_FLASH_BAD_WRITE_PASSWORD 301h Cause A command was received to write some part of the flash but the password supplied with the command was not correct. Solution When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. 54 Appendix A: Error Messages Flash Faults FAULT_FLASH_UNDEFINED_ERROR 302h Cause This is an internal error and it is caused by a software problem in module. Solution When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_FLASH_ILLEGAL_SECTOR 303h Cause An erase or write flash command was received with the sector value and password not matching. Solution When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_NON_ERASED_AREA 304h Cause The module received a write flash command to an area of flash that was not previously erased. Solution When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_ILLEGAL_SECTOR 305h Cause The module received a write flash command to write across a sector boundary that is prohibited. Appendix A: Error Messages 55 Flash Faults Solution When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_FLASH_VERIFY_FAILED 306h Cause The module received a write flash command that was unsuccessful because data being written to flash contained an uneven number of bytes. Solution When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. 56 Appendix A: Error Messages Protocol Faults Protocol Faults The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section. Fault Message FAULT_NO_TAGS_FOUND (400h) FAULT_NO_PROTOCOL_DEFINED 401h FAULT_INVALID_PROTOCOL_SPECIFIED 402h FAULT_WRITE_PASSED_LOCK_FAILED 403h FAULT_PROTOCOL_NO_DATA_READ 404h FAULT_AFE_NOT_ON 405h FAULT_PROTOCOL_WRITE_FAILED 406h FAULT_NOT_IMPLEMENTED_FOR_THIS_PROTOCOL 407h FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_WRITE_DATA 408h FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_ADDRESS 409h FAULT_GENERAL_TAG_ERROR 40Ah FAULT_DATA_TOO_LARGE 40Bh FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_KILL_PASSWORD 40Ch FAULT_PROTOCOL_KILL_FAILED - 40Eh FAULT_PROTOCOL_BIT_DECODING_FAILED - 40Fh FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_EPC 410h FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_NUM_DATA 411h FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_OTHER_ERROR - 420h FAULT_GEN2_PROTOCOL_MEMORY_OVERRUN_BAD_PC -
423h FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_MEMORY_LOCKED - 424h FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_INSUFFICIENT_POWER - 42Bh FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_NON_SPECIFIC_ERROR - 42Fh FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR - 430h Code 400h 401h 402h 403h 404h 405h 406h 407h 408h 409h 40Ah 40Bh 40Ch 40Eh 40Fh 410h 411h 420h 423h 424h 42Bh 42Fh 430h Appendix A: Error Messages 57 Protocol Faults FAULT_NO_TAGS_FOUND (400h) Cause A command was received (such as like read, write, or lock) but the operation failed. There are many reasons that can cause this error to occur. Here is a list of possible reasons that could be causing this error:
No tag in the RF field
Read/write power too low
Antenna not connected
Tag is weak or dead Solution Make sure there is a good tag in the field and all parameters are set up correctly. The best way to check this is to try few tags of the same type to rule out a weak tag. If none passed, then it could be SW configuration such as protocol value, antenna, and so forth, or a placement configuration like a tag location. FAULT_NO_PROTOCOL_DEFINED 401h Cause A command was received to perform a protocol command but no protocol was initially set. The reader powers up with no protocols set. Solution A protocol must be set before the reader can begin RF operations. FAULT_INVALID_PROTOCOL_SPECIFIED 402h Cause The protocol value was set to a protocol that is not supported with the current version of SW. 58 Appendix A: Error Messages Protocol Faults Solution This value is invalid or this version of SW does not support the protocol value. Check the documentation for the correct values for the protocols in use and that you are licensed for it. FAULT_WRITE_PASSED_LOCK_FAILED 403h Cause During a Write Tag Data for ISO18000-6B or UCODE, if the lock fails, this error is returned. The write command passed but the lock did not. This could be a bad tag. Solution Try to write a few other tags and make sure that they are placed in the RF field. FAULT_PROTOCOL_NO_DATA_READ 404h Cause A command was sent but did not succeed. Solution The tag used has failed or does not have the correct CRC. Try to read a few other tags to check the HW/SW configuration. FAULT_AFE_NOT_ON 405h Cause A command was received for an operation, like read or write, but the AFE was in the off state. Solution Make sure the region and tag protocol have been set to supported values. Appendix A: Error Messages 59 Protocol Faults FAULT_PROTOCOL_WRITE_FAILED 406h Cause An attempt to modify the contents of a tag failed. There are many reasons for failure. Solution Check that the tag is good and try another operation on a few more tags. FAULT_NOT_IMPLEMENTED_FOR_THIS_PROTOCOL 407h Cause A command was received which is not supported by a protocol. Solution Check the documentation for the supported commands and protocols. FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_WRITE_DATA 408h Cause An ID write was attempted with an unsupported/incorrect ID length. Solution Verify the Tag ID length being written. FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_ADDRESS 409h Cause A command was received attempting to access an invalid address in the tag data address space. Solution Make sure that the address specified is within the scope of the tag data address space and available for the specific operation. The protocol specifications contain information about the supported addresses. 60 Appendix A: Error Messages Protocol Faults FAULT_GENERAL_TAG_ERROR 40Ah Cause This error is used by the GEN2 module. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill command fails. This error can be internal or functional. Solution Make a note of the operations you were performing and contact ThingMagic at http://
support.thingmagic.com FAULT_DATA_TOO_LARGE 40Bh Cause A command was received to Read Tag Data with a data value larger than expected or it is not the correct size. Solution Check the size of the data value in the message sent to the reader. FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_KILL_PASSWORD 40Ch Cause An incorrect kill password was received as part of the Kill command. Solution Check the password. FAULT_PROTOCOL_KILL_FAILED - 40Eh Cause Attempt to kill a tag failed for an unknown reason Solution Check tag is in RF field and the kill password. Appendix A: Error Messages 61 Protocol Faults FAULT_PROTOCOL_BIT_DECODING_FAILED - 40Fh Cause Attempt to operate on a tag with an EPC length greater than the Maximum EPC length setting. Solution Check the EPC length being written. FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_EPC 410h Cause This error is used by the GEN2 module indicating an invalid EPC value has been specified for an operation. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill command fails. Solution Check the EPC value that is being passed in the command resulting in this error. FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_NUM_DATA 411h Cause This error is used by the GEN2 module indicating invalid data has been specified for an operation. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill command fails. Solution Check the data that is being passed in the command resulting in this error. FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_OTHER_ERROR - 420h Cause This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. Its a catch-all for error not covered by other codes. 62 Appendix A: Error Messages Protocol Faults Solution Check the data that is being passed in the command resulting in this error. Try with a different tag. FAULT_GEN2_PROTOCOL_MEMORY_OVERRUN_BAD_PC -
423h Cause This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The specified memory location does not exist or the PC value is not supported by the Tag. Solution Check the data that is being written and where its being written to in the command resulting in this error. FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_MEMORY_LOCKED - 424h Cause This is an error returned by Gen2 tags.The specified memory location is locked and/or permalocked and is either not writable or not readable. Solution Check the data that is being written and where its being written to in the command resulting in this error. Check the access password being sent. FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_INSUFFICIENT_POWER - 42Bh Cause This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The tag has insufficient power to perform the memory-write operation. Solution Try moving the tag closer to the antenna. Try with a different tag. Appendix A: Error Messages 63 Protocol Faults FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_NON_SPECIFIC_ERROR - 42Fh Cause This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The tag does not support error specific codes. Solution Check the data that is being written and where its being written to in the command resulting in this error. Try with a different tag. FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR - 430h Cause This is an error returned by M6e when no more error information is available about why the operation failed. Solution Check the data that is being written and where its being written to in the command resulting in this error. Try with a different tag. 64 Appendix A: Error Messages Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_FREQ 500h Cause A command was received to set a frequency outside the specified range. Solution Check the values you are trying to set and be sure that they fall within the range of the set region of operation. FAULT_AHAL_CHANNEL_OCCUPIED 501h Cause With LBT enabled an attempt was made to set the frequency to an occupied channel. Solution Try a different channel. If supported by the region of operation turn LBT off. FAULT_AHAL_TRANSMITTER_ON 502h Cause Checking antenna status while CW is on is not allowed. Solution Do not perform antenna checking when CW is turned on. FAULT_ANTENNA_NOT_CONNECTED 503h Cause An attempt was made to transmit on an antenna which did not pass the antenna detection when antenna detection was turned on. Appendix A: Error Messages 65 Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults Solution Connect a detectable antenna (antenna must have some DC resistance). FAULT_TEMPERATURE_EXCEED_LIMITS 504h Cause The module has exceeded the maximum or minimum operating temperature and will not allow an RF operation until it is back in range. Solution Take steps to resolve thermal issues with module:
Reduce duty cycle
Add heat sink
Use Power Save Mode (non-DRM Compliant) FAULT_POOR_RETURN_LOSS 505h Cause The module has detected a poor return loss and has ended RF operation to avoid module damage. Solution Take steps to resolve high return loss on receiver:
Make sure antenna VSWR is within module specifications
Make sure antennas are correctly attached before transmitting
Check environment to ensure no occurrences of high signal reflection back at antennas. FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_ANTENA_CONFIG 507h Cause An attempt to set an antenna configuration that is not valid. 66 Appendix A: Error Messages Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults Solution Use the correct antenna setting or change the reader configuration. Appendix A: Error Messages 67 Tag ID Buffer Faults Tag ID Buffer Faults The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section. Fault Message FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NOT_ENOUGH_TAGS_AVAILABLE 600h FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_FULL 601h FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_REPEATED_TAG_ID 602h FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NUM_TAG_TOO_LARGE 603h Code 600h 601h 602h 603h FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NOT_ENOUGH_TAGS_AVAILABLE 600h Cause A command was received to get a certain number of tag ids from the tag id buffer. The reader contains less tag ids stored in its tag id buffer than the number the host is sending. Solution Send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_FULL 601h Cause The tag id buffer is full. Solution Send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_REPEATED_TAG_ID 602h Cause The module has an internal error. One of the protocols is trying to add an existing TagID to the buffer. 68 Appendix A: Error Messages Tag ID Buffer Faults Solution Send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NUM_TAG_TOO_LARGE 603h Cause The module received a request to retrieve more tags than is supported by the current version of the software. Solution Send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. Appendix A: Error Messages 69 System Errors System Errors FAULT_SYSTEM_UNKNOWN_ERROR 7F00h Cause The error is internal. Solution Send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. FAULT_TM_ASSERT_FAILED 7F01h Cause An unexpected Internal Error has occurred. Solution The error will cause the module to switch back to Bootloader mode. When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a testcase reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com. 70 Appendix A: Error Messages Appendix B: Getting Started - Devkit Devkit USB Interfaces USB/RS232 The USB interface (connector labeled USB/ RS232) closest to the power plug is to the RS232 interface of the M6e through an FTDI USB to serial converter. The drivers for it are available at http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm Please follow the instructions in the installation guide appropriate for your operating system. Native USB To use the M6e native USB interface (connector labeled USB), if on Windows, a few installation steps are required for Windows to recognize the M6e and properly configure the communications protocol. In order to use the USB interface with Windows you must have the m6eultra.inf file (included in the M6e alpha package sent). The installation steps are:
1. Plug in the USB cable to the M6e (devkit) and PC. 2. Windows should report is has Found New Hardware - Mercury6eUltra and open the Hardware Installation Wizard. 3. Select the Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) option, click Next. 4. Select Dont search..., click Next, then Next again. 5. Click Have Disk and navigate to where the m6ultra.inf file is stored and select it, click Open, then OK. Appendix B: Getting Started - Devkit 71 Devkit USB Interfaces 6. Mercury6eUltra should now be shown under the Model list. Select it and click Next then Finished. Note The M6e driver file has not been Microsoft certified so compatibility warnings will be displayed. These can be ignored and clicked through. 7. A COM port should now be assigned to the M6e. If you arent sure what COM port is assigned you can find it using the Windows Device Manager:
a. Open the Device Manager (located in Control Panel | System). b. Select the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. c. Select View | Devices by Type | Ports (COM & LPT) The device appears as Mercury6eUltra (COM#). 72 Appendix B: Getting Started - Devkit Demo Application Demo Application A demo application which supports multi-protocol reading and writing is provided in the MercuryAPI SDK package. The source code for this example is included in the MercuryAPI SDK package under /cs/samples/M6e-Read-Write-Demo-Tool. See the MercuryAPI Programming Guide for details on using the MercuryAPI. Demo Tool Notes
The region is only changed upon initialization. You must disconnect the reader, change the region, and then Initialize Reader to change this value.
The protocol search display is only updated when one of the Read buttons is pressed, not when the choice is made via the pull-down menu
Read on all connected antennas automatically activates antenna detection and will ignore ports with an undetectable antenna. To read on these ports, the antenna port must be explicitly selected.
The Total tags read in x seconds display only works for the Read Once function, not Start/Stop Reads.
