FCC ID: XE2TF4 UHF RFID Reader

 

Thinkify, LLC The TR-200 Desktop RFID Reader Setup Guide and Protocol Reference DRAFT Version 0.8 DRAFT October 2010 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 1 Legal Notices Legal Notices Copyright 2010 Thinkify, LLC. All rights reserved. Thinkify LLC has intellectual property rights relating to technology embodied in the products described in this document, including without limitation certain patents or patent pending applications in the U.S. or other countries. This document and the products to which it pertains are distributed under licenses restricting their use, copying, distribution and decompilation. No part of this product documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of Thinkify, LLC and its Licensors, if any. Third party software is copyrighted and licensed from Licensors. Thinkify, the Thinkify logo, Insight and other graphics, logos, and service names used in this document are trademarks of Thinkify, LLC in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. U.S. Government approval required when exporting the product described in this documentation. Federal Acquisitions: Commercial Software -- Government Users Subject to Standard License Terms and Conditions. U.S. Government: If this Software is being acquired by or on behalf of the U.S. Government or by a U.S. Government prime contractor or subcontractor (at any tier), then the Government's rights in the Software and accompanying documentation shall be only as set forth in this license; this is in accordance with 48 C.F.R. 227.7201 through 227.7202-4 (for Department of Defense

(DoD) acquisitions) and with 48 C.F.R. 2.101 and 12.212 (for non-DoD acquisitions). DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED AS IS AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARANTEES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR APARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGMENT ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THATSUCH DISCLAIMERS ARE HELD TO BE LEGALLY INVALID. Note Regarding RF Exposure This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance of 20cm between the radiator (antenna) and your body. This transmitter must not be co-

located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. FCC Notice and Cautions Any changes or modifications to this device not expressly approved by Thinkify, LLC could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. 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 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 2 FCC Notice and Cautions device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. 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 or more 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. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 3 About Thinkify, LLC About Thinkify, LLC Thinkify, LLC is a wireless technology company specializing in RFID hardware and software products. With 30 years of combined experience in RFID and over 35 patents in the field, our founding team is one of the technically strongest in the industry. Our focus is embedded RFID. -- Applications where we use RFID to enable common objects, devices and whole environments to become aware of the world around them. This capability can transform the way people and objects interact, blurring the line between the physical world and the virtual. Thinkify is a privately held company, located in Morgan Hill, California. We feel that partnerships should be healthy and that Engineering should be beautiful. Thinkify, LLC 18450 Technology Drive, Suite E Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Phone: 408.782.7111 FAX: 408.782.2111 Web: www.thinkifyit.com Thinkify Making things think. (tm) The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 4 About Thinkify, LLC Table of Contents Legal Notices...............................................................................................................................2 Note Regarding RF Exposure.................................................................................................2 FCC Notice and Cautions.......................................................................................................2 About Thinkify, LLC.....................................................................................................................4 Introduction..................................................................................................................................7 Getting Started............................................................................................................................8 What's in the box?..................................................................................................................8 Hooking up the hardware........................................................................................................8 Setting up the Driver (Microsoft Windows).............................................................................9 Communicating with the Reader...........................................................................................12 A Quick RFID Introduction.........................................................................................................19 Class 1 Generation 2 (Gen2)................................................................................................19 Concepts (Performing an Inventory).....................................................................................20 Concepts (Reading / Writing other data)..............................................................................22 Thinkify Reader Protocol Overview...........................................................................................23 Command Structure..............................................................................................................23 Command Groups.................................................................................................................27 Command Reference................................................................................................................28 Summary...............................................................................................................................28

"A" RX Amplifier Control........................................................................................................29

"BOOTLOADER" Enter Bootloader...................................................................................31

"C" Low-Level Chip Control Registers..................................................................................32 D- Diagnostic Functions ....................................................................................................36

"F" RX Filter Control..............................................................................................................37

"G" GPIO Settings.................................................................................................................39 I- Inventory Control.............................................................................................................41

"K" Kill Lock Access Descriptors.....................................................................................44 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 5 About Thinkify, LLC

"L" Low-Level Tests...............................................................................................................47 M" MASK / SELECT control................................................................................................49

"P" PROTOCOL control (Gen2 Air protocol).........................................................................54

"R" RF Control......................................................................................................................57

"S" Status Functions.............................................................................................................61

"T" INVENTORY initiate........................................................................................................64

"X" eXtra Data Read and Write Descriptor Control..............................................................67 Appendix A. Using the Thinkify Firmware Update Utility..........................................................73 Appendix B. GPIO Port.............................................................................................................77 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 6 Introduction Introduction This document explains how to set up and communicate with a Thinkify, TR200 desktop RFID reader. We call this device, the Insight(tm). Most UHF RFID readers today are industrial devices focused on automating data capture without human intervention. These readers are big, expensive and run at RF power levels that require a minimum standoff from people for safe operation. While fine for industrial applications like reading pallets at dock doors, these readers are a poor fit for use cases like tag commissioning or document tracking at your desk. The Thinkify Insight(tm) is the first in a new class of RFID reader a Personal Reader designed to work around people handling tagged items in an store or office environment. Like the Personal Computer changed computing, we think the Personal Reader will change the nature of RFID. The Insight(tm) is a highly capable and easy-to-use Gen2 reader designed for tag commissioning, document tracking, point of sale and other use cases where people and tags come together. We think it's pretty. We hope you do, too. Let's get started. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 7 Getting Started Getting Started What's in the box?

A TR200 Desktop Reader An antenna A USB cable'

A CD with this manual, software driver and demonstration program Some sample RFID Tags

(Stone not included.) Hooking up the hardware Attach the antenna to your reader. It screws on. Plug the USB cable into the reader and then into your laptop or PC. You should see the blue LEDs on the front of the reader cycle through a start up pattern and then the one should slowly blink to indicate that the unit has power and is waiting for commands. So much for hooking up the hardware... You're done. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 8 Setting up the Driver (Microsoft Windows) Setting up the Driver (Microsoft Windows) After you hook up the hardware, if you've never installed the driver software for the reader on your computer you will see a message indicating that Windows doesn't know about this device. Under windows XP, the message looks like this:

We're going to handle this ourselves so select the No, not this time option and click Next. In the following dialog select Install the software automatically. Insert the CD and click Next.

(If you chose to have the software install automatically skip ahead. Otherwise, a dialog will appear where you can select the Include this location in the search option and Browse to the \inf directory on your CD.) The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 9 Setting up the Driver (Microsoft Windows) After clicking Next you'll get a warning that the Thinkify driver has not passed the Microsoft Windows Logo testing program. We haven't. In fact, we never even tried. If you still trust us, click Continue Anyway... The driver will now install. Here we map the USB you've plugged into to a virtual serial port. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 10 Setting up the Driver (Microsoft Windows) If all goes well, you should see this screen. Click Finish The driver is installed and your reader should be ready to use. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 11 Communicating with the Reader Communicating with the Reader Application software that talks to the TR200 opens up a connection on the virtual serial port we enabled with our driver. We can test this interface with nearly any serial communication program. Most Windows systems we've encountered come with a serial communication program called HyperTerminal installed under:

Start/ All Programs /Accessories / Communications We will use HyperTerminal in our examples below. A free, less buggy and far more capable serial communication program is Tera Term. In addition to serial communication, Tera Term supports several network communication standards including telnet and ssh. We recommend Tera Term for developers who want to do more than casual explorations with HyperTerminal. Tera Term is available for download at: http://ttssh2.sourceforge.jp/

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 12 Communicating with the Reader Determining your Com Port Once the driver is installed, the next time you connect the reader to a USB port, it will be recognized and given a virtual com port number. Each USB port you connect to will be given a different number by default. You can see the com port number you obtained by going to the Start / Control Panel / System utility and click the Device Manager button in the hardware tab. See below:

Click Device Manager and expand the Ports (Com and LPT) option. Look for the Thinkify USB-Serial Bridge entry and note the com port. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 13 On my system it came up as COM4*

Communicating with the Reader You now know!