When Start Reads is clicked the M6e will read for the specified timeout with a 2 second delay (RF off) between reads. It is not a continuous read. Appendix B: Getting Started - Devkit 73 Demo Application 74 Appendix B: Getting Started - Devkit
1 2 3 | User manual TM M6e-UG Jan 2019 | Users Manual | 2.01 MiB | November 02 2019 |
THINGMAGIC M6e USER GUIDE TM_M6e-UG Rev 01292019 COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Copyright 2018-2019 Novanta Corporation. All rights reserved. Version 01292019 This product or document is protected by copyright and distributed under licenses restricting its use, copying, distribution, and decompilation. No part of this product or document may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of Novanta Corporation and its licensors, if any. CryptoRF is a registered trademark of Atmel Corporation. MIFARE and NXP is a registered trademark of Royal Philips Electronics. Tag-it is a trademark of Texas Instruments, Incorporated. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND CONTACT INFORMATION Telephone: 315.701.0678 www.JADAKtech.com Email: rfid-support@jadaktech.com www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide REVISION HISTORY ii Date 4/2010 8/2010 12/2010 2/2011 5/2011 1/2012 2/2012 7/2012 2/2013 9/2013 3/2016 6/2017 01/31/2018 12/2/2018 1/29/2019 Version 01RevA 01RevB 02Rev1 02 Rev2 03 RevA 04 RevA 05 RevA 06 RevA 07 RevA 08 RevA 09 RevA 09 RevB 875-0053-09 RevB TM_M6e-UG Rev 12022018 TM_M6e-UG Rev 01292019 Description First Draft for beta release. Updated GPIO content. Added FCC regulation info section. New development kit content. Added approved antennas list. Updated power consumption data. Updated Gen2 settings. Updated Regulatory info. Added M6e-A info. Updated ESD info. Updated development kit getting started section. Added new M6e-PRC frequency range info. New ISO6b settings, including delimiter specific info. Fixed ISO6b delimiter information. Added warnings about using TTL interface in continuous reading mode. Added new 128-byte limit to tag read data metadata. Added info on new Universal Reader Assistant 2. Corrected default bootloader/RESET mode baud rate to115200. Corrected RESET line pull-down resistance to 1.5kohms. Added antenna detection requirements info. Incorporated more information about module variants
- M6e-A, M6e-PRC, M6e-JIC. Mentioned antenna detection via return loss measurement, introduced in FW 1.19.0. Mentioned saving settings and autonomous operation, introduced in FW 1.19.0. Removed notes on limitations, which have since been eliminated by subsequent firmware revisions (see release notes for details). Updated address in cover copyright. All references to CN region changed to PRC2. RED Declaration of Conformity added. Updated with Novanta Corporation information. Updated to user documentation standards. Incorporated M6e firmware v1.21.2 release notes. Updated warnings to specify M6e-A module. JADAKtech.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Copyright Information ................................................................................................................i Technical Support and Contact Information ..............................................................................i Revision History ....................................................................................................................... ii Chapter 1 - Introduction ............................................................................................................................1 M6e Variations .........................................................................................................................1 M6e ....................................................................................................................................1 M6e-A ................................................................................................................................1 M6e-PRC ...........................................................................................................................1 M6e-JIC .............................................................................................................................1 Release Notes ..........................................................................................................................1 Chapter 2 - Hardware Overview ...............................................................................................................2 Hardware Interfaces .................................................................................................................2 Antenna Connections ........................................................................................................2 Antenna Requirements ......................................................................................................2 Antenna Detection .............................................................................................................2 Digital/Power Connector ..........................................................................................................3 Control Signal Specification ...............................................................................................4 TTL Level UART Interface .................................................................................................4 Supported Baud Rates ......................................................................................................4 USB Interface ...........................................................................................................................5 Serial Number Added to USB Device Descriptor ...............................................................5 General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) .....................................................................................5 Configuring GPIO Settings ................................................................................................6 Reset Line ..........................................................................................................................6 Power Requirements ................................................................................................................6 RF Power Output ...............................................................................................................6 Special RF Power Output Requirements for the M6e-A ...........................................................6 Power Settings for Authorized Antennas and Cables ........................................................7 Power Supply Ripple .........................................................................................................7 Power Consumption ..........................................................................................................7 Environmental Specifications ...................................................................................................8 Operating Temperature ......................................................................................................8 Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) Specification ..........................................................................9 Mounting Screw Clearance ......................................................................................................9 Assembly Information ...............................................................................................................9 Cables and Connectors .....................................................................................................9 Antennas ..................................................................................................................................9 M6e Mechanical Drawing .......................................................................................................10 www.JADAKtech.com Authorized Antennas .............................................................................................................. 11 M6e-A Authorized Cables ....................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 3 - Firmware Overview ..............................................................................................................12 New Features - Version 1.21.2 ...............................................................................................12 Margin Read Support for Monza6 Tags ...........................................................................12 NXP UCODE7 Configuration Support .............................................................................12 Gen2 Parameters in Metadata .........................................................................................13 Support for Acura Gen2V2 Tags ......................................................................................13 Support for GEN2V2 Embedded Tag Ops .......................................................................13 Gen2V2 Support ..............................................................................................................13 Denatran Tag Support ......................................................................................................14 Configurable T4 for Gen2 Protocol ..................................................................................14 Ability to Read Data Immediately After Sending a Write EPC or Write Data Command 15 Decoupling Antenna Selection from AsyncOnTime .........................................................15 Support for Additional Regions ........................................................................................17 Support for Set/get Quantization Value and Minimum Frequency in Open Region .........18 Operational Notes ..................................................................................................................19 No Ability to Get Saved Value of Settings .....................................................................19 Boot Loader ............................................................................................................................20 Application Firmware ..............................................................................................................20 Programming the M6e .....................................................................................................20 Upgrading the M6e ..........................................................................................................20 Verifying Application Firmware Image ..............................................................................20 Custom On-Reader Applications ............................................................................................20 Autonomous Operation Support ......................................................................................20 Chapter 4 - Communication Protocol ....................................................................................................21 Serial Communication Protocol ..............................................................................................21 Host-to-Reader Communication ......................................................................................21 Reader-to-Host Communication ......................................................................................21 CCITT CRC-16 Calculation .............................................................................................21 User Programming Interface ..................................................................................................21 Chapter 5 - Functionality ........................................................................................................................23 Supported Regions ................................................................................................................23 Frequency Setting ..................................................................................................................24 Frequency Units ...............................................................................................................25 Frequency Hop Table .......................................................................................................25 Antenna Ports ........................................................................................................................26 Using a Multiplexer ..........................................................................................................26 Multiplexing up to 32 Ports ..............................................................................................28 Port Power and Settling Time ..........................................................................................29 www.JADAKtech.com Support for Return Loss Measurement ............................................................................30 Protocol Support ....................................................................................................................30 ISO 18000-6C (Gen2) ............................................................................................................31 Protocol-Specific Functionality .........................................................................................31 IP-X ........................................................................................................................................32 ISO 18000-6B ........................................................................................................................32 Delimiter ...........................................................................................................................32 AEI ATA ..................................................................................................................................33 AEI ATA Protocol with Stop Trigger Read Plan ................................................................33 Tag Handling ..........................................................................................................................33 Tag Buffer ........................................................................................................................33 Tag Streaming/Continuous Reading ................................................................................34 Tag Read Metadata .........................................................................................................34 Meta-data Control at Module Level ..................................................................................35 Filtering on Tag Length and EPC Truncation ...................................................................35 Power Management ...............................................................................................................35 Power Modes ...................................................................................................................35 Transmit Modes ...............................................................................................................35 Event Response Times ....................................................................................................36 Save and Restore Configuration ......................................................................................36 Set the Duty Cycle for Continuous Reading ....................................................................37 Change Settings During Continuous Reading .................................................................37 License Handling ....................................................................................................................38 Chapter 6 - Specifications ......................................................................................................................39 M6e Specifications .................................................................................................................39 Chapter 7 - Compliance and IP Notices .................................................................................................41 M6e Communication Regulation Information .........................................................................41 Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Interference Statement .............................41 User Manual Requirement ...............................................................................................42 End Product Labeling ......................................................................................................42 Industry Canada .....................................................................................................................42 End Product Labeling ......................................................................................................43 Industrie Canada (French Canadian) .....................................................................................43 Authorized Antennas ..............................................................................................................44 M6e-A Communication Regulation Information ......................................................................44 Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Interference Statement .............................44 User Manual Requirement ...............................................................................................45 End Product Labeling ......................................................................................................45 Industry Canada .....................................................................................................................45 End Product Labeling ......................................................................................................46 www.JADAKtech.com Industrie Canada (French Canadian) .....................................................................................46 EU RED Declaration of Conformity ........................................................................................48 Appendix A - Error Messages .................................................................................................................49 Appendix B - Getting Started Development Kit and Carrier Board ..................................................57 Development Kit Hardware ....................................................................................................57 Set Up the Development Kit ...................................................................................................57 Connecting the Antenna ..................................................................................................57 Powering Up and Connecting to a PC .............................................................................57 Development Kit USB Interfaces ............................................................................................58 USB/RS232 .....................................................................................................................58 Native USB ......................................................................................................................58 Development Kit Jumpers ......................................................................................................58 Development Kit Schematics .................................................................................................59 Demo Application ...................................................................................................................59 Notice on Restricted Use of the Development Kit ..................................................................59 Appendix C - Environmental Considerations .......................................................................................61 ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations ......................................................................61 ESD Damage Overview ...................................................................................................61 Identifying ESD as the Cause of Damaged Readers .......................................................61 Common Installation Best Practices ................................................................................62 Raising the ESD Threshold .............................................................................................62 Further ESD Protection for Reduced RF Power Applications ..........................................63 Variables Affecting Performance ............................................................................................63 Environmental ..................................................................................................................63 Tag Considerations ..........................................................................................................63 Multiple Readers ..............................................................................................................64 www.JADAKtech.com LIST OF TABLES M6e Digital Connector Signal Definition ......................................................................................................3 M6e Power Consumption ............................................................................................................................7 M6e Authorized Antennas .........................................................................................................................11 M6e-A Authorized Cables ..........................................................................................................................11 Additional Regions .....................................................................................................................................17 Host-To-Reader Communication ...............................................................................................................21 Reader-To-Host Communication ...............................................................................................................21 Supported Regions ....................................................................................................................................23 Regional Frequency Quantization .............................................................................................................25 GPIO 1 & 2 Used for Antenna Switching ...................................................................................................26 Only GPIO 1 Used for Antenna Switching .................................................................................................27 Only GPIO 2 Used for Antenna Switching .................................................................................................27 Mapping of Logical Antenna Numbers to GPO Lines and RF Ports ..........................................................28 ISO 18000-6C (Gen 2) Protocol Configuration Options ............................................................................31 IP-X Protocol Configuration Options ..........................................................................................................32 ISO 18000-6B Protocol Configuration Options ..........................................................................................32 Tag Buffer ..................................................................................................................................................33 Tag Read Metadata ...................................................................................................................................34 Event Response Times .............................................................................................................................36 Common Fault Errors ................................................................................................................................49 Bootloader Fault Errors .............................................................................................................................50 Flash Fault Errors ......................................................................................................................................51 Protocol Fault Errors ..................................................................................................................................52 Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Fault Errors ......................................................................................54 Tag ID Buffer Fault Errors .........................................................................................................................55 System Fault Errors ...................................................................................................................................56 www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 1 1 Introduction This document applies to the ThingMagic M6e high-performance, 4-port Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RAIN Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) module, as well as the M6e-A, M6e-PRC, and M6e-JIC modules. All versions are referred to as M6e in this manual, with any exceptions expressly noted. ThingMagic M6e is a high performance, embedded module that you can integrate with other systems to create RFID-enabled products. This document is for hardware designers and software developers. Applications to control the M6e module and derivative products can be written using the high level MercuryAPI Ver. 1.29.4 and later. The MercuryAPI supports Java, .NET and C programming environments. The MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains sample applications and source code to help developers get started demoing and developing functionality. For more information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and the MercuryAPI SDK, available on www.jadaktech.com. Note that the M6e-JIC module requires firmware version 1.21.0 or higher. M6e Variations There are four hardware variations of this module. M6e Designed to operate in the North American (902-928 MHz) and European (865-858 MHz) regulatory regions. The North American region is limited to a transmit power of +30 dBm to conform to FCC regulations for unrestricted use of a module of this type. M6e-A Operates in the same bands as the M6e module but will transmit at power levels up to +31.5 dBm in the North American region. There are additional restrictions that a user must adhere to operate a module of this power level in regions that adhere to FCC regulations. M6e-PRC Obsolete. This module was designed for the Chinese market and operates in both the high China band
(920 to 925 MHz) and the low China band (840 to 845 MHz). It has been replaced by the M6e-JIC module. M6e-JIC This module is designed to meet the demanding requirements for high power UHF RFID modules in China
(920 to 925 MHz), Japan (916.8 to 920.8 MHz), and Israel (915 to 917 MHz) bands. Release Notes The information in this document is relevant to M6e modules with Firmware Ver. 1.21.2 and later. This firmware is compatible with the M6e, M6e-A and M6e-JIC modules. This firmware is not compatible with any other ThingMagic modules such as the Micro or Nano modules. M6e firmware version 1.21.2 has been developed in conjunction with version 1.29.4 of the MercuryAPI and should be used with that version (or higher) to achieve best results. Previous versions of the API will not support all the features of this firmware release. See the API release notes and MercuryAPI Programmers Guide for further information on its features and functions. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 2 2 Hardware Overview Hardware Interfaces Antenna Connections The M6e supports four monostatic bidirectional RF antennas through four MMCX connectors: labeled J1 through J4 on the module. See Cables and Connectors for more information on antenna connector parts. The maximum RF power that can be delivered to a 50 ohm load from each port is 1.4 Watts, or +31.5 dBm