_______

*NOTE for advanced users using Windows XP: If you wish to change the com port number, you can by right clicking on the entry for the Thinkify USB-Serial Bridge, selecting Properties, going to the Port Settings Tab and clicking the Advanced button. The dialog window has a drop down list of available com port names you may choose from. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 14 Communicating with the Reader Using Hyperterminal From the Start Menu, go to:

Start /All Programs / Accessories / Communications, and launch HyperTerminal. At the dialog box, create a new connection for the TR200. Pick the Com Port your reader is connected to. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 15 Communicating with the Reader Set your communication parameters:

From the File/Properties Menu, select the Settings Tab and click Ascii Setup. Check Send Line ends with line feeds and enable local echo so you can see the commands you type. Hit OK. Congratulations! You're setup. Let's see if we're talking... The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 16 Hit enter a few times and type v[enter] to get the reader's firmware version. You should see something like:

Communicating with the Reader Your reader is alive and talking!

In the following sections, we describe the protocol structure and list the commands that the reader can respond to using this interface. You can try out all the commands using HyperTerminal to get a feeling for how they work. After that, you can use our software APIs or roll your own to use the same commands from your own programs. As an example, let's read some tags. Hold up your sample tags near the reader and type t[enter] You should see something like this:

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 17 Communicating with the Reader Victory!

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 18 A Quick RFID Introduction A Quick RFID Introduction Class 1 Generation 2 (Gen2) The RFID tags included in your reader kit conform to the UHF Class 1, Generation 2 standard maintained by EPC Global. (REF). EPC Global is a division of UPC The same standards organization that controls the barcode numbering system used on retail packages. This standard (with minor changes) is also maintained by ISO under ISO-

18000-6-C. (REF) Most Gen2 tags (as they are usually called) are Passive RFID devices. That is, they do not require a battery and derive their power for operation from the RF field sent out by the reader. This allows them to be small, inexpensive and operate virtually indefinitely. Most Gen2 tags are also programmable devices. Users can put their own information into the tags. The amount of data that can be stored depends on the type of tag but hundreds of bits are typical. Data in the tag is organized into Banks of memory that serve different functions under the protocol:

Bank 0: Reserved Memory Kill and Access Password space. Bank 1: EPC Memory The unique tag identifier. Typically 128 bits. User programmable. The Gen2 protocol is designed to extract this information quickly. Bank 2: TID Memory A factory programmed area that includes a serial number and fields that describe the tag's capabilities. Bank 3: User Memory A programmable extended memory area for holding additional information that is not the EPC. Not all tags support User Memory. Gen2 tag memory can be Locked such that it cannot be changed without a passcode. These locks can be reversible or permanent. Finally, Gen2 tags can be rendered non-functional with a Kill command. Tags that are killed cannot be recovered. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 19 Concepts (Performing an Inventory) Concepts (Performing an Inventory) Being an RFID reader trying to read multiple tags using the Gen2 protocol is sort of like being a new teacher trying to take attendance in a kindergarten class... Sadly, the administration didn't give you an attendance list on the first day of class so you have to work it out for yourself. Kindergarten Teacher RFID Reader You have to get a list of everyone's name You have to get a list of all of the EPC codes from the tags Kids know their own names Tags have unique IDs in EPC memory they can report You can only hear one child at a time The reader can only process a signal from one tag at a time Kids want to all talk at once Multiple tags can respond at the same time What both the reader and the teacher need is an anti-collision protocol a way to keep their respective tags/kids from talking at the same time. Most teachers adopt an adult-talks-first protocol with a persistent state flag for whether a child has been inventoried. This flag is maintained in the child. Sometimes there's a bi-

directional exchange with an ACK/NAK option. Hey! that's a lot like Gen2. Huh? You say. Teacher: Ok everyone! Quiet down. It's time to take attendance. (Reader-talks-first) Teacher: Ok everyone! Hands up! (Under Gen2 this is a Select command that establishes who's going to participate in the inventory. In this case, everyone. By putting their hands up, the child has set a flag that indicates he/she hasn't been inventoried, yet.) Teacher: When I point to you, tell me your first name. (Granted this is a little contrived, but it's a little like the Query command in Gen2 that kicks off an inventory sequence.) The teacher randomly picks the first child, points to her and says, You!

Child: Inga! (In Gen2, a tag responds to a Query with a random number that is used in the next command by the reader) Teacher: Inga who? (This is like a Gen2 ACK (acknowledgment). It tells the tag/child The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 20 Concepts (Performing an Inventory) that the reader/teacher heard their response and is now asking them for their data.) Child: Svenson!

Teacher:You! (Pointing to the next child. At this point, Inga assumes that the teacher got her name, since she's moved on to the next child. She puts her hand down and sets her state to Inventoried) Child: Mikey!

Teacher: Mikey who?

Child: Jones!

Teacher: Pardon me? (If the reader doesn't understand the reply it can issue a NAK and try again.) Teacher: Mikey who?

Child: Jones!

Teacher: You! (On to the next child. Mikey puts his hand down, too.) And off they go... When the teacher reaches the end of the round, (See's no more raised hands in this case) she's done. This is clearly contrived and is an oversimplification of both the Teacher's real-life protocol and Gen2, but it does captures some of the important features:

1. Inventories of the field need an anti-collision protocol to prevent multiple tags from talking at the same time. 2. An inventory can begin with one or more Select commands that establish who will participate in the inventory. (Teacher: Ok, only the boys, put your hands up!) 3. The state of whether or not a tag has been inventoried is maintained in the tag. 4. In the process of singulating a tag, the reader gets a handle (the child's first name in the example above) that it can use for additional operations with that tag