(regulatory requirements permitting). NOTE: The RF ports can only be energized one at a time. NOTE: FCC/NA Region max RF power is 30 dBm for the M6e module. For 31.5 dBm operation in the FCC/
NA Region the M6e-A module must be purchased. Antenna Requirements The performance of the M6e is affected by antenna quality. Antennas that provide good 50 ohm match at the operating frequency band perform best. Specified sensitivity performance is achieved with antennas providing 17 dB return loss or better across the operating band. (A higher numerical value indicates a better match.) Damage to the module will not occur for any return loss of 1 dB or greater. Damage may occur if antennas are disconnected during operation or if the module sees an open or short circuit at its antenna port. Antenna Detection To minimize the chance of damage due to antenna disconnection, the M6e supports antenna detection. Detection can be done automatically or manually, the choice of which is configured through API calls. Automatically if the antenna passes DC current. Manually by doing periodic checks of the ability of ports to pass DC. Manually by doing periodic checks to determine if the return loss is below a value that indicates an antenna is present (a value of -10 dBm is a good threshold). Regardless of how the reader is used, it is generally recommended that antenna detection be enabled as it helps protect the module from possible damage. For antennas to be detected automatically by DC current, the M6e antenna must pass some DC current across the center pin and ground, i.e., must present between 0 Ohms and 10 kOhms DC resistance. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 3 Digital/Power Connector The digital connector provides power, serial communications signals, shutdown and reset signals to the M6e module, and access to the GPIO inputs and outputs. These signals are provided through connector part number: Molex 53261-1571 - 1.25mm pin centers, 1 amp per pin rating, which mates with Molex housing p/n 51021 -1500 with crimps p/n 63811-0300. See Cables and Connectors for more information on typical cable parts. Signal Direction
(In/Out of M6e) Signal M6e Digital Connector Signal Definition Molex 53261-1571 Pin Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 GND GND
+5VDC
+5 VDC GPIO1 GPIO2 GPIO3 GPIO4 UART_RX_TTL UART_TX_TTL USB_DM USB_DP USB_5VSENSE SHUTDOWN P/S Return P/S Return P/S Input P/S Input Bi-directional Bi-directional Bi-directional Bi-directional In Out Bi-directional Bi-directional In In 15 RESET Bi-directional Notes Must connect both GND pins to ground Must connect both 5V supplies Input 5VDC tolerant, 16mA Source/Sink In (Pull-down with +10k Ohm to Ground) Out USB Data (D-) signal USB Data (D+) signal Input 5V to tell module to talk on USB Pull LOW to enable module. Set HIGH to disable all 5V Inputs and shutdown module. HIGH output indicates Boot Loader is running. LOW output indicates Application Firmware is running. Note: Not 5V tolerant. Reconnection to the module may not possible if the host PC is restarted while auto read is in progress. To reconnect to the module, the user must either reboot the module or unplug and re-plug the USB cable. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 4 Control Signal Specification The module communicates to a host processor via a TTL logic level UART serial port or via a USB port. Both ports are accessed on the 15-pin Digital/Power Connector. The TTL logic level UART supports complete functionality. The USB port supports complete functionality, except the lowest power operational mode. NOTE: Power Consumption specifications apply to control via the TTL UART. NOTE: It is not recommended to use the UART interface when planning to operate the module in Tag Streaming/Continuous Reading mode. The UART interface (both the module side and the host side) cannot detect physical disconnections, as can the USB Interface, simplifying reconnection. TTL Level UART Interface TTL Level TX V-Low: Max 0.4 VDC V-High: 2.1 to 3.3 VDC 8 mA max TTL Level RX V-Low: -0.3 to 0.6 VDC V-High: 2.2 to 5 VDC
(Tied to ground through a 10k ohm pull-down resistor) A level converter could be necessary to interface to other devices that use standard 12V RS232. Only three pins are used for serial communication (TX, RX, and GND). Hardware handshaking is not supported. The M6e serial port has an interrupt-driven FIFO that empties into a circular buffer. The connected host processors receiver must have the capability to receive up to 256 bytes of data at a time without overflowing. Supported Baud Rates 9600 19200 38400 115200 230400 460800 921600 NOTE: The baud rate in the Boot Loader mode depends on whether the module entered the bootloader mode after a power-up or through an assert or boot bootloader user command. Upon power up if the Reset Line is LOW then the default baud rate of 115200 will be used. If the module returns to the bootloader from Application Firmware mode, then the current state and baud rate will be retained. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 5 USB Interface Supports USB 2.0 full speed device port (12 Megabits per second) using the two USB pins (USB_DM and USB_DP). Serial Number Added to USB Device Descriptor Adding a serial number to the USB device descriptor allows the host to assign a COM port number which follows the device regardless of which physical USB port it is plugged into. General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) The four GPIO connections, provided through the M6e Digital Connector Signal Definition, may be configured as inputs or outputs using the MercuryAPI. The GPIO pins connect through 100 ohm resistors to the high current PA0 to PA3 pins of the AT91SAM7X processor. Consult the M6e Specifications for additional details. Pins configured as inputs must not have input voltages that exceed voltage range of -0.3 volts to +5.5 volts. In addition, during reset the input voltages should not exceed 3.3V. Outputs may source and sink 16 mA. Voltage drop in the series 100 ohm resistor will reduce the delivered voltage swing for output loads that draw significant current. Input Mode TTL compatible inputs Logic low < 0.8 V Logic high > 2.0V 5V tolerant Output Mode 3.3 Volt CMOS Logic Output with 100 ohms in series Greater than 1.9 Volts when sourcing 8 mA Greater than 2.9 Volts when sourcing 0.3 mA Module power consumption can be adversely affected by incorrect GPIO configuration. Similarly, the power consumption of external equipment connected to the GPIOs can also be adversely affected. The following instructions will yield specification-compliant operation. Less than 1.2 Volts when sinking 8 mA Less than 0.2 Volts when sinking 0.3 mA On power up, the M6e module configures its GPIOs as inputs to avoid contention from user equipment that may be driving those lines. The input configuration is as a 3.3 volt logic CMOS input and will have a leakage current not in excess of 400 nA. The input is in an undetermined logic level unless pulled externally to a logic high or low. Module power consumption for floating inputs is unspecified. With the GPIOs configured as inputs and individually pulled externally to either high or low logic level, module power consumption is as listed in the M6e Power Consumption table. GPIOs may be reconfigured individually after power-up to become outputs. This configuration takes effect either at API execution or a few tens of milliseconds after power up if the configuration is stored in nonvolatile memory. The automated configuration into outputs is prevented if the module is held in the boot www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 6 loader by Reset Line being held low. Lines configured as outputs consume no excess power if the output is left open. Specified module power consumption is achieved for one or more GPIO lines set as output and left open. Users who are not able to provide external pull ups or pull downs on any given input, and who do not need that GPIO line, may configure it as an output and leave it open to achieve specified module power consumption. Configuring GPIO Settings The GPIO lines are configured as inputs or outputs through the MercuryAPI by setting the reader configuration parameters /reader/gpio/inputList and /reader/gpio/outputList. Once configured as inputs or outputs the state of the lines can be Get or Set using the gpiGet() and gpoSet() methods, respectively. See the language specific reference guide for more details. Reset Line Upon power up, the RESET line (pin 15) is configured as an input. The input value will determine whether the Boot Loader will wait for user commands (if pulled LOW) or immediately load the Application Firmware image and enter application mode (if left open or pulled up). After that action is completed, the line is configured by the firmware as an output line. Whenever the module is in bootloader the line is in the bootloader state and driven high. Once in application mode, the RESET line is driven low. If the module returns to the bootloader mode, either due to an assert or boot bootloader, the RESET line will again be driven high. To minimize power consumption in the application, the RESET line should be either left open or pulled weakly low (1.5k ohm to ground). See Note about baud rate applicable when using TTL Level UART Interface. Power Requirements RF Power Output The M6e supports separate read and write power levels which are command adjustable via the MercuryAPI. Power levels must be between:
Minimum RF Power = +5 dBm Maximum RF Power = +31.5 dBm (+/- 0.5 dB accuracy above +15 dBm) NOTE: Maximum power may have to be reduced to meet regulatory limits, which specify the combined effect of the module, antenna, cable and enclosure shielding of the integrated product. NOTE: FCC regulations limit the maximum RF Power to 30 dBm in NA Region. For 31.5 dBm operation in the NA Region the M6e-A must be purchased. Special RF Power Output Requirements for the M6e-A Warning: Operation of the M6e-A requires professional installation to correctly set the TX power for the RF cable and antenna selected. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 7 Power Settings for Authorized Antennas and Cables The M6e-A has been designed to operate with the antennas listed in Authorized Antennas list using the cables in the M6e-A Authorized Cables list. For any combination of antenna and cable the maximum RF power is determined from antenna gain (Max Linear Gain value from antenna list) and antenna cable loss
(Insertion Loss value from cable list) using the formula:
Pmax = 36 dBm - Antenna Gain + Cable Loss For example, for the Laird S8658WPL and the ThingMagic CBL-P6 6ft cable the following calculation can be performed:
Max linear antenna gain = 6 dBiL Minimum cable insertion loss = 0.8 dB Pmax = 36 - 6 + 0.8 = 30.8 dBm The maximum RF power that may be set using this configuration is 30.8 dBm (see Warning above). Power Supply Ripple The following are the minimum requirements to avoid module damage and ensure performance and regulatory specifications are met. Certain local regulatory specifications may require tighter specifications. 5 Volt +/- 5%. Less than 25 mV pk-pk ripple all frequencies. Less than 11 mV pk-pk ripple for frequencies less than 100 kHz. No spectral spike greater than 5 mV pk-pk in any 1 kHz band. Power supply switching frequency equal or greater than 500 kHz. Caution: Operation in the EU Region (under ETSI regulatory specs) may need tighter ripple specifications to meet ETSI mask requirements. Power Consumption The following table the power/transmit mode settings and power consumption specifications for the M6e. Additional details about Power/Transmit Modes can be found in the Power Management section. M6e Power Consumption Operation Power/Transmit Mode Transmit CW Transmit Mode=DRM Tag Reading Transmit Mode=DRM RF Transmit Power Setting
(dBm) Max Power1
(Watts)
+31.5
+31.5 7.52 7.52 Voltage
(Volts) Current
(mA) 5.0 +/- 5%
1400 5.0 +/- 5%
1400 www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide M6e Power Consumption Operation Power/Transmit Mode 8 RF Transmit Power Setting
(dBm) Max Power1
(Watts) Voltage
(Volts) Current
(mA) 6.2 5.8 N/A 800
+30
+30 0.35 1200 1060 5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
+17 and below 4 Tag Reading Transmit Mode=Power Save Tag Reading Transmit Mode = DRM + PreDistortion Tag Reading Transmit Mode = DRM No Tag Reading (M6e idle) Power Mode = FULL No Tag Reading (M6e idle) Power Mode = MINSAVE No Tag Reading (M6e idle) Power Mode = SLEEP Boot Shut Down In Rush Current and Power, M6e Power up and/or any state change 1 Power consumption is defined for TTL RS232 operation. Power consumption may vary if the USB interface is con-
nected. 2 Power consumption is defined for operation into a 17dB return loss load or better. Power consumption may increase, up to 8.2W, during operation into return losses worse than 17dB and high ambient temperatures. 5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
20
< 200uA 1500 Max 0.12
< 0.001 7.5 N/A N/A N/A 5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
5.0 +/- 5%
0.005 0.12 N/A N/A 1.0 60 20 Environmental Specifications Operating Temperature The M6e module may be considered as a single electronic component. It is designed so that all the internal components have safe margins to their thermal limits when the heat spreading plate (bottom, non-labeled side) does not exceed 70C. The heat spreading plate temperature must not exceed 70 C. Heat sinking will be required for high duty cycle applications. When heat spreading plate reaches 70C, the RF Shield (top, antenna connector side) may exceed 70C, which is acceptable. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 9 Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) Specification IEC-61000-4-2 and MIL-883 3015.7 discharges direct to operational antenna port tolerates max 1200 volt pulse. NOTE: Survival level varies with antenna return loss and antenna characteristics. See ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations for methods to increase ESD tolerances. Warning: The M6e antenna ports may be susceptible to damage from Electrostatic Discharge
(ESD). Equipment failure can result if the antenna or communication ports are subjected to ESD. Standard ESD precautions should be taken during installation and operation to avoid static discharge when handling or making connections to the M6e reader antenna or communication ports. Environmental analysis should also be performed to ensure static is not building up on and around the antennas, possibly causing discharges during operation. Mounting Screw Clearance The M6e requires clearance for #2-56 or 2.5mm socket head screws in 4 places. Assembly Information Cables and Connectors The following are the cables and connectors used in the M6e Developers Kit interface board:
Digital Interface The cable assembly used consists of the following parts:
2 Connector Shells [Molex 51021-1500] with 15 Crimp Contacts each [Molex 50079-8100]
1 Wire (#28 AWG 7x36 - Black, Teflon) for Pin 1 connection [Alpha 284/7-2]
14 Wires (#28 AWG 7x36 - White, Teflon) for other connections [Alpha 284/7-1]
NOTE: Pin numbers and assignments are shown in the M6e Digital Connector Signal Definition table. Antennas The cable assembly used to connect the external RP-TNC connectors on the M6e Development kit to the M6e MMCX connectors consists of the following parts:
1 Reverse TNC Bulkhead Jack Connector 1 LMR-100A Coaxial Cable 1 MMCX Right Angle Plug Connector www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide M6e Mechanical Drawing 10 www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 11 Authorized Antennas This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed below, and having a maximum gain of 6 dBiL. Antennas not included in this list or having a gain greater than 6 dBiLare strictly prohibited for use with this device. The required antenna impedance is 50 ohms. M6e Authorized Antennas Vendor Model Linear Gain1 (dBi) ThingMagic ThingMagic ThingMagic ThingMagic ThingMagic 1 These are circularly polarized antennas, but since most tag antennas are linearly polarized, the equivalent linear gain of the antenna should be used for all calculations. ANT-WB-6-2025 ANT-NA-9025 (obsolete) ANT-NB-7-2031 ANT-WB-12-2043 ANT-WB-10-2048 5.1 3.4 6.0 6.0 6.0 M6e-A Authorized Cables The following table contains the cable loss values for authorized shielded coaxial cables provided by ThingMagic:
M6e-A Authorized Cables Cable Description 6' RTNC to RTNC Cable 12' RTNC to RTNC Cable 20' RTNC to RTNC Cable 20' RTNC to RTNC Plenum Cable 25' RTNC to RTNC Cable ThingMagic Part Number CBL-P6 CBL-P12 (obsolete) CBL-P20 CBL-P20-PL (obsolete) CBL-P25 (obsolete) Insertion Loss 0.8 dB 1.5 dB 2.4 dB 2.4 dB 3.0 dB www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 12 3 Firmware Overview New Features - Version 1.21.2 Margin Read Support for Monza6 Tags MarginRead is an EPC Gen2 compliant custom command supported by tag chips with the Integra feature. This command allows a reader to explicitly verify that the non-volatile memory (NVM) in the tag chip is not weakly written, guaranteeing a minimum margin on NVM. It is used for quality control to ensure data integrity and for failure analysis. There are several ways that the MarginRead command could be used with Monza 6. A recommended use of MarginRead is independent verification of the encoding quality, either on a sample basis or for diagnosis during failure analysis. MarginRead Description When data is written to a tag using the Gen2 protocol, charge is built up in the memory cells until they reach the appropriate level. Once that happens, the tag returns a "done" signal telling the interrogator
(reader) or encoding system that the write operation has completed successfully. It is a known field issue that not all encoding systems properly wait for the "done" signal and instead issue a read operation to check if the data is correct. A read operation may return correct data even if the write operation did not complete successfully. A partially charged memory cell might retain data for a limited time but then it will lose data integrity over time. Data retention could be for an unpredictable amount of time from a few minutes to several years. A fully charged memory cell will retain data for a long period of time. Specifically, the Monza 6 tag is expected to retain data for up to 50 years. The MarginRead command allows customers to check if Monza 6 tag chip memory cells are fully charged. MarginRead may be used for diagnostics for data integrity issues in the field. If MarginRead indicates an issue, then the encoding method should be investigated. Refer Mercury API v1.29.4 release notes for API commands to work with this functionality. NXP UCODE7 Configuration Support Prior to UCODE 7, NXP supported a set of custom commands that could change the configuration word values. Unfortunately, these commands that were developed for the G2i line of tags do not work for the UCODE 7 tags. A new custom command has been implemented in M6e FW to change NXP UCODE7 configuration word for M6e modules (Nano does not support custom commands). UCODE7 no longer supports ChangeConfig commands. An alternative way to change the configuration word for UCODE7 tags has been developed. UCODE7 configuration word contains 2 different types of bits:
www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 13 1. Action bits: meant to trigger a feature upon a SELECT command on the related bit:
Parallel encoding (at address 0x202) Tag Power indicator (at address 0x204) 2. Permanent bits: permanently stored bits in the memory Max. Backscatter Strength (at address 0x209) PSF Alarm bit (at address 0x20F) Refer Mercury API v1.29.4 release notes for API commands to work with this functionality. Gen2 Parameters in Metadata Now that modification of the Gen2 parameters are allowed at will, it is desirable to include current Gen2 settings as metadata when tags are read so that the active setting under which the tag was read is reported. For example, Gen2 Q value can change dynamically so a user trying to determine the best static value would benefit from knowing the value that the automated algorithm selected. Gen2 parameters included in metadata are:
Gen2 Q Gen2 Link Frequency Gen2 Target Gen2 Q, BLF and Target parameters have been added to the TagReadData.TagMetadata method. The Read code sample in the MercuryAPI SDK shows how to activate this functionality. Support for Acura Gen2V2 Tags NMV2D tag support has been added in M6e FW, which returns 352 (256+96) bits in TAM2 reply for ProtModes 0x02 and 0x03 and 256 bits for ProtModes 0x00 and 0x01. Previous release version of FW v1.7.1 replies with 256 bits irrespective of any ProtMode. The NMV2D tag supports the same set of commands as NXP UCODE AES tag except following:
NXP UCODE AES tag chip only supports ProtMode=1 while NMV2D tag supports ProtModes=0,1,2,3. Untrace-Access and Untrace-Authen commands do not work for NMV2D tag as they do for UCODE AES tag. Refer to the Authenticate, ReadBuffer and Untraceable code samples in the MercuryAPI SDK to test this functionality. Support for GEN2V2 Embedded Tag Ops In previous firmware releases, GEN2V2 operations that supported the NXP UCODE DNA tag were only available as stand-alone, single tag functions. Now support for embedded tag operations has been added for both NXP UCODE DNAtag and the NMV2D tag. This allows for high speed secure reading in Asynchronous modes. Refer to the Authenticate, ReadBuffer and Untraceable code samples in the MercuryAPI SDK to test this functionality. Gen2V2 Support The M6e supports the Gen2V2 features of the NXP DNA tags. These features include:
www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 14 Untraceable. Ability to limit reading of all or part of EPC, TID and User memory fields by unauthorized readers. Ability to download and activate security keys. Ability to authenticate tag using random challenge strings and AES encryption. Ability to obtain memory data in encrypted form, which can be successfully decoded if the host knows the key that has been activated on the tag. Ability to obtain authentication and encrypted memory data from a tag buffer rather than the tag backscattering that information to the reader immediately. These capabilities are supported in the 1.27 version of the API and may be demonstrated using code samples and the version of Universal Reader Assistant which is distributed with the API. Denatran Tag Support The M6e module supports the Denatran extension to the Gen2 protocol as a licensed feature. Configurable T4 for Gen2 Protocol Some sensor tags use a Select command to trigger sensor reading. The time the reader waits between the Select command and start of inventory (when the Query command is sent) is controlled by a Gen2 parameter called the T4 timer. This has been updated so that the T4 timer can be set to a larger value to ensure sufficient time for the sensor tag to obtain its reading before having to report it to the reader. The parameter PROTOCOL_PARAM_GEN2_T4 has been added to set/get the Gen2 T4 parameter with sub command for 0x9b and allows T4 to be set in milliseconds. T4 value is 4-byte in length and specified in milliseconds. Minimum value of T4 allowed for 250 kHz (25us, 12.5us, 62.5us Tari) is 440usec (0x1B8) and for 640 kHz (6.25us Tari) is 220usec (0xDC). Maximum value allowed is 1sec (0xF4240). Here is an oscilloscope trace of the reader output signal showing the effect of changing this setting. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 15 Refer Mercury API v1.29.4 release notes for API commands to work with this functionality. Ability to Read Data Immediately After Sending a Write EPC or Write Data Command Some sensor tags require the module to write to a memory bank to trigger the sensor measurement, then read the sensor data field without dropping power between if the two operations are done as separate commands. This functionality supports streamlining read-then-write operations for other applications as well. Read Data support has been added as an option for the Write EPC and Write Bank Data commands. This allows the module to read the data from any of the memory banks following a successful write operation of data to any memory bank (or write EPC) through a single command. The standard commands to Write Tag Data and Write Tag EPC optionally includes the read memory bank, read word address, and read count to implement this feature. For more details on the application interface, refer to WriteTag code sample in the MercuryAPI SDK. Decoupling Antenna Selection from AsyncOnTime Previously when reading continuously, the reader returned to antenna one (or the first antenna in the configured list) at the beginning of each AsynchOnTime cycle. This encouraged users to configure a high value for AsyncOnTime to ensure all antennas would be activated each read cycle. Now some of the settings can be changed without interrupting reading and take effect only at the beginning of the next AsyncOnTime cycle, allowing users to set this value as low as possible. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 16 The antenna selection algorithm has been changed to recall the last antenna that was active in the previous read cycle and start with that antenna for the next AsyncOnTime cycle. This way, the active antenna cycles through the list with regularity and the AsynchOnTime can be optimized so on-the-fly settings take effect as quickly as possible. The ReadAsync code sample can be run to see the effect of this change. Refer Mercury API v1.29.4 release notes for API commands to test this functionality. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 17 Support for Additional Regions To achieve the optimum channel frequencies to permit the greatest number of channels while still meeting out-of-band emissions standards for Asian regions and Russia, the following additional channels have been added. Regions that are added in current firmware version have the following characteristics. Additional Regions Region Region Number Region Number Malaysia MY 0x10 Low Channel Boundary 919 MHz High Channel Boundary 923 MHz Min Step Size
(Quantization) 250 kHz Indonesia ID 0x11 923 MHz 925 MHz 125 kHz Philippines PH 0x12 918 MHz 920 MHz 250 kHz Taiwan TW 0x13 922 MHz 928 MHz 250 KHz Max RF Power Allowed 31.5 dBm 31.5 dBm 31.5 dBm 30 dBm Hop Table 921750, 919250, 920750, 922250, 919750, 921250, 920250, 922750 924625, 923375, 924125, 923875, 924375, 923625, 924875, 923125 919250, 918750, 919750, 918250 926250, 924750, 922250, 925750, 923250, 927750, 926750, 924250, 922750, 925250, 923750, 927250 www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide Additional Regions Region Region Number Region Number Macao MO 0x14 Low Channel Boundary 920 MHz High Channel Boundary 925 MHz Min Step Size
(Quantization) 250 kHz Russia RU 0x15 866 MHz 868 MHz 200 kHz Singapore SG 0x16 920 MHz 925 MHz 100 kHz 18 Max RF Power Allowed 31.5 dBm 31.5 dBm 31.5 dBm Hop Table 923250, 921750, 924250, 922750, 920250, 923750, 921250, 924750, 922250, 920750 866600, 867800, 866200, 867000, 866400, 867600, 866800, 867200 923100, 921900, 924300, 920700, 922500, 923700, 921300, 924900, 920100 NOTES: Maximum Dwell Time 0.4 sec for all these regions (same as North American region) Max RF power limit is that given in table or whatever the module is capable of, whichever is lower. Any channel frequency can be requested that is between the upper and lower bounds, but the module will silently round down to the nearest channel that is the lower bound plus an integer multiple of quantization steps. The new Asian regions have been added to Reader.Region method. Refer Mercury API v1.29.4 release notes for more information. Support for Set/get Quantization Value and Minimum Frequency in Open Region The Open region as defined in previous releases was intended for testing only. To permit the most flexibility in defining channels, it allowed a minimum channel step size (quantization) of 25 kHz. The Open region is not recommended to support channel plans which could not be easily accommodated by changing the hop www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 19 table of existing regions, because such a small step size will result in lower channel frequency stability.