(more on this below). The analogy breaks down when you realize that unlike the teacher, the reader cannot see the inventoried state of the tags (hands in the air). If the teacher tried to take attendance of the class from behind a curtain, it would be a lot more difficult. Rather than pointing at a child and saying, You! to keep them from talking at once, a different protocol would be needed. In Gen2, this is accomplished with the Query command. When the reader issues a Query command, it includes in the message a parameter called Q that the tags use to determine if they will respond immediately, or after some number of subsequent The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 21 Concepts (Performing an Inventory) QueryRep commands. The number of Query or QueryRep commands the tag will wait to hear is determined randomly and can vary from 1 to 2^Q. By adjusting the Q parameter used in its Query commands, the reader can prevent multiple tags from responding simultaneously most of the time. If there is a collision, the reader can adjust Q or just try again and let the tags roll a different random number. From your perspective as a user of the reader, these details don't usually matter (we adjust Q for you automatically) but they can be useful to know sometimes if you are trying to optimize performance. Concepts (Reading / Writing other data) The Gen2 protocol is strongly oriented around the use case of rapidly reading the data in Bank 1 of Memory (the EPC). In supply chain applications there can be hundreds of tags moving past a read point and the reader needs to read them all as they go by. Reading other data in other banks of memory or programming builds off of the protocol we use for isolating tags and it extends it to allow a conversation to take place with a tag we've isolated. To read user memory for example, the reader first isolates a tag with an inventory and then uses the handle from the tag as part of a sequence of commands to get the other data. Writing is similar. In the Thinkify reader, we allow you to specify a number of Descriptors that tell the reader what additional actions (if any) to take when it reads a tag. Descriptors can be used to Read additional memory areas, Write to memory, Lock and Unlock tag Memory and Kill tags. This is a very powerful approach. By using Select commands (a.k.a. Masking) as part of the inventory we can quickly specify that we are interested in performing an operation on just one, some or all of the tags present in front of the reader. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 22 Thinkify Reader Protocol Overview Thinkify Reader Protocol Overview Here we give an overview of the Thinkify Reader Protocol message structure and provide a high-level summary of the major command groups available to the user. The Thinkify Reader Protocol (TRP) is a human-readable ASCII protocol that allows users and applications to set parameters for RF control, tag list acquisition, tag programming and digital I/O behavior. The TRP may also be used to acquire data from the reader and be notified of tag read events, I/O events and reader status. The TRP is used across all Thinkify reader products and supported hardware interfaces including; RS232, USB and Ethernet. Command Structure The Thinkify Reader Protocol uses a Command-Response model. --Communication is initiated by the Host and the Reader responds with an acknowledgment or data. Users may interact with the reader from a terminal program or their own software using the Thinkify APIs. All that is required is that they send strings to the device over an active connection and terminate messages correctly. Replies will be sent back, often on multiple lines, terminated by a READY> prompt. Host Commands Host commands to the Reader are ASCII strings terminated with a Carriage Return. Valid command messages are composed of numeric characters in the range of 0-9

(0x30 to 0x39) ASCII characters in the range of a..Z (0x to 0x) and the carriage return character (0x0D). Line feed characters are ignored by the reader and may be sent without effect. --The Reader does not echo commands back to the Host. The general format of a Host to Reader message is:

<COMMAND>[<SUBCOMMAND>[<PARAM1>][<...>][<PARAMn>]]<CR>

(Here [] denotes an element that may be optional.)

<COMMAND> is typically a single character.

<SUBCOMMAND> is typically a single character

<PARAMs> vary in length and depend on the command being sent. (See details below). There are no spaces between parameters if multiple parameters are sent as part of a message. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 23

<CR> is the Carriage Return CR character (0x0D). Upon receipt of a carriage return, the Reader will attempt to parse the command message and execute the command if properly formatted. Command Structure Reader Replies Reader replies to Host commands are also ASCII strings. Replies may be either a single line or a multi-line reply, depending on the Command. Each line of a reply is terminated with a Carriage Return + Line Feed character pair, CRLF (0x0D,0x0A) When the reader has finished sending all data back to the host in response to the command, it will end the sequence with a READY> prompt, indicating is prepared to process another message. Generally, after sending a Command, the Host should not send a new command until it sees the "READY>" message. The general format of a Reader to Host message is:

[STARTMSG<CRLF>]

<Line1><CRLF>

<Line2><CRLF>

<Linen><CRLF>

[STOPMSG<CRLF>]

<CRLF>

<READYPROMPT>

(Here [] denotes an element that may be optional.)

[STARTMSG] Indicates the beginning of command processing. Not sent on every command. Sent on commands where inventories are performed.

<Lines> Data sent back in response to the command

[STOPMSG] Indicates command processing is finished. Not sent on every command. Send on commands where inventories are performed.

<READYPROMPT> READY> prompt. Indicates that the reader is ready to accept another command. Special Case: Inventory Replies When the Reader performs a T or Tn command that is setup for infinite repeat, it will stream line data until it sees a character from the host. It will then terminate the message with the STOPMSG and READYPROMPT. (See T commands below for examples and discussion.) The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 24 Examples Example To set the General Purpose Output (GPO) Pin 1 to a High Level

<COMMAND=G><SUBCOMMAND=1><PARAM1=1><TERM=0x0D>

Command Structure The Host would have to send the string:

G11<CR>

The Reader would respond with:

GPOUTPUT1=1<CRLF>

READY>

Example: Read Tags using the T command.

<COMMAND=T>

Host:

T<CR>

Reader:

STARTINVENTORY<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003560<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003568<CRLF>

TAG=300010011002100310041007BBBB<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003583<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003556<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003569<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557<CRLF>

TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003582<CRLF>

STOPINVENTORY=0x0009 0x00EA<CRLF>

<CRLF>

READY>

Example Query the Inventory Parameter Settings

<COMMAND=I>

Host:

I<CR>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 25 Command Structure Reader:

SELTYPE=1<CRLF>

SESSION=1<CRLF>

TARGET=0<CRLF>

Q=0x3<CRLF>

OUTERLOOP=0x01<CRLF>

INNERLOOP=0x03<CRLF>

SELECTLOOP=0x1<CRLF>

<CRLF>

READY><CRLF>

Example: --Tn command Tn (T1, T2, ...T6) commands repeatedly perform inventories until interrupted by the Host. During this time the Reader will stream tag data until a character is received from the Host. The reader will then stop the Inventory sequence and terminate the reply. Host:

T6<CR>

Reader:

STARTINVENTORY<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003582 911750 07 8 9 Q E468<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 911750 04 8 9 I E471<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003583 911750 06 8 9 Q E47C<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 911750 02 8 9 I E486<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 911750 06 8 9 I E493<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003568 911750 02 8 9 Q E49D<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 911750 07 9 A I E4A9<CRLF>

TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 911750 02 9 A Q E4B4<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003556 911750 07 7 0 I E4C3<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 911750 00 7 0 Q E4D3<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 911750 05 7 0 Q E4DD<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003569 911750 06 7 0 I E4ED<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003583 911750 04 7 0 I E4F5<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003560 911750 02 7 0 Q E4FD<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 911750 00 7 0 Q E506<CRLF>

Character (space) received from the Host!