(This setting not only defines the minimum step size that can be set, but also represents how often the channel is nudged back to its desired value, with more frequent nudges creating a more stable channel.) To allow the Open region to be used more flexibly, the setting of the quantization value is now permitted. It may be any value between 15 kHz and 6 MHz but must divide evenly into 6 MHz (6000 kHz). If not, an error will be returned (error code number 105). To permit the largest quantization value possible, setting the minimum frequency value for the Open region is allowed. (Smaller quantization values are often driven by the rule that all channels must be an integral multiple of the quantization value above the minimum frequency value.) Only the Open region supports changing of the quantization value. Quantization values less than 100 kHz are not recommended except for laboratory testing to maintain a high degree of channel frequency stability and prevent interference with other readers or RF services. Refer to Mercury API v1.29.4 release notes to activate this functionality. Operational Notes When the Truncation filter is applied, the tags will return data even if the Access Password is not correct.
(Ref# 5075) The implementation of the command and response logic for Denatran tags is incomplete. Please contact ThingMagic support for details. (Ref # 5078) No Ability to Get Saved Value of Settings The module firmware can save many settings in flash memory. As of firmware version 1.21.1, the module can report the following values from flash memory but is not yet available to users. Baud Rate Region Protocol Hop Table Hop Time Read Power Per-port Read Power Antenna Configuration Gen2 Session Gen2 Target Gen2 M value Gen2 Backscatter Link Frequency Gen2 TARI Gen2 Q Enable Filtering Value Trigger Read GPIO Value www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 20 Boot Loader The boot loader provides low-level functionality and hardware support for configuring communication settings, loading Application Firmware, and storing and retrieving data to/from flash. When a module is powered up or reset, the boot loader code is automatically loaded and executed. The M6e bootloader should effectively be invisible to the user. The M6e is by default configured to auto-boot into application firmware and for any operations that require the module be in bootloader mode the MercuryAPI will handle the switching automatically. Application Firmware The application firmware contains the tag protocol code along with all the command interfaces to set and get system parameters and perform tag operations. The application firmware is, by default, started automatically upon power up. Programming the M6e Applications to control the M6e module and derivative products are written using the high level MercuryAPI. The MercuryAPI supports Java, .NET and C programming environments. The MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains sample applications and source code to help developers get started demoing and developing functionality. For more information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and the MercuryAPI SDK, available on www.jadaktech.com. Upgrading the M6e New features developed for the M6e are made available to existing modules through an Application Firmware upgrade, along with corresponding updates to the MercuryAPI to make use of the new features. Firmware upgrades can be applied using the MercuryAPI to build the functionality into custom applications or using the MercuryAPI SDK demo utilities. Verifying Application Firmware Image The application firmware has an image level Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) embedded in it to protect against corrupted firmware during an upgrade process. (If the upgrade is unsuccessful, the CRC will not match the contents in flash.) When the boot loader starts the application firmware, it first verifies that the image CRC is correct. If this check fails, then the boot loader does not start the application firmware and an error is returned. Custom On-Reader Applications The M6e does not support installing customer applications on the module. All reader configuration and control is performed using the documented MercuryAPI methods in applications running on a host processor. The M6e supports Autonomous Operation, where configuration settings and a basic read plan can be stored in the module and executed whenever the module is power up, or whenever it is both powered up and a selected GPI line is asserted. Autonomous Operation Support A read plan can be saved which allows the module to automatically begin continuously reading, and optionally return data memory values, whenever the module is powered or whenever one of its GPI lines is asserted. An Autonomous Configuration Tool is available to configure the settings and read plan necessary to implement this feature. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 21 4 Communication Protocol Serial Communication Protocol The serial communication between a computer (host) and the M6e is based on a synchronized command-
response/master-slave mechanism. Whenever the host sends a message to the reader, it cannot send another message until after it receives a response. The reader never initiates a communication session;
only the host initiates a communication session. This protocol allows for each command to have its own timeout because some commands require more time to execute than others. The host must manage retries, if necessary. The host must keep track of the state of the intended reader if it reissues a command. Host-to-Reader Communication Host-to-reader communication is packetized according to the following diagram. The reader can only accept one command at a time, and commands are executed serially, so the host waits for a reader-to-host response before issuing another host-to-reader command packet. Host-To-Reader Communication Header Hdr 1 byte Data Length Len 1 byte Command Data CRC-16 Checksum Cmd 1 byte
- - - - -
0 to 250 bytes CRC Hi I 2 bytes CRC LO Reader-to-Host Communication The following diagram defines the format of the generic Response Packet sent from the reader to the host. The Response Packet is different in format from the Request Packet. Reader-To-Host Communication Header Hdr 1 byte Data Length Len 1 byte Command Cmd 1 byte Status Word 2 bytes Data CRC-16 Checksum
- - - - -
0 to 248 bytes CRC Hi I 2 bytes CRC LO CCITT CRC-16 Calculation The same CRC calculation is performed on all serial communications between the host and the reader. The CRC is calculated on the Data Length, Command, Status Word, and Data bytes. The header is not included in the CRC. User Programming Interface The M6e does not support programming to the serial protocol directly. All user interaction with the M6e must be performed using the MercuryAPI. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 22 The MercuryAPI supports Java, .NET and C programming environments. The MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains sample applications and source code to help developers get started demoing and developing functionality. For more information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and the MercuryAPI SDK, available on www.jadaktech.com. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 23 5 Functionality Supported Regions The M6e has differing levels of support for operation and use under the laws and guidelines of several regions. The regional support is shown in the following table. Supported Regions Region North America (NA) European Union
(EU3) Regulatory Support FCC 47 CFG Ch. 1 Part 15 Industrie Canada RSS-210 Revised ETSI EN 302 208 Korea (KR2) KCC (2009) Notes Supported in M6e and M6e-A modules only. Supported in M6e and M6e-A modules only. By default, EU3 will use four channels. EU3 region can also be used in a single channel mode. These two modes of operation are defined as:
Single Channel Mode Set by manually setting the frequency hop table to a single frequency. In this mode the module will occupy the set channel for up to four seconds, after which it will be quiet for 100ms before transmitting on the same channel again. Multi-Channel Mode Set by leaving the default or manually setting more than one frequency in the hop table. In this mode the module will occupy one of the configured channels for up to four seconds, after which it may switch to another channel and immediately occupy that channel for up to four seconds. This mode allows for continuous operation. The first frequency channel (917,300kHz) of the KR2 region will be derated to +22dBm to meet the new Korea regulatory requirements. All other channels operate up to +30dBm. In the worst case scenario, each time the derated channel is used it will stay on that channel for 400ms. The fastest it will move to the next channel, in the case where no tags are found using that frequency, it will move to the next channel after 10 empty query rounds, approximately 120ms. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 24 Supported Regions Region Peoples Republic of China (PRC & PR2) Regulatory Support SRRC, MII Australia (AU) New Zealand (NZ) Open Region ACMA LIPD Class License Variation 2011 (No. 1) Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio License for Short Range Devices) Notice 2011 No regulatory compliance enforced Notes The PRC specifications limits channels 920 to 920.5MHz and 924.5 to 925.0MHz to transmitting at 100mW or below. The default hop table uses only the center channels which allow 2W ERP, 1W conducted, power output. If the hop table is modified to use the outer, lower power channels the RF level will be limited to the outer channels limit, 100mW or
+20dBm. Note: With the M6e-PRC hardware the 840 to 845MHz band is also supported as the PR2 region. It is not supported on the standard M6e, M6e-A, or M6e-JIC modules. Allows the module to be manually configured within the full capabilities supported by the hardware, see Regional Frequency Quantization table. No regulatory limits, including: frequency range, channel spacing and transmit power limits are enforced. The Open Region should be used with caution. The regional functionality is set using the MercuryAPI. Setting the region of operation configures the regional default settings including:
Loads the Frequency Hop Table with the appropriate table for the selected region. Sets the PLL Frequency Setting to the first entry in the hop table, even if the RF is off. Selects the transmit filter, if applicable. Frequency Setting The modules have a PLL synthesizer that sets the modulation frequency to the desired value. Whenever the frequency is changed, the module must first power off the modulation, change the frequency, and then turn on the modulation again. Since this can take several milliseconds, it is possible that tags are powered off during a frequency hop. In addition to setting the default regional settings, the M6e has commands that allow the transmit frequency to be set manually. Warning: Use these commands with extreme caution. It is possible to change the modules compliance with the regional regulations. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 25 Frequency Units All frequencies in the M6e are expressed in kHz using unsigned 32-bit integers. For instance, a carrier frequency of 915 MHz is expressed as 915000 kHz. The hop table for any region may consist of any permitted channels within the frequency limits for that region. A permitted channel is one that is at the lowest permitted frequency or is a multiple of the minimum channel step size, up to the highest permitted frequency. The following table gives the frequency limits and minimum channel step size for all regions. Region Regional Frequency Quantization Min Channel Separation 250 kHz 100 kHz 100 kHz 100 kHz 250 kHz NA EU3 IN KR2 PRC PRC2 AU NZ IS JP Open 250 kHz 250 kHz 250 kHz 250 kHz 100 kHz 25 kHz Minimum Frequency 902,000 kHz 865,600 kHz 865,000 kHz 917,000 kHz 920,125 kHz 840,000 kHz1 920,750 kHz 922,250 kHz 915,000 kHz 916,800 kHz 865,000 kHz 902,000 kHz Maximum Frequency 928,000 kHz 867,600 kHz 867,000 kHz 923,500 kHz 924,875 kHz 845,000 kHz1 925,250 kHz 927,250 kHz 917,000 kHz 920,800 kHz 869,000 kHz 928,000 kHz Modules Supported M6e, M6e-A M6e, M6e-A M6e, M6e-A M6e, M6e-A M6e, M6e-A, M6e-
PRC, M6e-JIC M6e-PRC M6e, M6e-A M6e, M6e-A M6e-JIC M6e-JIC M6e, M6e-A
(See Note) 1M6e-PRC and M6e-JIC have different ranges for their Open region. 840 to 845 MHz and 920 to 925 MHz for M6e-PRC, 915 to 925 MHz for the M6e-JIC. The user may define channels in a hop table to the nearest kHz (within the high and low frequency limits) without receiving an error message, but if that request is not for a permitted channel, the actual frequency used by the reader will be the first permitted channel below the requested frequency. For example, in the NA region, setting a frequency of 902,999 kHz results in a setting of 902,750 kHz. An error message will result if an attempt is made to set channels outside of the allowed frequency range for a region. Changing regions will automatically re-install the default hop table for that region, erasing any custom channels which may have been defined. Frequency Hop Table The frequency hop table determines the frequencies used by the M6e when transmitting. The hop table characteristics are:
Contains up to 62 frequencies. Valid frequencies for the region currently selected. Inability to change individual entries after uploading without reloading the entire table. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 26 Frequencies used in the order of entries in the table. If regulatory requirements state that channels must be hopped in random order, then the frequency list of channels must be randomized before downloading the hop table into the module. Antenna Ports The M6e has four monostatic antenna ports. Each port is capable of both transmitting and receiving. The modules also support Using a Multiplexer, allowing up to 16 total logical antenna ports, controlled using two GPIO lines and the internal physical port J1/J2/J3/J4 switching. NOTE: The M6e does not support bistatic operation, that is, transmitting on one port and receiving on another. Using a Multiplexer Multiplexer switching is controlled through the use of the internal module physical port J1/J2/J3/J4 switch along with the use of one or more of the General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) lines. In order to enable automatic multiplexer port switching the module must be configured to use Use GPIO as Antenna Switch in
/reader/antenna/ portSwitchGpos. Once the GPIO line(s) usage has been enabled the following control line states are applied when the different Logical Antenna settings are used. The tables below show the mapping that results using GPIO 1 and 2 for multiplexer control (as is used by the ThingMagic 1 to 4 multiplexer) allowing for 16 logical antenna ports. NOTE: The Logical Antenna values are static labels indicating the available control line states. The specific physical antenna port they map to depends on the control line to antenna port map of the multiplexer in use. The translation from Logical Antenna label to physical port must be maintained by the control software. GPIO 1 & 2 Used for Antenna Switching Logical Antenna Setting GPIO Output 1 State GPIO Output 2 State Active M6e Physical Port 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low High High Low Low Low Low High High High High Low Low J1 J2 J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 J1 J2 www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 27 GPIO 1 & 2 Used for Antenna Switching (Continued) Logical Antenna Setting GPIO Output 1 State GPIO Output 2 State Active M6e Physical Port 11 12 13 14 15 16 High High High High High High Low Low High High High High J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 If only one GPIO Output line is used for antenna control, the combinations of the available output control line states (the GPIO line in use and the module port) result in a subset of logical antenna settings which can be used. Only GPIO 1 Used for Antenna Switching Logical Antenna Setting GPIO Output 1 State Active M6e Physical Port 1 2 3 4 9 10 11 12 Low Low Low Low High High High High J1 J2 J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 NOTE: The missing logical antenna settings are still usable when only one GPIO line is used for antenna control and simply results in redundant logical antenna settings. For example, using only GPIO 1, logical setting 4 and 8 both result in GPIO1=Low and M6e port J4 active. Only GPIO 2 Used for Antenna Switching Logical Antenna Setting 1 GPIO Output 2 State Low Active M6e Physical Port J1 www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 28 Only GPIO 2 Used for Antenna Switching Logical Antenna Setting GPIO Output 2 State Active M6e Physical Port 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Low Low Low High High High High J2 J3 J4 J1 J2 J3 J4 Multiplexing up to 32 Ports The M6e module can use 3 GPO lines to control an external multiplexer which expands one RF port to 8 RF ports. The following table provides the list of all possible logical antenna ports and how the selection of that port affects the GPO line state and which physical antenna is active. If you are using fewer than 3 GPO lines to control the module or using fewer than the 4 physical ports, do not include the logical ports in your port list that do not correspond to desired GPO and antenna configurations. When a port is not defined as a GPO control, you can assume it is low with respect to the chart. NOTE: Use of fewer than the maximum number of ports and GPO lines will result in gaps in the logical antenna list. This is desirable because assigning additional GPO lines to multiplexer control will not change the port assignments already established with fewer lines. If the non-contiguous numbering is undesirable, you have the option to rename any logical port. GPO 1 GPO 3 GPO 2 Mapping of Logical Antenna Numbers to GPO Lines and RF Ports Logical Antenna Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Physical Antenna Number 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 Low Low Low Low High High High High Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low High Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 29 GPO 1 GPO 3 GPO 2 Mapping of Logical Antenna Numbers to GPO Lines and RF Ports Logical Antenna Number 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Physical Antenna Number 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Low Low Low High High High High Low Low Low Low High High High High Low Low Low Low High High High High High High High High High High High Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low High High High High High High High High Low Low Low Low Low Low Low High High High High High High High High High High High High High High High High The additional GPO line is configured just like the first two, using the /reader/antenna/ portSwitchGpos parameter. Once GPO lines are configured to act as multiplexer controls, you may use the virtual port numbers as if they were physical ports on the reader. Port Power and Settling Time The M6e allows the power and settling time for each logical antenna to be set using the reader configuration parameters /reader/radio/portReadPowerList and / reader/antenna/settlingTimeList, respectively. The order the antennas settings are defined does not affect search order. NOTE: Settling time is the time between the control lines switching to the next antenna setting and RF turning on for operations on that port. This allows time for external multiplexers to fully switch to the new port before a signal is sent, if necessary. Default value is 0. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 30 Support for Return Loss Measurement The firmware estimates the return loss of individual antenna ports, based on multiple readings at multiple channels within the active region. (For the North American region, with 50 channels, this measurement can take as long as 600 msec). The return loss value can be obtained through the API by getting the /reader/