TAG=3000100000000000000000003569 911750 07 7 1 I E511<CRLF>

TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 911750 01 7 1 Q E51C<CRLF>

STOPINVENTORY=0x0011 0x00C6<CRLF>

<CRLF>

READY><CRLF>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 26 Command Groups Command Groups Commands are grouped into five major areas: functions for working with RFID tags, functions for controlling the reader's radio subsystem, functions for interacting with the reader's GPIO port, system commands for firmware updates, etc., and advanced engineering functions used mostly for regulatory testing and by users wishing to develop custom OEM solutions. Tag Commands GPIO and Triggering Radio Control Commands System Commands Engineering Test Functions The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 27 Command Reference Summary Command Reference A quick overview of the main command groups follow. Detailed explanations are in the following sections. Main Command Description Command Group A B C D F G I K L M P R S T V X RX Amplifier Control Engineering / Test Enter Bootloader Low-Level Chip Registers Diagnostic Functions RX Filter Control System Engineering / Test Engineering / Test Engineering / Test GPIO Control GPIO Control and Triggering Inventory Control Kill / Access Data Descriptors Low-Level Tests Tag Masking Protocol Air Interface RF Control Status Functions Tag Commands Tag Commands Engineering / Test Tag Commands Radio Control Radio Control System Perform Tag Inventory Tag Commands Get Firmware Version (Read Only) System eXtra Read / Write Data Descriptors Tag Commands The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 28

"A" RX Amplifier Control

"A" RX Amplifier Control Description The A command and sub-commands are used to set and get the parameters that control the characteristics of the amplifier in the base band receiver. Command Group Engineering / Test Command

<A>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Legal Values for SET 0..1 0..6 Sub Command AA AG Description 8 dB mixer attenuation control. Off or On. Gain adjustment:

Value 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gain 0dB

-9dB

-6dB

-3dB

+3dB

+6dB

+9dB AH AM Hysteresis: 7 steps of 3dB ea. 10 dB mixer amplification control. Off or On. 0..7 0..1 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 29

"A" RX Amplifier Control A Command Examples Get All Settings READY>a INPUTATTEN=1 GAIN=-0 HYSTERESIS=0 MIXERBOOST=0 READY>

Set the Gain READY>ag2 GAIN=-6 READY>\

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 30

"BOOTLOADER" Enter Bootloader

"BOOTLOADER" Enter Bootloader Description Places the reader in a special mode where it is waiting to receive a firmware upgrade. In this state, the reader will not respond to normal commands and requires a power cycle to return to normal operation. See Appendix A for how to upload firmware using the Thinkify Upgrade Utility. Note Entering bootloader mode un-enumerates the USB port in Windows. Reset into normal code re-enumerates port. This can confuse terminal programs like Tera Term / Hyperterm. After executing the bootloader command disconnect terminal program. After resetting and re-enum then reconnect terminal program. The host Bootloader program provided by Thinkify for firmware upgrades runs the USB interface with a HID windows class driver. (Normal operation is with a windows CDC class driver.) Command Group System Command

<BOOTLOADER><CR>

Bootloader Example READY>bootloader ENTERINGBOOT The reader is now waiting for a firmware upgrade. At this point you may use the Thinkify Upgrade Utility to load new firmware. See Appendix A. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 31

"C" Low-Level Chip Control Registers

"C" Low-Level Chip Control Registers Description The C command and sub-commands are used to set and get the low-level control registers in the AM3392 chip. (An engineering command.) Command Group Engineering / Test Command

<C>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]] see table.

<C><ADDR><VAL> sets a register. ADDR may be one or two nibbles. VAL may be 2 or 6 nibbles. Sub-Commands Sub Command Description C Report all registers Register Description Legal Values for SET

-

0x00 0x01 0x02 0x03 0x04 0x05 0x06 0x07 0x08 Status control (byte) Protocol control (byte) TX option (byte) RX option (byte) TRcal Low reg (byte) TRCal Hi reg (byte) TX Delay (byte) RX No Resp Wait (byte) RX Wait (T1) (byte) The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 32

"C" Low-Level Chip Control Registers Sub Command Description Register Description Legal Values for SET RX Filt Reg (byte) RX Spec2 (byte) Regulator and RF control (byte)

-

IRQ Mask (byte) Test Select Reg (byte) Test Setting reg (word) CLSYS ANAOUT (word) MOD control (word) PLL main control (word) PLL aux control (word) DAC reg (byte) RXLen1 (byte) RXLen2 (byte) 0x09 0x0A 0x0B 0x0C 0x0D 0x0E 0x0F 0x10 0x11 0x12 0x13 0x14 0x15 0x16 0x17 0x18 0x19 0x1A 0x1B 0x1C The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 33

"C" Low-Level Chip Control Registers Sub Command Description Description TXLEN1 (byte) TXLEN2 (byte) Register 0x1D 0x1E Legal Values for SET CS CR Report all shadow registers Resets all registers to program default.

-

-

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 34

"C" Low-Level Chip Control Registers C Command Examples Get all values:

READY>c REG00=0x20 REG01=0x4D REG02=0xE1 REG03=0x92 REG04=0x41 REG05=0xC3 REG06=0x00 REG07=0x05 REG08=0x03 REG09=0x37 REG0A=0x81 REG0B=0x58 REG0C=0x00 REG0D=0x3F REG0E=0x03 REG0F=0x00 REG10=0x78 REG11=0x00 REG12=0x00004000 REG13=0x51 REG14=0x00008413 REG15=0x00403F06 REG16=0x0064A907 REG17=0x00011846 REG18=0x00 REG19=0x00 REG1A=0x00 REG1B=0x00 REG1C=0x00 REG1D=0x00 REG1E=0x00 READY>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 35 D- Diagnostic Functions D- Diagnostic Functions Description The D command and sub-commands are used to control Scope triggers and pulses coming directly from the AM chip. These may be used in troubleshooting and regulatory testing. (An Engineering function.) Command Group Engineering / Test Command

<D>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Sub Command Description DT Set Inventory Parameters to Default Values Legal Values for SET 0..5 0 = No Trigger 1 = Trigger when a SELECT command is sent 2 = Trigger when a QUERY command is sent 3 = Trigger when a ACK command is sent 4 = Trigger when a REQRN command is sent 5 = Trigger when a READ command is sent DD Sends a direct command out the IC. (no Get) Values a mystery --known only to the Dark Code Lord. 0..FF?

D Command Examples GET and SET READY>dt SCOPETRIGGER=0x00 READY>dt4 SCOPETRIGGER=0x04 READY>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 36

"F" RX Filter Control

"F" RX Filter Control Description The F command and sub-commands are used to control the RX baseband filter. These commands may be used in troubleshooting and regulatory testing. (An Engineering test function.) Command Group Engineering / Test Command

<F>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Sub Command Description Legal Values for SET F FH FL FB FS Report current filter settings. Hi Pass value Low Pass Value By Pass Filter Bit 0 = 40 KHz Bit 1 = 160 KHz AC Speedup

-

0..7 0..7 0..3 0..1 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 37

"F" RX Filter Control F Command Examples GET and SET READY>f FILTER PARAMS LOWPASS=6 HIGHPASS=7 BYPASS160=0 BYPASS40=0 ACSPEEDUP=0 READY>fl5 LOWPASS=5 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 38

"G" GPIO Settings

"G" GPIO Settings Description The G command and sub-commands are used to control the GPIO port. These may be used to set/retrieve GPIO pin settings or to set the reader up for triggered reading. Using the GT command, the reader may be configured to read tags in any of the supported inventory modes for either a fixed time after an edge transition or while a pin is held in a particular state. Command Group GPIO Control and Triggering Command

<G>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Sub Command Description Legal Values for SET G G0 G1 GT