antenna/returnloss parameter value as well as by using the CmdGetAntennaReturnLoss method. The sample code ReaderStats illustrates the recommended method for obtaining this information. The values returned will look like this:
Antenna Return Loss Antenna 1 | 30 Antenna 2 | 4 Which indicates a return loss of 30 dB for antenna 1, and 4 dB for antenna 2. This measurement loses accuracy as the numbers increase due to the impact of internal signal reflections that increasingly obscure the measurement of the small signal reflected only at the antenna. The return loss is measured at an RF level of +15 dB to limit impact to other services that are running in the same region while the return loss measurement is being made. NOTE: The M6e uses a small amount of DC current to detect antennas. Use of this method to determine if an antenna is present and of the return loss to determine if the antenna is tuned to the correct frequency is the best way of ensuring maximum performance for the channel of operation. Protocol Support The M6e has the ability to support many different tag protocols. Using the MercuryAPI ReadPlan classes the M6e can be configured to single or multi-protocol Read operations. The current protocols supported are
(some may require a license to enable):
ISO 18000-6C (Gen2) IP-X ISO 18000-6B AEI ATA www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 31 ISO 18000-6C (Gen2) The M6e supports multiple ISO-18000-6C profiles including the ability to specify the Link Frequency, encoding schemes, Tari value and modulation scheme. The protocol options are set in the MercuryAPI Reader Configuration Parameters (/reader/gen2/*). The following table shows the supported combinations:
ISO 18000-6C (Gen 2) Protocol Configuration Options Backscatter Link Frequency
(kHz) 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 640 Encoding Miller (M=8) Miller (M=4) Miller (M=2) FM0 Miller (M=8) Miller (M=4) Miller (M=2) FM0 Miller (M=8) FM0 Tari
(usec) Modulation Scheme Notes 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 25 25 25 25 25 6.25 PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK PR-ASK Default NOTE: It is important that the /reader/baudRate is greater than /reader/ gen2/BLF, in equivalent frequency units. If it is not, then the reader could be reading data faster than the transport can handle and send, and the readers buffer might fill up. Protocol-Specific Functionality The host can get many settings when it first connects to a module to determine whether the settings are as desired or need to be changed. Now, an additional get can determine if any optional Gen2 extensions have been enabled for the module. (Only one custom extension is offered - IAV Denatran support.) The parameter to get protocol extensions is /reader/Gen2/ProtocolExtension. See the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and language specific reference guides for details on supported Gen2 command functionality. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 32 IP-X The M6e supports multiple IP-X profiles including the ability to specify the Return Link Frequency, encoding and modulation scheme. The two profiles are treated as distinct protocols, the individual parameters are not configurable as with the other protocols. The following table shows the supported combinations:
IP-X Protocol Configuration Options Return Link Freq
(kHz) 64 256 Modulation Scheme PWM PWM Notes Protocol ID = TagProtocol.IPX64 Protocol ID = TagProtocol.IPX256 NOTE: The two link rates are effectively two different protocols and treated as such. IP-X tags are fixed to one of the two frequencies and cannot communicate on the other, unlike ISO 18000-6B/C tags which can operate under multiple profiles. ISO 18000-6B The M6e supports multiple ISO-18000-6B profiles including the ability to specify the Return Link Frequency, encoding, Forward Link Rate and modulation scheme. The protocol options are set in the MercuryAPI Reader Configuration Parameters (/reader/ iso18000-6b/*). The following table shows the supported combinations:
ISO 18000-6B Protocol Configuration Options Return Link Freq (kHz) 40 40 160 160 Return Encoding FM0 FM0 FM0 FM0 Forward Link Freq (kHz) 10 10 40 40 Forward Encoding Manchester Manchester Manchester Manchester Modulation Depth 11%
99%
11%
99% (default) Delimiter ISO18000-6B tags support two delimiter settings on the transmitter. Not all tags support both delimiters, some tags require the delimiter be set to 1, but the default is 4. The delimiter setting is set using the MercuryAPI Reader Configuration Parameter:
/reader/iso180006b/delimiter www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 33 In addition to setting the delimiter to 1, a TagFilter of the class ISO180006b.Select must be used in order to read certain ISO18000-6b tags, specifically one of the following options must be used:
GROUP_SELECT_EQ GROUP_SELECT_NE GROUP_SELECT_GT GROUP_SELECT_LT GROUP_UNSELECT_EQ GROUP_UNSELECT_NE GROUP_UNSELECT_GT GROUP_UNSELECT_LT AEI ATA AEI ATA Protocol with Stop Trigger Read Plan The AEI ATA protocol is supported on the M6e module with an optional license key. The ATA protocol is supported under a Stop Trigger Read Plan so that results can be provided continuously instead of at the end of a read cycle. Universal Reader Assistant now supports readers which have been licensed to read the AEI ATA or IP-X protocols. The Tag Inspector tab can interpret the information in AEI ATA tags per the AAR S-918 encoding standard. Tag Handling When the M6e performs inventory operations (MercuryAPI Read commands) data is stored in a Tag Buffer until retrieved by the client application, or streamed directly to the client if operating in Tag Streaming/
Continuous Reading mode. Tag Buffer The M6e uses a dynamic buffer that depends on EPC length and quantity of data read. As a rule of thumb it can store a maximum of 1024 96-bit EPC tags in the TagBuffer at a time. Since the M6e supports streaming of read results the buffer limit is, typically, not an issue. Each tag entry consists of a variable number of bytes and consists of the following fields:
Tag Buffer Total Entry Size Field Size Description 68 bytes
(Max EPC Length = 496bits) EPC Length PC Word EPC Tag CRC 2 bytes Indicates the actual EPC length of the tag read. Contains the Protocol Control bits for the tag. 2 bytes 62 bytes Contains the tags EPC value. 2 bytes Tag Read Metadata The tags CRC. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 34 The Tag buffer acts as a First In First Out (FIFO) the first Tag found by the reader is the first one to be read out. Tag Streaming/Continuous Reading When reading tags during asynchronous inventory operations (MercuryAPI Reader.StartReading()) using an /reader/read/asyncOffTime=0 the M6e streams the tag results back to the host processor. This means that tags are pushed out of the buffer as soon as they are processed by the M6e and put into the buffer. The buffer is put into a circular mode that keeps the buffer from filling. This allows for the M6e to perform continuous search operations without the need to periodically stop reading and fetch the contents of the buffer. Aside from not seeing down time when performing a read operation, this behavior is essentially invisible to the user as all tag handling is done by the MercuryAPI. NOTE: It is recommended the USB Interface be used when operating the M6e in continuous reading mode. When the TTL Level UART Interface is used, it is not possible for the module to detect a broken communications interface connection and stop streaming the tag results. Tag Read Metadata In addition to the tag EPC ID resulting from M6e inventory operation each TagReadData (see MercuryAPI for code details) contains metadata about how, where and when the tag was read. The specific metadata available for each tag read is as follows:
Tag Read Metadata Metadata Field Antenna ID Read Count Timestamp Tag Data Frequency Tag Phase LQI/RSSI GPIO Status Description The antenna on with the tag was read. If the same tag is read on more than one antenna there will be a tag buffer entry for each antenna on which the tag was read. When Using a Multiplexer, if appropriately configured, the Antenna ID entry will contain the logical antenna port of the tag read. The number of times the tag was read on [Antenna ID]. The time the tag was read, relative to the time the command to read was issued, in milliseconds. If the Tag Read Metadata is not retrieved from the Tag Buffer between read commands there will be no way to distinguish order of tags read with different read command invocations. When reading an embedded TagOp is specified for a ReadPlan the TagReadData will contain the first 128 words of data returned for each tag. NOTE: Tags with the same TagID but different Tag Data can be considered unique and each get a Tag Buffer entry if set in the reader configuration parameter /reader/tagReadData/ uniqueByData. By default it is not. The frequency on which the tag was read. Average phase of tag response in degrees (0-180). The receive signal strength of the tag response in dBm. The signal status (High or Low) of all GPIO pins when tag was read. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 35 Meta-data Control at Module Level The meta-data selection information is transferred to the module and the module only reports desired values, resulting in a small increase in performance under some circumstances. No additional configuration parameters are necessary to take advantage of this feature. Filtering on Tag Length and EPC Truncation The Universal Reader Assistant can filter based on tag length and EPC truncation:
Only return tags if the EPC is of the expected length, which weeds out stray and phantom tags. Only announces tags whose EPCs contain a certain beginning value and length. The desired EPC value includes both the PC word (which gives the EPC length) and the desired starting value for EPC. Tags do not respond if they do not have that start value and length; they only respond with the unique portion of their EPC (not the shared prefix value) to increase performance. Note that EPC Truncate is difficult to distinguish between a normal filter on EPC ID because the part of the EPC that is not reported by the tag is appended to the EPC as reported in the tag results screen. Power Management The M6e is designed for power efficiency and offers several different power management modes. The following power management modes affect the power consumption during different periods of M6e usage and impact performance in different ways. The available power management modes are:
Power Modes - Set in /reader/powerMode. Controls the power savings when the M6e is idle. Transmit Modes - Set in /reader/radio/enablePowerSave. Controls power savings while transmitting. Power Modes The Power Mode setting (set in /reader/powerMode) allows the user to trade off increased RF operation startup time for additional power savings. The details of the amount of power consumed in each mode is shown in the table under M6e Power Consumption. The behavior of each mode and impact on RF command latency is as follows:
PowerMode.FULL In this mode, the unit operates at full power to attain the best performance possible. This mode is only intended for use in cases where power consumption is not an issue. This is the default Power Mode at startup. PowerMode.MINSAVE This mode performs more aggressive power savings, such as automatically shutting down the analog section between commands, and then restarting it whenever a tag command is issued. This mode may add up to 50 ms of delay from idle to RF on when initiating an RF operation. PowerMode.SLEEP This mode essentially shuts down the digital and analog boards, except to power the bare minimum logic required to wake the processor. This mode may add up to 100 ms of delay from idle to RF on when initiating an RF operation. PowerMode.SLEEP is not supported when using the USB interface. Using the setting PowerMode.MEDSAVE is the same as SLEEP. NOTE: See additional latency specifications under Event Response Times. Transmit Modes The Transmit Mode setting (set in /reader/radio/enablePowerSave) allows the user to trade off RF spectral compliance with the Gen2 DRM Mask for increased power savings while transmitting. The details of the amount of power consumed in each mode is shown in the table under Power Consumption. The behavior of each mode is as follows:
www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 36 DRM Compliant Mode This mode maximizes performance in dense reader environments, minimizing interference when used with other M6e or similar DRM-compliant readers, and is fully compliant with the Gen2 DRM spectral mask. Power Save Mode (non-DRM Compliant) This mode reduces the power consumption during RF operations but is not 100% compliant with the DRM spectral mask. This can result increased interference with other readers and reduce overall systems performance. Event Response Times The following table provides some metrics on how long common M6e operations take. An event response time is defined as the maximum time from the end of a command (end of the last bit in the serial stream) or event (e.g. power up) to the response event the command or event causes. Event Response Times Start Command/
Event Power Up End Event Application Active (with CRC check) Time
(msecs) 1500 Power Up Application Active 120 Tag Read Tag Read Tag Read Change to MINSAVE Change to SLEEP RF On RF On RF On PowerMode.MINSAVE PowerMode.SLEEP 20 50 120 5 5 Notes This longer power up period should only occur for the first boot with new firmware. Once the firmware CRC has been verified subsequent power ups do not require the CRC check be performed, saving time. When in Power Mode = FULL When in Power Mode = MINSAVE When in Power Mode = SLEEP From Power Mode = FULL From Power Mode = FULL Save and Restore Configuration The M6e supports saving module and protocol configuration parameters to the module flash to provide configuration persistence across boots. This was introduced to support Autonomous Operation, but can also be used to reduce the amount of communication necessary to bring a module up to operating state following a reboot. The parameters that can be saved include:
Region Baud Rate (for serial interface) Default Protocol RF power Antenna search list Gen2 M value Gen2 BLF (Tari will be 25 usec if BLF=250 and 6.25 usec if BLF=640) www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 37 Gen2 Session Gen2 target Gen2 Q Gen2 TARI Autonomous Trigger Autonomous Read Plan Hop Table (necessary to operate legally in some regions) Hop Time Dwell Time (maximum time reader can occupy a channel) Duty Cycle for Autonomous Read Plan (to limit temperature rise given that only continuous reading is supported for a saved Autonomous Read Plan) See the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and sample applications for details on saving and restoring reader configuration. The Autonomous Configuration Tool provides an easy way to store and restore settings in the module. Set the Duty Cycle for Continuous Reading The module can control the duty cycle, allowing the host less interaction with the module and permitting greater control under Autonomous Operation. The Autonomous Configuration Tool supports duty cycle control, to complement support in emerging versions of module firmware. This allows the module firmware to control duty cycle to save battery life and reduce temperature rise. Change Settings During Continuous Reading A subset of available settings can be changed while the reader is actively reading. This allows the host to optimize settings on-the-fly. Settings that are supported during continuous reading are:
Global TX Read Power Global TX Write Power Gen2 BLF Gen2 TARI Gen2 Encoding (M value) Gen2 Q Gen2 Session Gen2 Target GPO line state (and learn the value of GPI lines). NOTE: You cannot change the sense of a line (i.e., input to output) during continuous reading. No special command is needed to set parameters during continuous reading. The API will automatically send the correct command to the module based on its knowledge of the state the module is in. Universal Reader Assistant can change settings during continuous reading. Any settings in the Display Gen2 Settings category can be altered, as well as the global read and write power levels (although write power is of limited use since the write tag operation cannot be specified under continuous reading in the Universal Reader Assistant). www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 38 Changes to the power levels are applied silently. Changes to Gen2 parameters result in a pop-up progress bar which disables further changes until the one you made is applied. License Handling The M6e module supports protocols and features that are activated by installation of a license key. The Universal Reader Assistant Firmware Update panel is used to install license keys. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 39 6 Specifications M6e Specifications Ordering Information M6e M6e-A M6e-JIC M6e-LIC-2F M6e-DEVKIT Physical Dimensions Tag Transponder Protocols RFID Protocol Support RF Interface Antenna Connector RF Power Output Regulatory Data/Control Interface Physical Control/Data Interfaces GPIO Sensors and Indicators API support Power DC Power Required Idle Power Consumption Power Saving Options Environment Certication Operating Temp.