-

0..1 0..1 See Description Reports current state of input and output lines Write Output Port 0 (no Get) Write Output Port 1 (no Get) Triggering setup for Autonomous Reading GT<port (nibble)> <active (nibble)> [<type

(nibble)> <action (nibble)> <time (byte)> (if active)]

<TYPE (0= posedge, 1 = negedge, 2= poslevel, 3 neglevel)>

<ACTION (0 = T3, 1= T4, 2 = T5, 3 = T6, 4 = T)>

<TIME (if edge only - range 0x01 to 0xFF in .1sec units for .1 to 25.5 seconds)>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 39

"G" GPIO Settings G Command Examples GET and SET

//Get the current settings READY>g GPINPUT0=1 GPINPUT1=0 GPOUTPUT0=0 GPOUTPUT1=0

//Get Trigger Settings READY>gt TRIGGERTYPE=DISABLED

//Configure for edge trigger on port 1 for 10 seconds (0x0A seconds) READY>gt11040a TRIGGERTYPE=POSEDGE PORT1 TRIGGERACTION=T 0A READY>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 40 I- Inventory Control I- Inventory Control Description The I command and sub-commands are used to set and get the parameters that control the flow of the Gen2 anti-collision algorithm. Modifications to the default parameters may be helpful in cases where there are a large number of tags in the field or when it is desirable to increase the number of redundant reads for a given tag. Command Group Tag Commands Command

<I>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Sub Command Description Legal Values for SET ID II IL IO IQ IS IT Set Inventory Parameters to Default Values Inner Loop Count: Each INNERLOOP runs a tag acquisition STATEMACHINE Gen2 SEL Flag: Value used in QUERY for the SEL field. See G2 spec. (Usually set to 0) Outer Loop Count: Number of FULL INVENTORY ITERATIONS (one iteration is a SELECT group and a INNER LOOP group) Gen2 Q Parameter: The Q used in the QUERY that starts the round Gen2 Session: The session (0 to 3) that will be used for the entire inventory run. Inventory Target: Defines whether the QUERY that initiate round is looking for tags in the A or B state

-

0..FF 0..3 0..FF 0..8 0..3 0..1 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 41 Description I- Inventory Control Legal Values for SET Select Count: Number of times SELECT function is executed - each execution sends every MASK that is enabled Append XPC Data Flag 0..F 0..1 Sub Command IW IX The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 42 I- Inventory Control I Command Examples GET

//Get all parameters READY>i INVENTORY PARAMS SELTYPE=1 SESSION=1 TARGET=0 Q=0x3 OUTERLOOP=0x01 INNERLOOP=0x03 SELECTLOOP=0x1

//Get just the Q value READY>iq Q=0x3 READY>

SET

//Set some values READY>iq3 Q=0x3 READY>ii4 INNERLOOP=0x04

//Set it up to read until interrupted. OuterLoop = 0xFF READY>ioff OUTERLOOP=0xFF READY>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 43

"K" Kill Lock Access Descriptors

"K" Kill Lock Access Descriptors Description The K family of commands are used to control lock kill and access command behavior. The K commands allow the user to get/set passwords used in kill, lock and access operation and specify lock type for the lock commands. These commands are described in detail in the EPC Global C1G2 specification: uhf c1g2_standard- version 1.2.0.pdf Command Group Tag Commands Command

<K>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Sub Command Description KA KAR KL KK Get / Set ACCESS Password KA for get KA<ACCESSPASSWORD> for set. Clears ACCESS Password Get / Set Lock Descriptor Options:

KL Report Lock Descriptor KL<active 1:0> - (De)Activate Lock descriptor KL<active 1:0><LOCKBITS (20 bits in 5 ASCII HEX nibbles)> De)Activate Lock descriptor and Set LOCK value Controls KILL descriptor KK report KILL descriptor KK<active 1:0> activate or de-activate the KILL descriptor Legal Values for SET 32 Bits from 8 Nibbles

-

See Description See Description The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 44

"K" Kill Lock Access Descriptors KK<active 1:0><KILLPASSWORD (16 bit 4 ASCII HEX nibbles)> = activate or de-activate the KILL descriptor and setup KILL password val The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 45

"K" Kill Lock Access Descriptors K Command Examples GET READY>ka ACCESSPASSWORD=00000000 READY>kk ACTIVE=0 KILLPASSWORD=00000000 READY>kl ACTIVE=0 LOCKBITS=00000

//Set the LOCK active READY>kl1 ACTIVE=1 LOCKBITS=00000 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 46

"L" Low-Level Tests

"L" Low-Level Tests Description The LF command and sub-commands are used to monitor read performance for a single tag across frequency. (An engineering test function.) Command Group Engineering / Test Command

<L>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Sub Command LFQ LFD LFA Description Legal Values for SET Reports number of responses to a Query as a function of frequency. (100 Max) Reports values of the reflected power mixers v. frequency. Reports Queries, ACKS and reflected power.

-

-

-

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 47

"L" Low-Level Tests L Command Examples DO (no get or set)

//Perform a Scan

//Frequency Queries Acks Irefl Qrefl READY>lfa 902750 100 100 172 157 903250 100 100 172 155 903750 100 100 172 153

.. 925750 99 99 138 131 926250 90 81 138 132 926750 81 59 138 132 927250 99 89 138 133 READY>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 48 M" MASK / SELECT control M" MASK / SELECT control Description As mentioned in the introductory sections, an inventory may begin with the issuance of one or more Gen2 Select commands to determine which tags participate in the inventory round. When the Select loop runs (see the IW command) each pass through the loop can issue up to four (4) independent Select commands. The parameters associated with these Select commands are stored in the reader's Masks list. When the Select is sent, the ACTIVE flag of each of the four (4) masks is examined in order from 0 to 3. If ACTIVE == 1 the MASK is used to structure the Select command. From a RESET, MASK0 is active (ACTIVE FLAG 1) with a ACTION of 000 (ALL TAGS to A state see G2 spec TABLE6.19 for the 8 possible ACTIONS) and a LEN of 000. This means All tags selected. From a RESET, MASK1, MASK2, MASK3 are set to INACTIVE (ACTIVE FLAG == 0) Command Group Tag Commands Command

<M><SUBCMD><MASKNUM><PARAMS>

Sub-Commands Sub Command Description MA Set Mask Parameters to Default Values. Will put all masks to their defaults from a RESET state. M Command

<M><MASKNUM (0 to 3)>

will GET the values of the requested MASK M Command The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 49 Sub Command M" MASK / SELECT control Description

<M><MASKNUM (0 to 3)><PARAMS>

will PUT a MASK into MASKNUM

<PARAMS>

<ACTIVE (0 or 1)>

0 means inactive, 1 means active

<TTYPE (0 or 1)>

0 means use the current Session (See: IS command) 1 means use SL 100 flag.