+30 dBm North America, +31.5 dBM Europe
+31.5 dBM in all regions, requires contract PRC high and low bands License for optional IPX and ISO 18K-6B protocols (Gen2 standard) Development Kit North/South America, EU, IN, KR 69 mm L x 43 mm W x 7.5 mm H (2.7 in L x 1.7 in W x 0.3 in H) EPCglobal Gen 2 (ISO 18000-6C) with DRM; ISO 18000-6B and IP-X Optional; EPCglobal G2V2 (ISO 18000-63) pending market availability Four 50 MMCX connectors supporting four monostatic antennas Separate read and write levels, command-adjustable from +5 dBm to +31.5 dBm (1.4W) with .5 dBM accuracy above +15 dBm1 Pre-configured for the following regions: FCC (NA, SA); ETSI (EU); TRAI (India); KCC
(Korea); ACMA (Australia); SRRC-MII (P.R. China); Open (Customizable 865-869 and 902-
928 MHz) 15-pin low-profile connector providing DC power, communication, control and GPIO signals UART with 3.3/5V logic levels from 9.6 to 921.6 kbps; USB 2.0 full speed device port (up to 12 Mbps); Shutdown control and reset indicators Four 3.3V bidirectional ports congurable as input (sensor) ports or output (indicator) ports C#/.NET, Java, C DC Voltage: 5V +/- 5%;
DC power consumption when reading: 6.7 W @ +31.5 dBm; 4.2 W @ power levels under
+17 dBm 0.25 W Standby: 0.12 W Sleep: 0.005 W Shutdown: 0.00025 W USA (FCC 47 CFR Ch. 1 Part 15); Canada (Industry Canada RSS-21 0); EU (ETSI EN 302 208 v3.1.1, RED 2014/53/EU)
-40C to +60C (case temperature) www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 40 Storage Temp. Shock and Vibration
-40C to +85C Designed to be installed in host devices which are required to survive 5 foot drops to concrete Performance Max Read Rate Max Tag Read Distance Specications subject to change without notice. 1Maximum power may have to be reduced to meet regulatory limits, which specify the combined effect of the module, antenna, cable and enclosure shielding of the integrated product. Adequate heat sinking required to run continuously at maximum power. Up to 750 tags/second using high-performance settings Over 9 meters (30 feet) with 6 dBiL antenna (36 dBm EIRP) www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 41 7 Compliance and IP Notices The M6e module is available in two North American variants. The corresponding regulatory information follows:
M6e: This module is covered under an FCC Modular Approval license and is limited to 30dBm RF Output power when used in the FCC/NA Region. M6e-A: This module is covered under an FCC Limited Modular Approval license and can be operated at the full 31.5dBm RF Output Power with certain restrictions. M6e Communication Regulation Information EMC FCC 47 CFR, Part 15 Industrie Canada RSS-210 Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. Warning: Operation of the M6e-A module requires professional installation to correctly set the TX power for the RF cable and antenna selected. This transmitter module is authorized to be used in other devices only by OEM integrators under the following conditions:
1. The antenna(s) must be installed such that a minimum separation distance of 35cm is maintained between the radiator (antenna) & users/nearby peoples body at all times. 2. The transmitter module must not be co-located with any other antenna or transmitter. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 42 As long as the two conditions above are met, further transmitter testing will not be required. However, the OEM integrator is still responsible for testing their end-product for any additional compliance requirements required with this module installed (for example, digital device emissions, PC peripheral requirements, etc.). NOTE: In the event that these conditions cannot be met (for certain configurations or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID cannot be used on the final product. In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for reevaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization. The OEM integrator has to be aware not to provide information to the end user regarding how to install or remove this RF module in the user manual of the end product. User Manual Requirement The user manual for the end product must include the following information in a prominent location:
To comply with FCCs RF radiation exposure requirements, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed such that a minimum separation distance of 35cm is maintained between the radiator (antenna)
& users/nearby peoples body at all times and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. AND The transmitting portion of this device carries with it the following two warnings:
This device complies with Part 15.... AND Any changes or modifications to the transmitting module not expressly approved by JADAK could void the users authority to operate this equipment End Product Labeling The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:
Contains Transmitter Module FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E or Contains FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E. Industry Canada Under Industry Canada (IC) regulations, this radio transmitter may only operate using an antenna of a type and maximum (or lesser) gain approved for the transmitter by Industry Canada. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) is not more than that necessary for successful communication. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 43 This radio transmitter (identify the device by certification number, or model number if Category II) has been approved by Industry Canada to operate with the antenna types listed below with the maximum permissible gain and required antenna impedance for each antenna type indicated. Antenna types not included in this list, having a gain greater than the maximum gain indicated for that type, are strictly prohibited for use with this device. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) is not more than that permitted for successful communication. This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed in the Authorized Antennas table. Antennas not included in these lists are strictly prohibited for use with this device. To comply with IC RF exposure limits for general population/uncontrolled exposure, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 35cm from all persons and must not be colocated or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. End Product Labeling The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:
Contains ThingMagic M6e (or appropriate model number you are filing with IC) transmitting module FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E (IC: 5407A-MERCURY6E) Industrie Canada (French Canadian) Conformment la rglementation d'Industrie Canada, le prsent metteur radio peut fonctionner avec une antenne d'un type et d'un gain maximal (ou infrieur) approuv pour l'metteur par Industrie Canada. Dans le but de rduire les risques de brouillage radiolectrique l'intention des autres utilisateurs, il faut choisir le type d'antenne et son gain de sorte que la puissance isotrope rayonne quivalente (p.i.r.e.) ne dpasse pas l'intensit ncessaire l'tablissement d'une communication satisfaisante. Le prsent metteur radio (identifier le dispositif par son numro de certification ou son numro de modle s'il fait partie du matriel de catgorie I) a t approuv par Industrie Canada pour fonctionner avec les types d'antenne numrs ci-dessous et ayant un gain admissible maximal et l'impdance requise pour chaque type d'antenne. Les types d'antenne non inclus dans cette liste, ou dont le gain est suprieur au gain maximal indiqu, sont strictement interdits pour l'exploitation de l'metteur Le fonctionnement de l appareil est soumis aux deux conditions suivantes:
1. Cet appareil ne doit pas perturber les communications radio, et 2. cet appareil doit supporter toute perturbation, y compris les perturbations qui pourraient provoquer son dysfonctionnement. Pour rduire le risque d'interfrence aux autres utilisateurs, le type d'antenne et son gain doivent tre choisis de faon que la puissance isotrope rayonne quivalente (PIRE) ne dpasse pas celle ncessaire pour une communication russie. L appareil a t conu pour fonctionner avec les antennes numrs dans les tables Antennes Autorises. Il est strictement interdit de l utiliser l appareil avec des antennes qui ne sont pas inclus dans ces listes. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 44 Au but de conformer aux limites d'exposition RF pour la population gnrale (exposition non-contrle), les antennes utiliss doivent tre installs une distance d'au moins 35cm de toute personne et ne doivent pas tre install en proximit ou utilis en conjonction avec un autre antenne ou transmetteur. Marquage sur l tiquette du produit complet dans un endroit visible: "Contient ThingMagic transmetteur, FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E (IC:5407A-MERCURY6E)"
Authorized Antennas This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed in Authorized Antennas. Antennas not included in this list are strictly prohibited for use with this device. M6e-A Communication Regulation Information EMC FCC 47 CFR, Part 15 Industrie Canada RSS-210 Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. Warning: Operation of the M6e-A module requires professional installation to correctly set the TX power for the RF cable and antenna selected. This transmitter module is authorized to be used in other devices only by OEM integrators under the following conditions:
1. The antenna(s) must be installed such that a minimum separation distance of 35cm is maintained between the radiator (antenna) & users/nearby peoples body at all times. 2. The transmitter module must not be co-located with any other antenna or transmitter. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 45 As long as the two conditions above are met, further transmitter testing will not be required. However, the OEM integrator is still responsible for testing their end-product for any additional compliance requirements required with this module installed (for example, digital device emissions, PC peripheral requirements, etc.). NOTE: In the event that these conditions cannot be met (for certain configurations or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID cannot be used on the final product. In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for reevaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization. The OEM integrator has to be aware not to provide information to the end user regarding how to install or remove this RF module in the user manual of the end product. User Manual Requirement The user manual for the end product must include the following information in a prominent location:
To comply with FCCs RF radiation exposure requirements, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed such that a minimum separation distance of 35cm is maintained between the radiator (antenna)
& users/nearby peoples body at all times and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. AND The transmitting portion of this device carries with it the following two warnings:
This device complies with Part 15.... AND Any changes or modifications to the transmitting module not expressly approved by JADAK could void the users authority to operate this equipment End Product Labeling The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:
Contains Transmitter Module FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E-A or Contains FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E-A. Industry Canada Under Industry Canada (IC) regulations, this radio transmitter may only operate using an antenna of a type and maximum (or lesser) gain approved for the transmitter by Industry Canada. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) is not more than that necessary for successful communication. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 46 This radio transmitter (identify the device by certification number, or model number if Category II) has been approved by Industry Canada to operate with the antenna types listed below with the maximum permissible gain and required antenna impedance for each antenna type indicated. Antenna types not included in this list, having a gain greater than the maximum gain indicated for that type, are strictly prohibited for use with this device. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) is not more than that permitted for successful communication. This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed in the Authorized Antennas table. Antennas not included in these lists are strictly prohibited for use with this device. To comply with IC RF exposure limits for general population/uncontrolled exposure, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 35cm from all persons and must not be colocated or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. End Product Labeling The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:
Contains ThingMagic M6e (or appropriate model number you are filing with IC) transmitting module FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E-A (IC: 5407A-MERCURY6EA) Industrie Canada (French Canadian) Conformment la rglementation d'Industrie Canada, le prsent metteur radio peut fonctionner avec une antenne d'un type et d'un gain maximal (ou infrieur) approuv pour l'metteur par Industrie Canada. Dans le but de rduire les risques de brouillage radiolectrique l'intention des autres utilisateurs, il faut choisir le type d'antenne et son gain de sorte que la puissance isotrope rayonne quivalente (p.i.r.e.) ne dpasse pas l'intensit ncessaire l'tablissement d'une communication satisfaisante. Le prsent metteur radio (identifier le dispositif par son numro de certification ou son numro de modle s'il fait partie du matriel de catgorie I) a t approuv par Industrie Canada pour fonctionner avec les types d'antenne numrs ci-dessous et ayant un gain admissible maximal et l'impdance requise pour chaque type d'antenne. Les types d'antenne non inclus dans cette liste, ou dont le gain est suprieur au gain maximal indiqu, sont strictement interdits pour l'exploitation de l'metteur Le fonctionnement de l appareil est soumis aux deux conditions suivantes:
1. Cet appareil ne doit pas perturber les communications radio, et 2. cet appareil doit supporter toute perturbation, y compris les perturbations qui pourraient provoquer son dysfonctionnement. Pour rduire le risque d'interfrence aux autres utilisateurs, le type d'antenne et son gain doivent tre choisis de faon que la puissance isotrope rayonne quivalente (PIRE) ne dpasse pas celle ncessaire pour une communication russie. L appareil a t conu pour fonctionner avec les antennes numrs dans les tables Antennes Autorises. Il est strictement interdit de l utiliser l appareil avec des antennes qui ne sont pas inclus dans ces listes. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 47 Au but de conformer aux limites d'exposition RF pour la population gnrale (exposition non-contrle), les antennes utiliss doivent tre installs une distance d'au moins 35cm de toute personne et ne doivent pas tre install en proximit ou utilis en conjonction avec un autre antenne ou transmetteur. Marquage sur l tiquette du produit complet dans un endroit visible: "Contient ThingMagic transmetteur, FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6E-A (IC:5407A-MERCURY6EA)"
www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 48 EU RED Declaration of Conformity European Union Declaration of Conformity for M6E RFID Reader Module Manufacturer:
Address:
Novanta Corporation 125, Middlesex Turnpike Bedford, MA 01730 M6E, M6E-A 865-869 MHz and 902 to 928 MHz Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Reader / Interrogator Module. Object of the declaration:
Product Model Numbers:
Object description:
Product Description:
This declaration of conformity is issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer. The object of the declaration described above is in conformity with the following relevant European Union harmonization Legislation:
Directives:
Identifier 2014/53/EU 2011/65/EU w/ Amendments M1-M30 Date 16 April 2014 19 April 2016 The object described above conforms to the requirements of EU directives through full compliance with the following standards:
European Standards Standard ETSI EN 302 208 V3.1.1 (2016-11) ETSI EN 301 489-3 V2.1.0 (2016-09) CENELEC EN 50581:2012 Amendments None Draft None The notified body Curtis-Straus LLC, NB1797 performed review of test reports on the object of this declaration and issued the EU-type examination certificate CS22410. It is required that Module set power in dBm, less antenna cable loss in dB, plus antenna gain in dBdL, must be +33 dBmERP or less to allow the object to operate as intended, and to be covered by this EU declaration of conformity. Authorized on Behalf of Novanta Corporation:
Name Function Address Date Signature Eva Gravius VP Engineering North Syracuse, New York September 21, 2017 Document No. 875-0212-01 Rev B Novanta Corporation 125 Middlesex Turnpike Bedford, MA 01730-1409 Tel: 781-266-5700 Fax: 781-266-5114 www.novanta.com www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 49 Appendix A: Error Messages Common Fault Errors Message FAULT_MSG_WRONG_NUM BER_OF_DATA Code 100h FAULT_INVALID_OPCODE 101h FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_ OPCODE 102h FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO _HIGH 103h FAULT_MSG_INVALID_FRE Q_RECEIVED 104h Cause If the data length in any of the messages is less than or more than the number of arguments in the message, the reader returns this message. The opCode received is invalid or not supported in the currently running program (bootloader or main application) or is not supported in the current version of code. Some of the reserved commands might return this error code. This does not mean that they always will do this since JADAK reserves the right to modify those commands at any time. A message was sent to set the read or write power to a level that is higher than the current hardware supports. A message was received by the reader to set the frequency outside the supported range. Solution Make sure the number of arguments matches the data length. Check the following:
Make sure the command is supported in the currently running program. Check the documentation for the opCode the host sent and make sure it is correct and supported. Check the previous module responses for an assert
(0x7F0X) which will reset the module into the bootloader. Check the documentation for the opCode the host sent to the reader and make sure it is supported. Check the hardware specifications for the supported powers and ensure that the level is not exceeded. The M6e 1-Watt units support power from 5 dBm to 30 dBm. Make sure the host does not set the frequency outside this range or any other locally supported ranges. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 50 Common Fault Errors (Continued) Message FAULT_MSG_INVALID_PAR AMETER_VALUE Code 105h FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO _LOW 106h FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_ FEATURE FAULT_INVALID_BAUD_RA TE 109h 10Ah Bootloader Fault Errors Message FAULT_BL_INVALID_IMA GE_CRC Code 200h FAULT_BL_INVALID_APP _END_ADDR 201h Cause The reader received a valid command with an unsupported or invalid value within this command. For example, currently the module supports four antennas. If the module receives a message with an antenna value other than 1 to 4, it returns this error. A message was received to set the read or write power to a level that is lower than the current hardware supports. Attempting to invoke a command not supported on this firmware or hardware. When the baud rate is set to a rate that is not specified in the Baud Rate table, this error message is returned. Solution Make sure the host sets all the values in a command according to the values published in this document. Check the hardware specifications for the supported powers and ensure that level is not exceeded. The M6e supports powers between 5 and 31.5 dBm. Check the command being invoked against the documentation. Check the table of specific baud rates and select a baud rate. Cause When the application firmware is loaded the reader checks the image stored in flash and returns this error if the calculated CRC is different than the one stored in flash. When the application firmware is loaded the reader checks the image stored in flash and returns this error if the last word stored in flash does not have the correct address value. Solution The exact reason for the corruption could be that the image loaded in flash was corrupted during the transfer or corrupted for some other reason. To fix this problem, reload the application code in flash. The exact reason for the corruption could be that the image loaded in flash got corrupted during the transfer or corrupted for some other reason. To fix this problem, reload the application code in flash. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 51 Solution When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to rfid-
support@jadaktech.com. Flash Fault Errors Message FAULT_FLASH_BAD_ER ASE_PASSWORD Code 300h FAULT_FLASH_BAD_WR ITE_PASSWORD 301h FAULT_FLASH_UNDEFIN ED_ERROR 302h FAULT_FLASH_ILLEGAL _SECTOR 303h FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_T O_NON_ERASED_AREA 304h FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_T O_ILLEGAL_SECTOR 305h FAULT_FLASH_VERIFY_ FAILED 306h Cause A command was received to erase some part of the flash but the password supplied with the command was incorrect. A command was received to write some part of the flash but the password supplied with the command was not correct. This is an internal error and it is caused by a software problem in module. An erase or write flash command was received with the sector value and password not matching. The module received a write flash command to an area of flash that was not previously erased. The module received a write flash command to write across a sector boundary that is prohibited. The module received a write flash command that was unsuccessful because data being written to flash contained an uneven number of bytes. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 52 Protocol Fault Errors Message FAULT_NO_TAGS_FOUN D Code 400h FAULT_NO_PROTOCOL_ DEFINED 401h FAULT_INVALID_PROTO COL_SPECIFIED 402h FAULT_WRITE_PASSED _LOCK_FAILED 403h FAULT_PROTOCOL_NO_ DATA_READ 404h FAULT_AFE_NOT_ON 405h FAULT_PROTOCOL_WRI TE_FAILED FAULT_NOT_IMPLEMEN TED_FOR_THIS_PROTO COL 406h 407h No tag in the RF field Read/write power too low Antenna not connected Tag is weak or dead Cause A command was received
(such as read, write, or lock) but the operation failed. There are many reasons that can cause this error to occur, including:
A command was received to perform a protocol command but no protocol was initially set. The reader powers up with no protocols set. The protocol value was set to a protocol that is not supported with the current version of software. During a Write Tag Data for ISO18000-6B or UCODE, if the lock fails, this error is returned. The write command passed but the lock did not. This could be a bad tag. A command was sent but did not succeed. A command was received for an operation, like read or write, but the AFE was in the off state. This will also occur for a M6e module if antenna detection is enabled, but no region has been selected. An attempt to modify the contents of a tag failed. There are many reasons for failure. A command was received which is not supported by a protocol. Solution Make sure there is a good tag in the field and all parameters are set up correctly. The best way to check this is to try tags of the same type to rule out a weak tag. If none passed, then it could be software configuration such as protocol value, antenna, and so forth, or a placement configuration like a tag location. A protocol must be set before the reader can begin RF operations. This value is invalid or this version of software does not support the protocol value. Check the documentation for the correct values for the protocols in use and that you are licensed for it. Try to write a few other tags and make sure that they are placed in the RF field. The tag used has failed or does not have the correct CRC. Try to read a few other tags to check the hardware/software configuration. Make sure the region and tag protocol have been set to supported values. Check that the tag is good and try another operation on a few more tags. Check the documentation for the supported commands and protocols. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 53 Protocol Fault Errors (Continued) Message FAULT_PROTOCOL_INV ALID_WRITE_DATA Code 408h FAULT_PROTOCOL_INV ALID_ADDRESS 409h FAULT_GENERAL_TAG_ ERROR 40Ah FAULT_DATA_TOO_LAR GE 40Bh FAULT_PROTOCOL_INV ALID_KILL_PASSWORD FAULT_PROTOCOL_KILL _FAILED FAULT_PROTOCOL_BIT_ DECODING_FAILED 40Ch 40Eh 40Fh FAULT_PROTOCOL_INV ALID_EPC 410h FAULT_PROTOCOL_INV ALID_NUM_DATA 411h Cause An ID write was attempted with an unsupported/incorrect ID length. A command was received attempting to access an invalid address in the tag data address space. This error is used by the GEN2 module. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill command fails. This error can be internal or functional. A command was received to Read Tag Data with a data value larger than expected or it is not the correct size. An incorrect kill password was received as part of the Kill command. Attempt to kill a tag failed for an unknown reason. Attempt to operate on a tag with an EPC length greater than the Maximum EPC length setting. This error is used by the GEN2 module indicating an invalid EPC value has been specified for an operation. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill command fails. This error is used by the GEN2 module indicating invalid data has been specified for an operation. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill command fails. Solution Verify the Tag ID length being written. Make sure that the address specified is within the scope of the tag data address space and available for the specific operation. The protocol specifications contain information about the supported addresses. Make a note of the operations you were performing and contact rfid-
support@jadaktech.com. Check the size of the data value in the message sent to the reader. Check the password. Check tag is in RF field and the kill password. Check the EPC length being written. Check the EPC value that is being passed in the command resulting in this error. Check the data that is being passed in the command resulting in this error. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 54 Protocol Fault Errors (Continued) Message FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_OTHER_ER ROR FAULT_GEN2_PROTOC OL_MEMORY_OVERRUN _BAD_PC Code 420h 423h FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_MEMORY_L OCKED 424h FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_INSUFFICIE NT_POWER FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_NON_SPECI FIC_ERROR 42Bh 42Fh Cause This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. It is a catch-all for error not covered by other codes. This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The specific memory location does not exist or the PC value is not supported by the tag. This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The specified memory location is locked and/or permalocked and is either not writable or not readable. This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The tag has insufficient power to perform the memory-write operation. This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The tag does not support error specific codes. FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_UNKNOWN_ ERROR 430h This is an error returned by M6e when no more error information is available about why the operation failed. Solution Check the data that is being passed in the command resulting in this error. Try with a different tag. Check the data that is being written and where it is being written to in the command resulting in this error. Check the data that is being written and where it is being written to in the command resulting in this error. Check the access password being sent. Try moving the tag closer to the antenna. Try with a different tag. Check the data that is being written and where it is being written to in the command resulting in this error. Try with a different tag. Check the data that is being written and where it is being written to in the command resulting in this error. Try with a different tag. Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Fault Errors Message FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_F REQ Code 500h FAULT_AHAL_CHANNEL _OCCUPIED 501h FAULT_AHAL_TRANSMIT TER_ON 502h Cause A command was received to set a frequency outside the specified range. With LBT enabled an attempt was made to set the frequency to an occupied channel. Checking antenna status while CW is on is not allowed. Solution Check the values you are trying to set and be sure that they fall within the range of the set region of operation. Try a different channel. If supported by the region of operation turn LBT off. Do not perform antenna checking when CW is turned on. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 55 Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Fault Errors (Continued) Message FAULT_ANTENNA_NOT_ CONNECTED Code 503h FAULT_TEMPERATURE_ EXCEED_LIMITS 504h FAULT_POOR_RETURN_ LOSS 505h Cause An attempt was made to transmit on an antenna which did not pass the antenna detection when antenna detection was turned on. The module has exceeded the maximum or minimum operating temperature and will not allow an RF operation until it is back in range. The module has detected a poor return loss and has ended RF operation to avoid module damage. Solution Connect a detectable antenna
(antenna must have some DC resistance). Take steps to resolve thermal issues with module:
Reduce duty cycle Add heat sink Use Power Save Mode (non-
DRM Compliant) Take steps to resolve high return loss on receiver:
Make sure antenna VSWR is within module specifications Make sure antennas are correctly attached before transmitting Check environment to ensure no occurrences of high signal reflection back at antennas. FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_A NTENA_CONFIG 507h An attempt to set an antenna configuration that is not valid. Use the correct antenna setting or change the reader configuration. Tag ID Buffer Fault Errors Message FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER _NOT_ENOUGH_TAGS_ AVAILABLE Code 600h FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER _FULL 601h Cause A command was received to get a certain number of tag ids from the tag id buffer. The reader contains less tag ids stored in its tag id buffer than the number the host is sending. The tag id buffer is full. FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER _REPEATED_TAG_ID 602h The module has an internal error. One of the protocols is trying to add an existing TagID to the buffer. Solution Send a test case reproducing the behavior to rfid-
support@jadaktech.com. Make sure the baud rate is set to a higher frequency that the /reader/
gen2/BLF frequency. Send a test case reproducing the behavior to rfid-
support@jadaktech.com. Send a test case reproducing the behavior to rfid-
support@jadaktech.com. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 56 Tag ID Buffer Fault Errors (Continued) Message FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER _NUM_TAG_TOO_LARG E Code 603h Cause The module received a request to retrieve more tags than is supported by the current version of the software. Solution Send a test case reproducing the behavior to rfid-
support@jadaktech.com. System Fault Errors Message FAULT_SYSTEM_UNKNO WN_ERROR Code 7F00h Cause The error is internal. FAULT_TM_ASSERT_FAI LED 7F01h An unexpected internal error has occurred. Solution Send a test case reproducing the behavior to rfid-
support@jadaktech.com. The error will cause the module to switch back to Bootloader mode. When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to rfid-
support@jadaktech.com. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 57 Appendix B: Getting Started Development Kit and Carrier Board Development Kit Hardware Components Included in the development kit:
The M6e module Power/interface developers board One USB cable One antenna One coax cable One 9V power supply International power adapter kit Sample tags The Quick Start Guide that details which documents and software to download to get up and running quickly, along with details on how to register for and contact support. Set Up the Development Kit Connecting the Antenna JADAK supplies one antenna that can read tags from 20 away with most of the provided tags. The antenna is monostatic. Use the following procedure to connect the antenna to the Development Kit. 1. Connect one end of the coax cable to the antenna. 2. Connect the other end of the cable to the antenna port 1 connector on the Development Kit. Powering Up and Connecting to a PC After connecting the antenna you can power up the Development (Dev) Kit and establish a host connection. 1. Connect the USB cable (use only the black connector) from a PC to the developers kit. There are two Development Kit USB Interfaces options. 2. Plug the power supply into the Development Kits DC power input connector. 3. The LED next to the DC input jack, labeled DS1, should light up. If it doesnt light up check jumper J17 to make sure the jumper is connecting pins 2 and 3 4. Follow the steps based on the Development Kit USB Interfaces used and make note of the COM port or /dev device file, as appropriate for your operating system the USB interface is assigned. 5. To start reading tags start the Demo Application (Universal Reader Assistant). Caution: While the module is powered up, do not touch components. Doing so may damage the Dev Kit and M6e module. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 58 Development Kit USB Interfaces USB/RS232 The USB interface (connector labeled USB/RS232) closest to the power plug is to the RS232 interface of the M6e through an FTDI USB to serial converter. The drivers for it are available at http://www.ftdichip.com/
Drivers/VCP.htm. Follow the instructions in the installation guide appropriate for your operating system. Native USB To use the M6e native USB interface (connector labeled USB), if on Windows, a few installation steps are required for Windows to recognize the M6e and properly configure the communications protocol. In order to use the USB interface with Windows you must have the M6e-USBDriver.inf file. The installation steps are:
1. Plug in the USB cable to the M6e (Dev Kit) and PC. 2. Windows should report it has Found New Hardware - Mercury6eUltra and open the Hardware Installation Wizard. 3. Select the Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) option, click Next. 4. Select Dont search..., click Next, then Next again. 5. Click Have Disk and navigate to where the m6ultra.inf file is stored and select it, click Open, then OK. 6. Mercury6eUltra should now be shown under the Model list. Select it and click Next, then Finished. NOTE: The M6e driver file has not been Microsoft certified so compatibility warnings will be displayed. These can be ignored and clicked through. 7. A COM port should now be assigned to the M6e. If you arent sure what COM port is assigned you can find it using the Windows Device Manager:
a. Open the Device Manager (located in Control Panel | System). b. Select the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. c. Select View | Devices by Type | Ports (COM & LPT) The device appears as Mercury6eUltra
(COM#). Development Kit Jumpers J8 Jumpers to connect M6e I/O lines to the development kit. J9 Header for alternate power supply. Make sure DC plug (J1) is not connected if using J9. J10, J11, J13, J15 www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 59 Jump pins OUT to GPIO# to connect M6e GPIO lines to output LEDs. Jump pins IN to GPIO# to connect M6e GPIO to corresponding input switches SW[3-6]GPIO#. Make sure GPIO lines are correspondingly configured as input or outputs (see Configuring GPIO Settings). J14 Can be used to connect GPIO lines to external circuits. If used jumpers should be removed from J10, J11, J13, J15. J16 Jump pins 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 to reset development kit power supply. Same as using switch SW1 except allows for control by external circuit. J17 Jump pins 1 and 2 to use the 5V INPUT and GND inputs to provide power. Jump pins 2 and 3 to use the development kits DC power jack and power brick power. J19 Jump SHUTDOWN to GND to enable module. While grounded SHUTDOWN pushbutton (SW2) will break circuit and shutdown the M6e. See M6e Digital Connector Signal Definition. AUTO_BOOT controls Reset Line. Development Kit Schematics Available upon request from rfid-support@jadaktech.com. Demo Application A demo application which supports multi-protocol reading and writing is provided in the MercuryAPI SDK package and as a standalone application. Both are available from the www.JADAKtech.com. The executable for this example is included in the MercuryAPI SDK package under /cs/samples/exe/Universal-
Reader-Assistant.exe. NOTE: The Universal Reader Assistant included in the MercuryAPI SDK maybe an older revision than the one available for standalone download. See the Readme.txt in /cs/samples/Universal-Reader-Assistant/Universal-ReaderAssistant for usage details. See the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide for details on using the MercuryAPI. Notice on Restricted Use of the Development Kit The Developers Kit (Dev Kit) is intended for use solely by professional engineers for the purpose of evaluating the feasibility of applications. The users evaluation must be limited to use within a laboratory setting. This Dev Kit has not been certified for use by the FCC in accordance with Part 15 of the FCC regulations, ETSI, KCC or any other regulatory bodies and may not be sold or given for public use. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 60 Distribution and sale of the Dev Kit is intended solely for use in future development of devices which may be subject to regional regulatory authorities governing radio emission. This Dev Kit may not be resold by users for any purpose. Accordingly, operation of the Dev Kit in the development of future devices is deemed within the discretion of the user and the user shall have all responsibility for any compliance with any regional regulatory authority governing radio emission of such development or use, including without limitation reducing electrical interference to legally acceptable levels. All products developed by user must be approved by the appropriate regional regulatory authority governing radio emission prior to marketing or sale of such products and user bears all responsibility for obtaining the prior appropriate regulatory approval, or approval as needed from any other authority governing radio emission. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 61 Appendix C: Environmental Considerations ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations Warning: The M6e antenna ports may be susceptible to damage from Electrostatic Discharge