<ACTION (0 to 7)>

TODO: Expand this section. Until we do, we recommend you see the EPC Global G2 Spec TABLE 6.19 for the 8 possible ACTIONS. http://www.epcglobalinc.org/standards/uhfc1g2/uhfc1g2_1_2_0-

standard-20080511.pdf

<MEMBANK (0 to 3)>

see G2 spec

<LEN byte>

Number of BITS in mask

<EBVBANK byte(s) (min 1 byte, max 4)>

This is a BIT pointer see annexA G2 spec EBV pointers

<MASK byte(s) (min 0, max 32 bytes)>

Must have enough bytes to meet LEN. All bits are LEFT justified i.e MSB of BYTE0 is first bit of mask MSB of BYTE1 is 8th of mask etc. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 50 M" MASK / SELECT control M Command Example 1 This can be tricky so let's work it out with an example:

Tag=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 With this ID we have an epc with data in the following hex bit positions:

EPC Data 3000

(pc) Bit Position (Hex) 0x10 BBAA 9988 7766 5544 3322 1100 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 Say we want to mask on the first part of the EPC code of this tag. "BBAA" (3000 is the PC word) Recall the Command Structure:

M +

NUM +

ACTIVE +

TTYPE +

ACTION +

MEMBANK +

LEN(1 byte 2 nibbles)+

EBV(1 byte 2 nibbles MIN) +

DATA To Set Mask 0 to look for BAAA in the right position we say:

M + '0'(mask) + '1'(enable) + '0'(ttype) + '0'(action)+ '1' (epc) + '10'

(16 bits) + '20'(pointer) + 'BBAA' (data) Our command should be:

M010011020BBAA We try this out below... GET

//Report mask 0 READY>m0 MASK=0 ACTIVE=1 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 51 M" MASK / SELECT control TARGET=1 ACTION=0 BANK=1 PNTR=00 LEN=00 BITS=

READY>

SET

//Look for some tags... READY>t STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 TAG=3000100000000000000000003582 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000100000000000000000003561 TAG=3000100000000000000000003560 TAG=3000100000000000000000003569 TAG=3000100000000000000000003583 TAG=3000100000000000000000003556 TAG=3000100000000000000000003568 TAG=3000100000000000000000003556 TAG=3000100000000000000000003569 TAG=3000100000000000000000003568 TAG=3000100000000000000000003561 TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 TAG=3000100000000000000000003557 TAG=3000100000000000000000003582 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000100000000000000000003560 TAG=3000100000000000000000003583 STOPINVENTORY=0x0014 0x01C8

//Let's set the reader to only report our favorite tag!

READY>m010011020bbaa MASK=0 ACTIVE=1 TARGET=1 ACTION=0 BANK=1 PNTR=20 LEN=10 BITS=BBAA The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 52 M" MASK / SELECT control READY>t STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100 TAG=3000BBAA99887766554433221100

... STOPINVENTORY=0x000A 0x028C READY>

//Victory!

M Command Example 2 TODO: Add an example that requires bigger EBV pointer... Yuck. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 53

"P" PROTOCOL control (Gen2 Air protocol)

"P" PROTOCOL control (Gen2 Air protocol) Description The reader supports a number of different data rates and modulation modes for communicating with Gen2 RFID tags. This functionality is controlled by the P command. Read performance is closely tied to how the various modulation, tag signaling and data rate parameters interact in a particular use case. Changes away from recommended settings should be done only after sufficient testing demonstrates an improvement. The best settings are often a compromise between read speed and read reliability. In some cases it may be beneficial to change this setting to improve performance in multi-reader environments. Command Group Radio Control Command

<P>[<PARAMS>]<CR>

...

<P><TARI (0 to 2)><MODE (0 to 3)><LF (0 to 4)>

Available Parameters Value TARI Modulation Mode Link Frequency

(MODE) FM0 M2 M4 M8

-

(LF) 40KHz 160 kHz 256 kHz 320 kHz 640 kHz 0 1 2 3 4 6.25 uSec 12.5 uSec 25 uSec

-

-

Recommended Settings TODO: DEFINE Normal Operation The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 54 Dense Reader Environment High Speed Reads of Small Numbers of Tags

"P" PROTOCOL control (Gen2 Air protocol) The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 55

"P" PROTOCOL control (Gen2 Air protocol) P Command Examples Read the current settings READY>p AIR PARAMS TARI=12.5 M=M8 LF=256 READY>

Set to 25 uS TARI, Miller 4, 256 kHz LF READY>p222 AIR PARAMS TARI=25.0 M=M4 LF=256 READY>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 56

"R" RF Control

"R" RF Control Description The R command and sub-commands are used to monitor and control radio functions for power and RF frequency. -These commands are used during regulatory testing or under FCC Part 90, licensed operation of the device they are not to be changed outside of the specified limits except by qualified installers. Command Group Radio Control Command

<R>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Sub Command Description Legal Values for SET RA RO RF RH RF Transmitter Attenuation Non linear function that controls output power. See below. Control status of RF Carrier RO1 = OFF RO2 = IDLE RO3 = ON For test use only. Get/Set the Current RF Frequency. RFXXXXX (Five Decimal Numbers) For test use only. Get/Set the Current Hop Dwell Time The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader 57 Values above the factory default setting for unlicensed operation Do not Change. Engineering test function. Do not Change. Engineering test function. Do not DCN-TF-01009 -007 For test use only.

"R" RF Control Change. Engineering test function. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 58

"R" RF Control R Command Examples Get and Set What's the attenuation?

READY>ra ATTENUATION=6 Change it!

READY>ra3 ATTENUATION=3 READY>

Read Frequency READY>rf FREQ=908250 READY>rf FREQ=905750 READY>rf FREQ=920750 Set to fixed value READY>rf91525 FREQ=915250 READY>rf FREQ=915250 READY>rf FREQ=915250 READY>

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 59

"R" RF Control The RA setting The RA setting controls power output. Higher values yield lower output powers. Empirical data yields a curve like this:

RF Power vs. RA Value

(power in dBm at port) 29 27 25 23 21 19 17 15 m B d

, r e w o P RF Pow er 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 RA Value In normal, unlicensed operation, the RA value should not be set below its factory default value. (Available via an RA command after reader start up.) The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 60

"S" Status Functions

"S" Status Functions Description The S commands are used to control miscellaneous status functions. The SN family controls reporting of inventories that do not result in tag reads. The SL family allows user applications control of the module LEDs. Command Group System Command

<S>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

Sub-Commands Sub Command Description Legal Values for SET SN SN0 SN1 SL SLA SLMX Report Status of the NO TAG reporting flag Turns off NO TAG messages Turns on NO TAG messages Get the control mode for the LEDS Returns: ManualLED or AutoLED = current LED state Set the LED control to Auto (Sniff, Lock, RF power LEDs under Microprocessor control) Set the LED control to Manual (Sniff, Lock, RF power LEDs under program control) and set the state of the LEDs to a the bitmap of X X:

bit0 = LED0 bit1 = LED1 bit2 = LED2 bit3 = LED3

-

-

-

-

0..F The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 61

"S" Status Functions S Command Examples Get and Set Turn on NOTAG Reporting READY>sn1 NOTAG =ENABLED READY>t STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 NOTAG 915250 01 TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 NOTAG 915250 01 NOTAG 915250 01 NOTAG 915250 01 TAG=3000E2003412DC03011756040528 STOPINVENTORY=0x010F 0x328E LED examples Check the state READY>sl AUTOLED=0 Set to manual and a value of A READY>slma MANUALLED=A Set to manual and a value of 5 READY>slm5 MANUALLED=5 Put back to 0 READY>slm0 MANUALLED=0 Back to Auto READY>sla The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 62 AUTOLED=0 READY>

"S" Status Functions The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 63

"T" INVENTORY initiate

"T" INVENTORY initiate Description Attempt to read tags using the current settings. NOTE: This section is in progress. Editing and Fleshing out needed!

Command Group Tag Commands Commentary The ISO-18000-6-C (Gen2) protocol specifies a set of low-level commands that can be used to read and write RFID tags. In practice, much of the detail surrounding how this is done is not important to the end user of an RFID system you just care if the reader reports all the tags and that the data you want to write to them gets written correctly. That said, some knowledge of what's going on can be used to optimize a system to improve read performance, programming reliability and efficiency. What you want to optimize depends on what you are trying to do with the RFID tags. In some cases, you want to read a small number of tags very quickly and get lots of repeated reads of the same tag. E.g., an application where you are using an RFID tag on a runner to determine when he/she crosses the finish line of a race. The extra reads here are useful for determining the best crossing time for the runner. In another case, you care less about the number of redundant reads and more about the number of unique reads you get. An example might be a tool tracking application where you are trying to read all the tagged items within a cabinet and don't want to miss any tags. To handle these and other cases, you can issue a T command in conjunction with the M, I and X commands to fine-tune what is being reported from the tag field and how the reader interacts with the tag population it sees. The T command The T command will do a full dual nested loop: SELECT / QUERY / ACK / REQRN /

ACK / XREAD / XWRITE sequence, reporting tags as they are found, perform XDATA operations, and attempt to force found tags into the opposite A/B state. All aspects of this command are controlled by the reader's global inventory control parameters (see the I command), and the X data descriptor parameters (see the X command). The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 64

"T" INVENTORY initiate The parameters of the SELECT sequence sent in the OUTERLOOP are fully controllable through the MASKCONTROL commands (see the M command). Inclusion, Exclusion, choice of AB, B etc are all under user control. The global parameters OUTERLOOP, INNERLOOP, SELECTLOOP, and Q can be over-

ridden at the command line entry of the command, all other parameters are set globally through the I and X series commands. If an OUTERLOOP value is set to 0xFF, then the T command will loop constantly, i.e never decrementing outerloop, until a char is received on USB port. The same thing will occur on a T(n) with a loop value of 0xFF (equivalent to no loop value given). When sending EPC data out the USB, the option is given to append XEPCDATA. This XEPCDATA is instantaneous value when tag acquired of

<FREQ><OUTERLOOP><INNERLOOP><ROUND><SLOTCOUNT><Q>

XEPCDATA may be enabled with a

<I><X><On or Off> command If, in a T or T(n)command no tags were found a NOTAG message will be sent. In a T this means at every exit from the outer loop, in a T(n) command this means when all slots for the current Q have been tried. The Tn commands:

Tags may also be acquired using the T(n) series of commands. In these commands a minimal series of Air Protocol commands are issued to acquire the tag data. The tags are not removed from the round with a A/B transition, so in general these commands are only useful when the tag population is small. In all of the T(n) commands, sending the command alone will cause the command to execute repeatedly. and will continue until a character is received over the communication port. If the T(n) command is followed by an additional byte, the command will execute in a loop the number of times specified by the value of the byte. In each of the T(n) commands the number of slots tried will be determined by the Global Q value. The Masks sent in the commands that include a SELECT will be determined by the valuse in the Global Mask structure array. Any XDATA processing events will be determined by the values in the XDATADESCRIPTOR array. Note that T1 and T2 modes do NOT send SELECT, so even if masks are active, no masking will occur. Note that T1,T2,T3,T4 commands ignore any active XDATA DESCRIPTORS Command

<T1><LOOPCNT (optional)> send a QUERY/QUERYREP/ACK sequence. Number of The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 65

"T" INVENTORY initiate QUERYREP is determined by the global Q value.

<T2><LOOPCNT (optional)> same as T1, but each tag reported also reports the RF frequency it was aquired with

<T3><LOOPCNT (optional)> send a SELECT/QUERY/QUERYREP/ACK sequence. Number of QUERYREP is determined by the global Q value.

<T4><LOOPCNT (optional)> same as T3, but each tag reported also reports the RF frequency it was aquired with

<T5><LOOPCNT (optional)> same as T3, but XDATA processing will occur for each tag found (adds REQRN/READ and or WRITE commands)

<T6><LOOPCNT (optional)> same as T5, but each tag reported also reports the RF frequency it was acquired with Note that a LOOPCNT value of 0xFF is the same as no value - a continuous loop occurs until a char is received on USB T6 Inventory Return Values... READY>t62 STARTINVENTORY TAG=30001B1B1111383849495A5A6B6B 913250 35 0 7 Q 5108 TAG=30001B1B11113434454556566767 913250 33 6 3 I 5115 TAG=30001B1B11113D3D4E4E5F5F7070 913250 1E 4 8 Q 5137 TAG=30001B1B111139394A4A5B5B6C6C 913250 0B 6 6 I 514D TAG=30001B1B111139394A4A5B5B6C6C 924250 3A 9 5 I 516F TAG=30001B1B1111383849495A5A6B6B 924250 39 6 6 I 517B TAG=30001B1B11113C3C4D4D5E5E6F6F 924250 37 2 4 Q 5188 TAG=30001B1B11113636474758586969 924250 32 5 5 Q 5196 TAG=30001B1B11113737484859596A6A 924250 13 0 6 Q 51BB STOPINVENTORY=0x0009 0x00D0 Returned fields are:

EPC, Frequency, Slot Count, Imag, Qmag, DecodeChan, TimeStamp The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 66

"X" eXtra Data Read and Write Descriptor Control

"X" eXtra Data Read and Write Descriptor Control Description Anytime an EPC code is acquired, the option exists to either read additional data from the tag, or write data to it. These options are controlled by XDATA descriptors managed by the X commands. The Thinkify reader maintains four (4) XDATA read descriptors and four (4) XDATA write descriptors that may be individually configured to perform read/write operations. From RESET all are disabled. When a tag EPC is found each of the descriptors are checked for an ACTIVE condition. If ACTIVE, a read / write at the specified location is performed of specified length and data. Inside the appropriate inventory, (T, T5,T6) the operations will be performed right after the read of the EPC and the data reported in the tag data stream. Command Group Tag Commands Command

<X>[<SUBCMD>[<PARAMS>]]

...

<X><R or W><A OR DESCRIPTORNUM 1 nibble (0 to 3)>[ACTIVE][<PARAMS>]

Flags

<PARAMS>

[#] Descriptor number

[ACTIVE] Descriptor enabled

[MEMBANK] Tag memory bank for the operation

[LEN] Length (in words) of data to be read/written

[EBV] EBV pointer into memory for the start of the operation

[DATA] Bytes to be written. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 67 Sub-Commands Sub Command

"X" eXtra Data Read and Write Descriptor Control Description Legal Values for SET XR XRR XR[#]

Report all XDATA read descriptors Reset all XDATA read descriptors Report a given XDATA read descriptor XR[#][ACTIVE]

Control Active flag for XDATA read descriptor

[#]

-

-

0..3 0..1 XR[#][ACTIVE][...] When a tag EPC is found each of the 4 descriptors are checked for Active condition. If active, a read at the specified location is performed of specified length. See Description XR[#][ACTIVE][MEMBANK][LEN][EBV (up to 4)]- Full control of a read descriptor

[MEMBANK] = 0..3

[LEN] = 1..8 Number of words to read

[EBV] = Word pointer into memory. 1-4 Bytes. XWR XW[#]

Reset all XDATA write descriptors Report a given XDATA read descriptor XW[#][ACTIVE]

Control Active flag for XDATA write descriptor

[#]

XW[#][ACTIVE][...] When a tag EPC is found each of the 4 descriptors are checked for Active condition. If active, a write at the specified location is performed of specified length with DATA provided.

-

0..3 0..1 See Description XW[#][ACTIVE][MEMBANK][LEN][EBV (up to 4)]- Full control of a read descriptor

[MEMBANK] = 0..3

[LEN] = 1..8 Number of Words to write

[EBV] = Word pointer into memory. 1-4 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 68

"X" eXtra Data Read and Write Descriptor Control Sub Command Description Legal Values for SET

[DATA] = Data to write to the Bytes. location X Command Examples Example 1 Read extra data in an inventory.

//Read a tag w/ Default parameters. READY>t STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 STOPINVENTORY=0x0001 0x004A

//set descriptor 0 to read BANK 1 LENGTH 4 WORDADDRESS 02 READY>xr011402 RDDESCRIPTOR=0 ACTIVE=1 BANK=1 LEN=4 PNTR=02

//Look for the extra data READY>t STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 XRD0 E2003411B8020110 STOPINVENTORY=0x0001 0x0039

//Victory!

Example 2 Use the T6 command with 0x10 iterations to read the data requested in the descriptor above. READY>t6A STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 924250 05 E B I 1FBF XRD0 E2003411B8020110 TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 926750 00 E C Q 1FF0 XRD0 E2003411B8020110 TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 926750 02 E C Q 2007 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 69

"X" eXtra Data Read and Write Descriptor Control XRD0 E2003411B8020110 TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 926750 06 E C I 201E XRD0 E2003411B8020110 TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 926750 02 E C I 2038 XRD0 E2003411B8020110 TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 926750 06 E C Q 204F XRD0 E2003411B8020110 TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 926750 05 E C Q 2068 XRD0 E2003411B8020110 TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 926750 03 E C I 2081 XRD0 E2003411B8020110 STOPINVENTORY=0x0008 0x00DB Example 3 Set write descriptor to write 3 words with data AABBCCDDEEFF to bank 1 word 2 and write it into a tag.

//1st read a tag READY>t STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 STOPINVENTORY=0x0001 0x0034

//Set up to rewrite a portion of the EPC READY>xw011302AAAABBBBCCCC WRDESCRIPTOR=0 ACTIVE=1 BANK=1 LEN=3 PNTR=02 WRITE DATAAAAABBBBCCCC

//Read the tag again and perform the write operation READY>t STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000E2003411B802011029356733 XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS STOPINVENTORY=0x0001 0x005E

//Read again and we see the new EPC READY>t STARTINVENTORY TAG=3000AAAABBBBCCCC011029356733 XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS STOPINVENTORY=0x0001 0x003C READY>

//Victory!

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 70

"X" eXtra Data Read and Write Descriptor Control Example 4 You can use a T6 inventory command with 0xA iterations to perform the write - write proceeds partially if it cannot be completed in one operation. The WRITE success operation is given when all data matches the requested write field. Once the data matches all XWR messages will indicate success with no further actual write attempts. Any XREAD or XWRITE that does not complete successfully will return an error code. Note that in the case of a WRITE, some portion of the WRITE may complete and still return an error code, if multiple word writes are requested. Also note that in the case of a WRITE an error code will be generated if the ASYNC response from the tag is improperly decoded, although the WRITE may have worked. READY>xw0114021111222233334444 WRDESCRIPTOR=0 ACTIVE=1 BANK=1 LEN=4 PNTR=02 WRITE DATA=1111222233334444 READY>t610 STARTINVENTORY

//First inventory loop TAG=3000AAAABBBBCCCC011029356742 919750 07 C E Q CB2D XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS

//Next loop shows new id. TAG=3000111122223333444429356742 919750 05 C E I CB83 XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS TAG=3000111122223333444429356742 919750 00 C E I CBC5 XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS TAG=3000111122223333444429356742 919750 07 C E I CBE4 XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS TAG=3000111122223333444429356742 919750 03 C E Q CC07 XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS TAG=3000111122223333444429356742 919750 01 C E I CC29 XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS TAG=3000111122223333444429356742 919750 00 C E I CC4E XWR0 WRITE SUCCESS STOPINVENTORY=0x0007 0x014F

//Victory!

Example 5 SET a write descriptor, then GET it The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 71

"X" eXtra Data Read and Write Descriptor Control READY>xw0114021111222233334444 WRDESCRIPTOR=0 ACTIVE=1 BANK=1 LEN=4 PNTR=02 WRITE DATA=1111222233334444 READY>xw0 WRDESCRIPTOR=0 ACTIVE=1 BANK=1 LEN=4 PNTR=02 WRITE DATA=1111222233334444 The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 72 Appendix A. Using the Thinkify Firmware Update Utility Appendix A. Using the Thinkify Firmware Update Utility From time to time, Thinkify will issue upgrades to the reader firmware that add new features, improve performance or fix issues we uncover. These upgrades are distributed as a special file with a .hex extension. .hex files are named with the following format:

PIC_YYMMDD_MmR.hex Where:

YY = Year MM=Month DD=Day M=Major version number m=Minor version number R=Revision number To Upgrade your reader, place it into bootloader mode and then use the firmware upgrade utility to install the file. (See the Bootloader command ) From Hyperterminal or TeraTerm, Type:

bootloader<cr>

at the Ready>

prompt. You should see a message that the reader is entering bootloader mode. Once in that mode, the reader will no longer respond to regular commands until it is reset. Two of the LEDs on the front of the unit will rapidly flash back and forth indicating that the reader is waiting for a firmware upgrade. The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 73 Appendix A. Using the Thinkify Firmware Update Utility

(LEDs are now flashing) Close Hyperterminal and open the firmware update utility. You should see a message that the program has detected the device: Device attached. Click Open Hex file and select the firmware upgrade file from the file manager window:

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 74 Appendix A. Using the Thinkify Firmware Update Utility At this point Click the Program/Verify button to start the upgrade. The program will erase the old firmware, install the new firmware and verify that the installation went ok. Click the Reset Device button to take the reader out of bootloader mode and note that the upgrade utility detected that the device has been removed. Close the upgrade utility, and restart Hyperterminal. Using the v command you can verify your new firmware version:

The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 75 Appendix A. Using the Thinkify Firmware Update Utility Congratulations! You've been upgraded... The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 76 Appendix B. GPIO Port PENDING... Appendix B. GPIO Port The TR200 Desktop RFID Reader DCN-TF-01009 -007 77