(ESD). Equipment failure can result if the antenna or communication ports are subjected to ESD. Standard ESD precautions should be taken during installation to avoid static discharge when handling or making connections to the M6 reader antenna or communication ports. Environmental analysis should also be performed to ensure static is not building up on and around the antennas, possibly causing discharges during operation. ESD Damage Overview In M6e-based reader installations where readers have failed without known cause, ESD has been found to be the most common cause. Failures due to ESD tend to be in the M6e Power Amplifier (PA) section. PA failures typically manifest themselves at the software interface in the following ways:
RF operations (read, write, etc.) respond with Assert - 7F01 - indicating a fatal error. This is typically due to the module not being able to reach the target power level due to PA damage. RF operations (read, write, etc.) respond with No Antenna Connected/Detected even when a known good antenna is attached. Unexpected Invalid Command errors, indicating command not supported, when that command had worked previously. A command may become unsupported when the reader, during its self-protection routines, has returned to the bootloader to prevent any further damage. This jump to boot loader caused by power amp damage occurs at the start of any read tag commands. Determining that ESD is the root cause of failures is difficult because it relies on negative result experiments, i.e., it is the lack of failure after a configuration change, rather than a positive flag wave that identifies it as ESD. Such flag waves are sometimes available at the unpackaged transistor level under high power microscopy. The remoteness of microscopic examination from the installed field failures is indicative of the high cost of using such analysis methods for investigating ESD issues. Most ESD issue resolutions use the negative result experiments to determine success. ESD discharges come with a range of values with vaying degrees. There will be a distribution of ESD intensities in some installations of the bare M6e that have an ESD failure problem. There may be an issue without knowledge of a limit in the statistics of those intensities. For the bare M6e equipped with the mitigation methods described below, there may be an occasional ESD discharge that exceeds any given mitigation, resulting in failure. Many installations will have some upper bound on the value of ESD events given the geometry of that installation. Several sequential steps are recommended for a) determining ESD is the likely cause of a given group of failures, and b) enhancing the M6es environment to eliminate ESD failures. The steps vary depending on the required M6e output power in any given application. Identifying ESD as the Cause of Damaged Readers The following are some suggested methods to determine if ESD has caused reader failures, i.e., ESD diagnostics. Some of these suggestions have the negative result experiment issue. www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 62 Return failed units for analysis. Analysis should determine if it is the power amplifier that has failed, but wont be able to definitively identify that the cause is ESD. However, ESD is one of the more common causes of PA failure. Measure ambient static levels with static meter, for example, AlphaLabs SVM2. Note the static potentials floating detected. High static doesnt mean discharges, but should be considered cause for further investigation. High levels that keep changing are highly indicative of discharges. Touch some things around the antenna and operating area. If you feel static discharges, that is an indication of what is in front of the antenna. What gets to the M6e is also strongly influenced by the antenna installation, cabling, and grounding discussed above. Use the mean operating time statistic before and after one or more of the changes listed below to quantitatively determine if the change has resulted in an improvement. Be sure to restart your statistics after the change. Common Installation Best Practices The following are common installation best practices to ensure the readers isnt being unnecessarily exposed to ESD, in even low risk environments. These should be applied to all installations, full power or partial power, ESD or not:
Ensure that M6e, M6e enclosing housing (e.g., M6 reader housing), and antenna ground connection are all grounded to a common low impedance ground. Verify R-TNC knurled threaded nuts are tight. Dont use a thread locking compound that would compromise the grounding connection of the thread to thread mate. If there is any indication that field vibration might cause the R-TNC to loosen, apply RTV or other adhesive externally. Use antenna cables with double shield outer conductors, or full metallic shield semi rigid cables. JADAK specified cables are double shielded and adequate for most applications. ESD discharge currents flowing on the outer surface of a single shield coaxial cable have coupled to the inside of coaxial cables, causing ESD failure. Avoid RG-58. RG-223 is preferred. Minimize ground loops in coaxial cable runs to antennas. Tying both the M6e and antenna to ground
(per item 1) leads to the possibility of ground currents flowing along antenna cables. The tendency of these currents to flow is related to the area of the conceptual surface marked out by the antenna cable and the nearest continuous ground surface. When this conceptual surface has minimum area, these ground loop currents are minimized. Routing antenna cables against grounded metallic chassis parts helps minimize ground loop currents. Keep the antenna radome in place. It provides significant ESD protection for the antennas metallic parts and protects the antenna from performance changes due to environmental accumulation. Keep careful track of serial numbers, operating lifetimes, and numbers of units operating in order to determine the mean operating lifetime. This number indicates if you have a failure problem, ESD or otherwise. After any given change, it also indicates whether things have improved and if the failures are confined to one instantiation or distributed across your population. Raising the ESD Threshold For applications where full M6e power is needed for maximum tag read range and ESD is suspected, the following components are recommended additions to the installation to raise the level of ESD the reader can tolerate:
Select or change to an antenna with all radiating elements grounded for DC. The MTI MT-262031-
T(L,R)H-A is recommended. The Laird IF900-SF00 and CAF95956 are not recommended. The grounding of the antenna elements dissipates static charge leakage, and provides a high pass www.JADAKtech.com ThingMagic M6e User Guide 63 characteristic that attenuates discharge events. (This also makes the antenna compatible with the M6e antenna detect methods.) Install a Minicircuits SHP600+ high pass filter in the cable run at the M6e (or Vega or other finished reader) end. This additional component will reduce transmit power by 0.4 dB which may affect read range in some critical applications. However the filter will significantly attenuate discharges and improve the M6e ESD survival level. NOTE: The SHP600+ is not rated for the full +31.5 dBm output of the M6e reader at +85C. Operation at reduced temperature is acceptable, but has not been fully qualified by JADAK. Install a Diode Clamp* circuit immediately outboard from the SHP600 filter. This will reduce transmit power by an additional 0.4 dB, but in combination with the SHP600 will further improve the M6e ESD survival level.
* Not yet productized. Needs DC power. Contact rfid-support@jadaktech.com for details. Further ESD Protection for Reduced RF Power Applications In addition to the protective measures recommended above, for applications where reduced M6e RF power is acceptable and ESD is suspected, the following protective measures can also be applied:
Install a one watt attenuator with a decibel value of +30 dBm minus the dBm value needed for tag power up. Then run the reader at +30 dBm instead of reduced transmit power. This will attenuate inbound ESD pulses by the installed decibel value while keeping the tag operation generally unchanged. Attenuators of 6 dB have been shown to not adversely affect read sensitivity. Position the attenuator as close to the M6e as feasible. As described above, add the SHP600 filter immediately adjacent to the attenuator, on the antenna side. If required, add Diode Clamp adjacent to the SHP600, on the antenna side. Variables Affecting Performance Environmental Reader performance may be affected by the following environmental conditions:
Metal surfaces such as desks, filing cabinets, bookshelves, and wastebaskets may enhance or degrade reader performance. Antennas should be mounted far away from metal surfaces that may adversely affect the system performance. Devices that operate at 900 MHz, such as cordless phones and wireless LANs, can degrade reader performance. The reader may also adversely affect the performance of these 900 MHz devices. Moving machinery can interfere with the reader performance. Test reader performance with moving machinery turned off. Fluorescent lighting fixtures are a source of strong electromagnetic interference and, if possible, should be replaced. If fluorescent lights cannot be replaced, keep the reader cables and antennas away from them. Coaxial cables leading from the reader to antennas can be a strong source of electromagnetic radiation. These cables should be laid flat and not coiled. Tag Considerations There are several variables associated with tags that can affect reader performance:
www.JADAKtech.com Multiple Readers ThingMagic M6e User Guide 64 Application Surface: Some materials, including metal and moisture, interfere with tag performance. Tags applied to items made from or containing these materials may not perform as expected. Tag Orientation: Reader performance is affected by the orientation of the tag in the antenna field. The ThingMagic antenna is circularly polarized, so it reads face-to but not edge-to. Tag Model: Many tag models are available, each with its own performance characteristics. The reader adversely affects performance of 900 MHz devices. These devices also may degrade performance of the reader. Antennas on other readers operating in close proximity may interfere with one another, thus degrading performance of the readers. If antennas from different readers are facing each other, they should have opposite polarity for best performance (e.g., right-hand polarized antenna facing a left-hand polarized antenna). Interference from other antennas may be eliminated or reduced by using either one or both of the following strategies:
Affected antennas may be synchronized by a separate user application using a time-
multiplexing strategy. Antenna power can be reduced by reconfiguring the RF Transmit Power setting for the reader. NOTE: Performance tests conducted under typical operating conditions at your site are recommended to help optimize system performance. www.JADAKtech.com TM_M6e-UG Rev 01292019
frequency | equipment class | purpose | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2019-02-11 | 902.75 ~ 927.25 | DSS - Part 15 Spread Spectrum Transmitter | Class II Permissive Change |
2 | 2011-02-10 | 902.75 ~ 927.25 | DSS - Part 15 Spread Spectrum Transmitter | |
3 | 2010-12-29 | 902.75 ~ 927.25 | DSS - Part 15 Spread Spectrum Transmitter | Original Equipment |
app s | Applicant Information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 2 3 | Effective |
2019-02-11
|
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1 2 3 |
2011-02-10
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1 2 3 |
2010-12-29
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|||||
1 2 3 | Applicant's complete, legal business name |
JADAK, a business unit of Novanta Corporation
|
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1 2 3 | FCC Registration Number (FRN) |
0008403743
|
||||
1 2 3 | Physical Address |
125 Middlesex Turnpike
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1 2 3 |
Bedford, MA
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|||||
1 2 3 |
Bedford, Massachusetts 01730
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|||||
1 2 3 |
United States
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|||||
app s | TCB Information | |||||
1 2 3 | TCB Application Email Address |
t******@us.bureauveritas.com
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||||
1 2 3 |
c******@curtis-straus.com
|
|||||
1 2 3 | TCB Scope |
A4: UNII devices & low power transmitters using spread spectrum techniques
|
||||
app s | FCC ID | |||||
1 2 3 | Grantee Code |
QV5
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1 2 3 | Equipment Product Code |
MERCURY6E
|
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app s | Person at the applicant's address to receive grant or for contact | |||||
1 2 3 | Name |
E****** G****
|
||||
1 2 3 | Title |
VP Engineering
|
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1 2 3 | Telephone Number |
315-2********
|
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1 2 3 | Fax Number |
315-7********
|
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1 2 3 |
e******@jadaktech.com
|
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app s | Technical Contact | |||||
n/a | ||||||
app s | Non Technical Contact | |||||
n/a | ||||||
app s | Confidentiality (long or short term) | |||||
1 2 3 | Does this application include a request for confidentiality for any portion(s) of the data contained in this application pursuant to 47 CFR § 0.459 of the Commission Rules?: | No | ||||
1 2 3 | Yes | |||||
1 2 3 | Long-Term Confidentiality Does this application include a request for confidentiality for any portion(s) of the data contained in this application pursuant to 47 CFR § 0.459 of the Commission Rules?: | No | ||||
if no date is supplied, the release date will be set to 45 calendar days past the date of grant. | ||||||
app s | Cognitive Radio & Software Defined Radio, Class, etc | |||||
1 2 3 | Is this application for software defined/cognitive radio authorization? | No | ||||
1 2 3 | Equipment Class | DSS - Part 15 Spread Spectrum Transmitter | ||||
1 2 3 | Description of product as it is marketed: (NOTE: This text will appear below the equipment class on the grant) | RFID Module | ||||
1 2 3 | Related OET KnowledgeDataBase Inquiry: Is there a KDB inquiry associated with this application? | No | ||||
1 2 3 | Modular Equipment Type | Single Modular Approval | ||||
1 2 3 | Purpose / Application is for | Class II Permissive Change | ||||
1 2 3 | Original Equipment | |||||
1 2 3 | Composite Equipment: Is the equipment in this application a composite device subject to an additional equipment authorization? | No | ||||
1 2 3 | Related Equipment: Is the equipment in this application part of a system that operates with, or is marketed with, another device that requires an equipment authorization? | No | ||||
1 2 3 | Grant Comments | Class II Permissive change as described in this filing. Output power listed is conducted. Modular Approval for mobile RF Exposure conditions, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 35cm from all persons and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. Approval is limited to OEM installation only. OEM integrators must be provided with antenna installation instructions. OEM integrators and end-users must be provided with transmitter operating conditions for satisfying RF exposure compliance. This grant is valid only when the device is sold to OEM integrators and the OEM integrators are instructed to ensure that the end user has no manual instructions to remove or install the device. Only the antenna(s) listed in this filing can be used with this device. Use of additional antenna(s) are subject to the requirements of 15.204(c)(4). | ||||
1 2 3 | Class II permissive change filing for collocated RF exposure evaluation with FCC ID: TK4-WLM54GP23 as detailed in this filing. Maximum antenna gains are limited to the gains listed in this application. Antennas with higher gains are not covered under this permissive change filing and must be evaluated separately. Output power listed is conducted. Modular Approval for mobile RF Exposure conditions, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 25cm from all persons and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. Approval is limited to OEM installation only. OEM integrators must be provided with antenna installation instructions. OEM integrators and end-users must be provided with transmitter operating conditions for satisfying RF exposure compliance. This grant is valid only when the device is sold to OEM integrators and the OEM integrators are instructed to ensure that the end user has no manual instructions to remove or install the device. Only the antenna(s) listed in this filing can be used with this device. Use of additional antenna(s) are subject to the requirements of 15.204(c)(4). | |||||
1 2 3 | Output power listed is conducted. Modular Approval for mobile RF Exposure conditions, the antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 23cm from all persons and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. Approval is limited to OEM installation only. OEM integrators must be provided with antenna installation instructions. OEM integrators and end-users must be provided with transmitter operating conditions for satisfying RF exposure compliance. This grant is valid only when the device is sold to OEM integrators and the OEM integrators are instructed to ensure that the end user has no manual instructions to remove or install the device. Only the antenna(s) listed in this filing can be used with this device. Use of additional antenna(s) are subject to the requirements of 15.204(c)(4). | |||||
1 2 3 | Is there an equipment authorization waiver associated with this application? | No | ||||
1 2 3 | If there is an equipment authorization waiver associated with this application, has the associated waiver been approved and all information uploaded? | No | ||||
app s | Test Firm Name and Contact Information | |||||
1 2 3 | Firm Name |
BUREAU VERITAS CONSUMER PRODUCTS SERVICES, INC.
|
||||
1 2 3 | Name |
S**** L******
|
||||
1 2 3 | Telephone Number |
978 6******** Extension:
|
||||
1 2 3 | Fax Number |
97848********
|
||||
1 2 3 |
s******@us.bureauveritas.com
|
|||||
Equipment Specifications | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Line | Rule Parts | Grant Notes | Lower Frequency | Upper Frequency | Power Output | Tolerance | Emission Designator | Microprocessor Number | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | 1 | 15C | 20 | 902.75000000 | 927.25000000 | 0.9760000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line | Rule Parts | Grant Notes | Lower Frequency | Upper Frequency | Power Output | Tolerance | Emission Designator | Microprocessor Number | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | 1 | 15C | 902.75000000 | 927.25000000 | 0.9770000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line | Rule Parts | Grant Notes | Lower Frequency | Upper Frequency | Power Output | Tolerance | Emission Designator | Microprocessor Number | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | 1 | 15C | 902.75000000 | 927.25000000 | 0.9770000 |
some individual PII (Personally Identifiable Information) available on the public forms may be redacted, original source may include additional details
This product uses the FCC Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC