RM300使用手冊
RM300使用手冊
RM300使用手冊
- RM300 -
User Manual
Version 1.0
Copyright 2012 Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Unitech is a registered trademark of Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd.
Copyright 2012 Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Unitech is a registered trademark of Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Hardware Overview .................................................................................................................. 1
Introducing the RM300 UHF RFID Reader Module ................................................................ 1
Features .............................................................................................................................. 1
Specifications ...................................................................................................................... 2
Package Content .................................................................................................................... 3
Tour of the RM300 UHF RFID Reader Module ....................................................................... 4
Installing the IndyTool ............................................................................................................. 4
Installation Procedure ............................................................................................................. 4
Connecting the RM300 to a PC .............................................................................................. 5
Chapter 2
IndyTool for Configuration and Development........................................................................ 9
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 9
Overview ............................................................................................................................. 9
Indy Tool General Usage ........................................................................................................ 9
Info Bar ............................................................................................................................. 11
Enumerate......................................................................................................................... 11
Connect............................................................................................................................. 12
Disconnect and Reset ....................................................................................................... 13
Cancel and Abort............................................................................................................... 13
IndyTool Functions................................................................................................................ 13
Register Access ................................................................................................................ 13
Tag Access........................................................................................................................ 15
Scripts ............................................................................................................................... 16
Profile ................................................................................................................................ 18
Inventory ........................................................................................................................... 19
Tx Control.......................................................................................................................... 21
Command.......................................................................................................................... 22
GPIO ................................................................................................................................. 23
NV Mem ............................................................................................................................ 23
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Macros .............................................................................................................................. 24
Sensors ............................................................................................................................. 25
Mac Error .......................................................................................................................... 25
Calibration ......................................................................................................................... 26
Help................................................................................................................................... 27
Chapter 3
Indy Tracer for Demonstration .............................................................................................. 29
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 29
Tracer Installation ................................................................................................................. 29
Tracer Usage ........................................................................................................................ 30
Known Issues ....................................................................................................................... 54
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Copyright 2012 Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Unitech is a registered trademark of Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd.
Chapter 1
Hardware Overview
Introducing the RM300 UHF RFID Reader Module
Unitechs RM300 is a high-performance UHF RFID reader module based on the Impinj R2000
chip. It is compliant with EPC C1 Gen2 / ISO 18000-6C and FCC modular approval
requirements.
RM300 has two (MMCX) antenna connectors that can be configured as one bi-static antenna
or two mono-static antennas. It also supports dense reader mode (DRM), anti-collision, and
Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) features. RM300 has a long operating distance of up to 9 meters
when its adjustable TX power is set to 30 dBm with a 6 dBi antenna.
RM300 is small (76.5 mmx 50 mm x 4.2 mm) and ideal for adding UHF RFID read/write
capabilities to a wide range of products and solutions, such as RFID handheld PDA, label
printers, and stationary readers.
RM300 uses Serial and USB interfaces to connect to an external processor board or PC host.
Unitech offers a starter kit to enable you to design RM300 into your products quickly and easily.
This kit includes SDK, demo code, driver, and documentation. With its tiny size, excellent
operating range, and high quality UHF RFID technology, RM300 is the perfect solution for
embedded RFID applications.
Features
Complaint with EPC C1 Gen2 / ISO 18000-6C and FCC modular approval requirements
Supporting Dense Reader Mode (DRM) and Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) features
Meeting worldwide regulatory: FCC (US), SRRC (China), TELEC (Japan), NCC (Taiwan)
Two (MMCX) antenna connectors that can be configured as one bi-static antenna or two
mono-static antennas
Adjustable transmit output level control from 5 dBm to 30 dBm in 1 dB step
Maximum tag read rate of over 100 tags per second
Maximum tag read distance of 27 feet (9 m) with 6 dBi antenna
Easy to use Starter Kit to shorten product development time
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Specifications
Protocol
RFID
Architecture
RFID ASIC
Processor
Power
Voltage
Current Consumption
Interface
Connector
UART
USB
GPIO
API Interface
RF
Antenna Connector
Frequency
TX power
Frequency Stability
Harmonic performance
Modulation Depth
Data Encoding
Bit Rate
Performance
Tag Read Rate
Over 100 tags/second
Inventory Reliability
Through anti-collision
Tag Read Distance
27 feet (9m) with a 6 dBi antenna (36 dBm EIRP)
Compliance
Regulatory
FCC 47 CFR Ch. 1 Part 15 , SRRC, TELEC, NCC
Environmental Compliance
Temperature Range
Operating: -20 to +60 degree C,
Storage: -30 to + 85 degree C
Humidity
10% ~ 85% Non-condensing
Electrostatic Discharge
10 KV to antenna conductor with the antenna attached
Shock & Vibration
TBD
Physical
Dimensions
76.5mm L X 50mm W X 4.2 mm H
Software
Platform support
PC Windows OS & WinCE SDK
Development Tools
Visual studio with C#/C++/VB.NET
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Package Content
Check the package before connecting and operating the RM300. If one or more items in this
package are lost, contact your local dealer.
Power Adaptor
Interface board
USB Cable
Antenna
RFID Tag
RS232 Cable
Integration Guide CD
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Power Inlet
Debug Port
UART Port
Installation Procedure
1. Double click the IndyTool installer file, IndyTool v2.4.2.msi, to launch the installation wizard.
2. When prompted, designate the desired installation directory. The default is: [Program
Files]\IMPINJ\IndyTool v2.4.2
3. Installation includes the C++ runtime libraries and adds a desktop shortcut to the IndyTool
application.
4. To Start the IndyTool application:
a. Double click the desktop shortcut, or
b. Use the Start Menu. For example, if installed to the default directory:
Click Start, select All Programs, IMPINJ, Impinj IndyTool v2.4.2, and click IndyTool.
c. Open the IndyTool installation folder and double click IndyTool.exe.
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3. Connect the interface board to a PC by using a miniUSB cable (default setting) or a RS232
cable, respectively described in options 3a and 3b.
Option a: By using a miniUSB cable
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or
Option b: By using a RS232 cable
4. Insert the power connector into the power inlet on the interface board, and then plug the
power adapter into an electrical socket.
5. Insert the connector of antenna into one of the two antenna ports of the RM300 UHF RFID
Reader Module. You can connect at most two antennae at the same time.
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6. Open the IndyTool. Click Start to scan RFID tags by using the RM300 UHF RFID Reader
module.
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Note: The GPIO settings can be turned on optionally by hardware or software, as illustrated
below.
By hardware, push the GPIO switches to the left.
By software, use the IndyTool to turn on the GPIO settings. The General purpose GPIO can be
configured as Input or Ouptut and the corresponding state is also reflected. The Refresh button
can be used to update the states of the GPIOs configured as input. The greyed state boxes
reflect the Input State. When configured as GPOs the state becomes user selectable.
The ARM GPOs can be set Low and High via the ARM GPO control box.
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Chapter 2
IndyTool for Configuration and Development
Introduction
Overview
The IndyTool is a .Net-based graphical user interface (GUI) tool that uses the Indy RFID Host
Library API to exercise the functionality of the reader platform, a platform that is based on the
Indy chip and firmware.
The IndyTool is dynamically linked to the Indy RFID Host Library. Therefore, there is no need to
install the interface library separately. However, the USB / UART host driver must be installed
prior to using IndyTool.
IndyTool is supported on Windows XP only.
The goal of this document is to explain the operation of the tool. This document does not
explain the underlying RFID functionality that it is controlling via the Indy RFID Host Library
API.
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The target usage for IndyTool is for Engineering Development. The scope of this document
is to describe the functions in IndyTool and is not meant to describe the MAC firmware
fundamentals, which are a prerequisite to utilizing the system as a whole.
Status Window
The status window shows the outcome of a user command. All commands and functions will
generate some form of feedback in this window.
1. Clear Button Clears the current contents of the status window.
2. Save Button Save the current contents of the status window to a specified file.
3. Skip Button Skips all current status messages queued up by the application for display.
Under some high message traffic conditions, the status window will queue up messages for
display because it may not be able to keep up with influx of messages. This button will flush
the current queue and indicate in the status window how many messages were skipped and
show the tail end of the message queue.
4. Remaining This is count of queued up status messages waiting to be displayed in the
status window. The Skip button is most useful when this count is very large and can be
useful to flush the messages and see the final status in the queue.
5. Status Options Special options for controlling the status window:
a. Keep History [Checked] Append all status messages. [Unchecked] Clear status
window upon each command operation.
b. Status Timestamps [Checked] Show local timestamp on each status message.
[Unchecked] No timestamp.
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c. Read Only [Checked] Does not allow user to input any text in status window.
[Unchecked] Allows the user to input notes in the status window, which can be useful
when logging data and results.
d. Large Window Buffer Increases the size of the window buffer before flushing.
6. Packet Options Special options for controlling Indy packet displaying
a. Decoded Packets Displays high level decoded packet information.
b. Raw Packets 8 Displays raw packet data in bytes.
c. Raw Packets 32 Displays raw packet data in 32-bit words.
d. Packet Timestamps Displays packet timestamps in milliseconds (when available in
the packet).
Status Timestamps
<2/18/2010 11:05:49 AM> Inv, 42, -78.0, 3000, 11112222CCCCDDDDEEEEFFFF, 7098
Decoded Packets
Inv, 42, -78.0, 3000, 11112222CCCCDDDDEEEEFFFF, 7098
Raw Packets 8
Inv, 42, -78.0, 3000, 11112222CCCCDDDDEEEEFFFF, 7098
T:0005 V:01 F:02 L:0007 [ 45 6A 0A 00 58 6D 04 01 4A FE 00 00 30 00 AA AA BB BB CC CC DD DD EE EE FF FF 4A 5B ]
Raw Packets 32
Inv, 42, -78.0, 3000, 11112222CCCCDDDDEEEEFFFF, 7098
T:0005 V:01 F:02 L:0007 [ 000A6A45 01046D58 0000FE4A AAAA0030 CCCCBBBB EEEEDDDD 5B4AFFFF ]
Packet Timestamps
[682579] Inv, 42, -78.0, 3000, 11112222CCCCDDDDEEEEFFFF, 7098
The status window will self flush automatically when the status window buffer is full. The
window will indicate how many times it has self flush at the top of the status window. The
current windows buffer if 2^16 characters which is approximately equivalent ot 1500
singulations of 96-bit EPCs. Use the large window buffer option to increase the windows buffer
to 2^22.
The Help Tab contains the decoded packet descriptions for reference. The following is the
summary of the decoded packet formats:
Inv, NB Rssi (d), Rssi (d), PC (h), EPC (h), CRC (h), TID (h)
Access, Command (s), Tag Error (h), Proto Error (h), Write Count (d), Data[] (h)
Debug, Overflow (d), Underflow (d), Data Type (d), Timestamp (d), Id (d), Counter (d),
Data[] (h)
XY-Pair, Id (d), Calculation Time Us (d), X (d), Y (d), Res0 (d), Res1 (d), Res2 (d), Res3 (d)
Info Bar
The Info Bar indicates when a reader is connected or when no reader is connected. The Info
Bar will also indicate the type of connection either USB or UART.
Enumerate
The Enumerate Button will execute the reader enumeration process. The application will scan
the USB interface and the selected COM port for valid readers. The enumeration is only
performed when the application is started and when the user presses this button. If a new
reader is connected after the application is started, the enumeration process must be executed
to control the reader. The reader list will be repopulated when the enumeration is complete. If
the reader is not in the pull down list, check the cable connections to make sure the reader is
connected correctly. Depending on the situation and nature of readers using the UART port, if
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the reader is not responding (in UART mode) it is best to shutdown the application and restart
to re-enumerate the radio.
When changing the COM port to enumerate, the application will need to be restarted (as
indicated in the status window) to apply the settings. The RFIDcomm.cfg is used to configure
the COM port to control, and by default (after installation) it is set to COM1.
Connect
The Connect Button will attempt to make a connection to the reader selected in the pull down
menu. Upon a successful connection, a new set of menus will appear as shown in the following
figure. If the reader is not connected successfully, it will be indicted in the status window and no
menus will appear.
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Connect
Serial Number: impinjserialnum01
MAC Version: 2.2.0.240 (CRC FFFFFFFF)
RFTrans Info: R1000 (000C00B0)
Host To MAC Interface: USB
Build Target: 1
Region: FCC (0)
Connect Success
The Info Bar will be updated with the name of the connected Reader and the activated Host To
MAC interface.
IndyTool Functions
These sections describe the functions found in the visible menus when a reader is successfully
connected.
Register Access
The Register Access menu is shown in the following figure.
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Tag Access
The Tag Access menu is shown in the following figure.
Depending on the function selected, the appropriate inputs fields are displayed and valid
values are required for all fields.
Tag Access
Tag Access [Read]
Read = Bank:EPC Offset:0002 Count:0001 APwd:00000000
Command Begin (Cmd = 0010)
EPC = 3000CFE900238C87234200000000
Read = Flags:80 TagErr:00 ProtErr:0000 Data:CFE9
Command End (Status = 0000)
Access Count = 1
Tag Read Executed
Tag Access [Write]
Write = Bank:EPC Offset:0002 Value:1234 Count:0001 APwd:00000000
Command Begin (Cmd = 0011)
EPC = 3000CFE900238C87234200000000
Write = Flags:00 TagErr:00 ProtErr:0000 WriteCount: 1
Command End (Status = 0000)
Access Count = 1
Tag Write Executed
Scripts
The Scripts menu is shown in the following figure.
Batch Script
The Batch Access allows a user to have preconfigured access scripts to quickly configure the
reader for a specific operation. When the Run is pressed a dialog box prompts the user to
select a batch file for execution. The batch files are basic ASCII text with specific commands to
execute in order. There is a Syntax Help button to assist a user with the script format when
operating IndyTool without the manual. The ReRun Button will re-run the last loaded script file
without prompting.
The Batch Script Syntax format legend is as follows:
Batch Script Help
Legend
* Decimal value or Hex Value (0x_)
** Same as *, but in addition -1 for all banks
# is the comment character
'durationMs' - Indicates time in ms before sending cancel
'inventory' - Executes inventory command and dumps summary upon completion
Commands
script,sleep,*durationMs
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mac,command,*id
mac,command,*id,*durationMs
mac,engtest,subcmd,arg0,arg1
mac,engtest,subcmd,arg0,arg1,*durationMs
mac,inventory
mac,inventory,*durationMs
mac,read,*address
mac,read,*address,*count
mac,write,*address,*data
macbank,read,*address,**bank
macbank,read,*address,**bank,*count
macbank,write,*address,*bank,*data
bypass,read,*address
bypass,read,*address,*count
bypass,write,*address,*data
oem,read,*address
oem,read,*address,*count
oem,write,*address,*data
single_entry,*address,*data
linkprofile,read,*address,*id
linkprofile,read,*address,*id,*count
linkprofile,write,*address,*id,*data
The JScript feature is legacy feature from the original MACTool which IndyTool is replacing.
The low level MacComDirect Library is used to execute these JScripts. IndyTool provides a
GUI interface to run these scripts. However, when IndyTool is installed, the MacComDirect is
registered in the system so that a JScript can be run outside the IndyTool application.
An example JScript is included in the installation directory as a sample. The example script is
called Example.js. The example will query and display the current MAC Error in a pop up box.
Disconnect
Disconnect Success
JScript Select File
JScript Run Begin
Script: C:\Program Files\IMPINJ\Impinj IndyTool v2.2.0\JScripts\Example.js
JScript Run Success
Connect
Serial Number: impinjserialnum01
MAC Version: 2.2.0.240
RFTrans Info: R1000 (000C00B0)
Host To MAC Interface: USB
Build Target: 1
Region: FCC (0)
Connect Success
Profile
The Profile menu is shown in the following figure.
PW: 12500
RTCal: 75000
TRCal: 200000
DR: 2
Miller Number: 0
TRLink Frequency: 40000
Var T2 Delay: 51
Rx Delay: 577
Min To T2 Delay: 75
Tx Prop Delay: 24
RSSI Configuration: 0x00000000
Get Link Profile Success
The Set profile function will execute the Set Current Profile Command.
Set Link Profile
Profile Number: 0
Command Begin (Cmd = 0019)
Command End (Status = 0000)
Set Link Profile Success
The Get Current function will read the current and active profile numbers.
Get Current Link Profile
Current Profile Number: 0
Active Profile Number: 0
Get Current Link Profile Success
Inventory
The Inventory menu is shown in the following figure.
Frequency. If no test frequency is set an error will occur. The HST_CYCLES will also be set
to 0xFFFF. The continuous_tx bit in HST_TEST_INVENTORY_CFG will also be set.
The Start and Stop can be used to initiate and terminate the selected inventory option. Stop is
the equivalent to the Cancel Command.
The note indicates that the Inventory must be preconfigured prior to executing the command
(other than the registers that will be explicitly set by IndyTool as described). It is assumed that
the user has preconfigured all the parameters using the Register Access menu.
After the Inventory command is complete, the basic singulation rate, tag count, duration and
unique count are displayed to the user.
Inventory
Command Begin (Cmd = 000F)
EPC = 3000CFE900238C87234200000000
EPC = 3000CFE900238C87234200000000
EPC = 3000CFE900238C87234200000000
EPC = 3000CFE900238C87234200000000
Command End (Status = 0000)
Singulation Rate =34.95 tags/second (70 tags in 2.00 sec, 1 Unique)
Inventory Success
The Logical Antena 0 control box allows the configuration of the ohysical antenna port and
power level.
The Test Frequency control box allows the configuration of the test frequency for the test
modes.
The Info control box allows for statistical data to be dumped to the status window.
The Inventory Info has four functions:
1) Summary This will provide an overview of statistics of the inventory as a whole
Inventory Summary
Status: Completed without errors
Start Time: 1630896 ms (27.2 min)
End Time: 1635611 ms (27.3 min)
Duration: 4715 ms (4.7 sec)
Rate: 57.90 tags/second
Total Tags: 273
Total Unique Tags: 1
Time To See All Once: 20 ms
Inital Inactivity Time: 20 ms
Max Inactivity Time: 47 ms
Final Inactivity Time: 0 ms
Min Rssi: -44.3 dBm
Max Rssi: -42.8 dBm
Inventory Summary Success
2) Statistics This will provide an overview of Gen2 Interface statistics of the inventory as a
whole
Inventory Statistics
Duration: 4.72 sec
Query: 286 (60.64 / sec)
RN16 Received: 273 (57.89 / sec)
RN16 Timeout: 4024 (853.27 / sec)
EPC Timeout: 0 (0.00 / sec)
Tag Read: 273 (57.89 / sec)
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3) Configuration This will provide an overview of all the configuration settings for the
inventory.
Inventory Configuration
Algorithm: 1
Stop After N Tags: 0
Issue Select: False (0)
Disable Inventory After Select: False (0)
Query Target: S0 (0)
Query Session: S2 (2)
Query Select Action: ASLINVA_NOTHING (1)
Start Q: 4
Max Q: 15
Min Q: 0
Threshold Multiplier: 4
Query Retry Count: 0
AB Flip: True (1)
Run Until Zero: False (0)
Inventory Configuration Success
4) Tag Data This will provide an overview of all the individual tag statistics.
Inventory Tag Data
EPC, Count, First Seen (ms), Last Seen (ms), Min Rssi (dBm), Max Rssi (dBm)
3000AAAABBBBCCCCDDDDEEEEFFFF, 273, 20, 4715, -44.3, -42.8
Inventory Tag Data Success
5) Options This provides an ability to toggle the TagFocus or FastID feature in the Indy
Firmware.
Tx Control
The Tx Control menu is shown in the following figure.
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Command
The Command menu is shown in the following figure.
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GPIO
The GPIO menu is shown in the following figure.
The General purpose GPIO can be configured as Input or Output and the corresponding state
is also reflected. The Refresh button can be used to update the states of the GPIOs configured
as input. The greyed state boxes reflect the Input State. When configured as GPOs the state
becomes user selectable.
The ARM GPOs can be set Low and High via the ARM GPO control box.
NV Mem
The NV Mem menu is shown in the following figure.
B) Starting NV Memory Address Either a fixed Address or custom Address can be selected.
For fixed address the options are CODE (0x100000), OEM (0x137C00), INIT_OEM
(0x0013FFF8). A custom address can be entered for special cases. To use the fixed
address, the custom address must be blank.
C) Test Download Selects whether to do perform a Test download or an actual download.
When the download button is pressed, the NV Mem sequence commences. If successful,
the reader will reboot itself and IndyTool will ask the user to wait 10 seconds and then self
disconnect from the reader. When the success is indicated, the user can reconnect to the
reader once it is reset.
2. Format OEM This is used to initialize the OEM space for a specific platform. The pull
down menu provides the various options for the various supported platforms. The
User_Configured option can always be used, but the appropriate Format OEM
preconditions in the MAC Registers must be configured manually by the user (see the MAC
Register document for further details).
3. Reset To Bootloader - Allows a user to reset the firmware to the bootloader code.
4. Unlock Sector 0 Allows a user to unlock Sector 0 for performing NV Mem updates in that
sector.
Macros
The Macros menu is shown in the following figure.
7. Create OEM Batch Reads the entire OEM space and prompts the user for a file name to
save a Batch script that can be used to write the entire OEM space back to a reader.
Essentially saves the OEM state to a file so that it can be preserved, and the Batch Access
function in the Register Access menu can be used to restore the state.
Sensors
The Sensors menu is shown in the following figure.
Mac Error
The Mac Error menu is shown in the following figure.
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Calibration
The Calibration menu is shown in the following figure.
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Help
The Help menu is shown in the following figure.
The is no function available in the Help Menu. This menu is for a quick summary of all the other
available functions in other menus.
The Tools section describes all the functions in the specific tabs. The Packet Display Options
section describes the various packet formats and the options related to displaying packets.
The Status Display Options section describes options related to the Status Display Window.
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Chapter 3
Indy Tracer for Demonstration
Introduction
The Tracer application is a .NET-based graphical user interface (GUI) tool that uses the Indy
RFID Host Library API to exercise the functionality of the reader platform, a platform that is
based on the Indy R1000 and R2000 chip, and Indy R1000 and R2000 firmware respectively.
Tracer is dynamically linked to the Indy RFID Host Library. Therefore, there is no need to install
the interface library separately. However, the USB / UART host driver must be installed prior to
using Tracer.
Tracer is supported on Windows XP only.
The goal of this document is to explain the operation of the tool. This document does not
explain the underlying RFID functionality that it is controlling via the Indy RFID Host Library
API.
Tracer Installation
Installation Requirements
Tracer requires Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 (or later). Tracer also
relies on release 2.0 of the Microsoft .Net Framework. The Tracer setup program checks to
ensure that the correct version of the .Net Framework is installed. If the correct version is not
installed, the Tracer setup program offers to install it. The user may also download and install a
copy of the .Net Framework from the Microsoft Windows Update Site
(http://update.microsoft.com/) or the Microsoft Download Center
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/).
To communicate with the reader, the current version of the USB / UART host driver must be
installed. See the Indy SDK Getting Started Guide for additional information.
To take advantage of the data import/export feature, Microsoft Excel 2003 is required.
Installation
It is possible for multiple versions of Tracer to co-exist on a single system, so long as a unique
install path is used for each, such as the default installation directory.
Installation Procedure
To install the Tracer tool:
1. Double click the Tracer installer file, Tracer v2.4.
2. 2.msi, to launch the installation wizard.
3. When prompted, designate the desired installation directory. The default is [Program
Files]\IMPINJ\Tracer v2.4.2\. 3. Installation includes the C++ runtime libraries and adds a
desktop shortcut to the Tracer application.
4. To Start the Tracer application:
Double click the desktop shortcut, or
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Use the Start Menu. For example, if installed to the default directory:
Click Start, Select All Programs, IMPINJ, Impinj Tracer v2.4.2, Click Tracer.
Open the Tracer installation folder and double click Tracer.exe.
Removal Procedure
To uninstall the Tracer tool:
1. Click Start, Select All Programs, IMPINJ, Impinj Tracer v2.4.2, Click Uninstall Tracer.
2. When prompted to uninstall this product, click Yes.
Alternatively:
1. Open the Control Panel and select Add or Remove Programs.
2. Select the entry for the Tracer version to uninstall and click Change/Remove.
3. When prompted to remove this product, click Yes.
Configuring for UART Operation
In the installation directory there is a file called RFIDcomm.cfg. This file contains the COM Port
number if UART operation is desired. The Tracer program will need to be restarted if this files is
changed. With UART operation, only a single reader can be controlled.
Tracer Usage
This section describes the features of the Tracer Application.
Tracer has been adapted with reader platform differences in mind. Consequently, Tracer
version 2.2.0 supports both the Indy R1000-based and R2000-based reader, hereafter referred
to as the reader.
Tracer Appearance
The Tracer consists of a main display window and a floating control panel window. See figure
below.
The main window contains a menu and a main display area used to show different views of
the data received from the reader.
The floating control panel is used to start, stop, and pause inventory rounds, and to perform
other reader actions.
Tracer User Interface Main Window (left) and Control Panel (right)
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Controlling a Device
After making a selection from the Device menu, you can control the active reader from the
Reader Control menu or from the floating Control Panel. The figure below shows the Control
Panel buttons and describes the actions they perform.
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Tag Access
Selecting the Tag Access option presents the user with the configuration dialog shown in the
figure below.
From the Tag Access dialog box, the user can perform many different access operations
against tags as follows.
Access Type Read
Selecting the Read Access Type option displays the configuration dialog shown in the
figure above.
From this dialog, the user can perform a read operation against tags and can provide
the following configurable parameters:
Memory Bankthe target for the read operation, has selectable values of either
the EPC, TID, User, or Reserved memory bank
Offsetthe offset in hexadecimal of the first 16-bit word to read from the target
memory bank
Countthe number of 16-bit words to read, starting at Offset
Access Pwdthe previously applied access password for the target tag, or no
entry for tags with no access permissions
Output from read operations is directed to the primary application window.
Access Type Write
Selecting the Write Access Type option displays the configuration dialog shown in the
figure below.
From this dialog, the user can perform a write operation against tags and can provide
the following configurable parameters:
Memory Bankthe target for the write operation, has selectable values of either
the EPC, TID, User, or Reserved memory bank
Offsetthe offset in hexadecimal of the first 16-bit word to write from the target
memory bank
Countthe number of 16-bit words to read, starting at Offset
Value 1the hexadecimal value of the 16-bit word to write at Offset
Value 2the hexadecimal value of the 16-bit word to write at Offset+1, applicable
if Count is 2
Access Pwdthe previously applied access password for the target tag, or no
entry for tags with no access permissions.
Output from write operations is directed to the primary application window.
Access Type Kill
The kill operation allows the user to render any tag with a matching access and kill
password as permanently non-functional. Selecting the Kill Access Type option displays the
configuration dialog shown in the figure below.
Note: Tags with a value of zero for their password are not expected to respond to the kill
command.
Access Type Lock
The lock operation allows the user to specify the desired exposure of tag kill and access
password permissions. It also allows the user to specify write permission and condition levels
for the EPC, TID, and User memory banks. Selecting the Lock Access Type option displays the
dialog box shown in the figure below.
Note that all permissions are set in a single operation. In many circumstances, it may be
desirable to leave one or more of the target passwords or permissions in an unmodified state.
To do this, select the NO_CHANGE option for those targets.
Access Type BlockWrite
Selecting the BlockWrite Access Type option displays the configuration dialog shown in
the figure below.
From this dialog, the user can perform a block write operation against tags and can
provide the following configurable parameters:
Memory Bankthe target for the read operation, has selectable values of either
the EPC, TID, User, or Reserved memory bank
Offsetthe offset in hexadecimal of the first 16-bit word to read from the target
memory bank
Countthe number of 16-bit words to read, starting at Offset
Value 1the hexadecimal value of the 16-bit word to write at Offset
Value 2the hexadecimal value of the 16-bit word to write at Offset+1, applicable
if Count is 2.
Access Pwdthe previously applied access password for the target tag, or no
entry for tags with no access permissions.
Output from block write operations is directed to the primary application window.
Access Type BlockErase
Selecting the BlockErase Access Type option displays the configuration dialog shown in
the figure below.
From this dialog, the user can perform a read operation against tags and can provide
the following configurable parameters:
Memory Bankthe target for the read operation, has selectable values of either
the EPC, TID, User, or Reserved memory bank
Offsetthe offset in hexadecimal of the first 16-bit word to erase in the target
memory bank
Countthe number of 16-bit words to erase, starting at Offset
Access Pwdthe previously applied access password for the target tag, or no
entry for tags with no access permissions.
Output from block erase operations is directed to the primary application window.
Access Type QT_None
Selecting the QT_None Access Type option displays the configuration dialog shown in
the figure below.
Tag Access dialog box, Access Type QT_None selected and QT Control Access READ option selected
From this dialog, the user can perform a QT control data read or write operation against
tags.
The figure above illustrates the QT Control Access READ option, for which no additional
parameters are required.
Selecting the QT Control Access WRITE option displays additional options in the
configuration dialog shown in the figure below.
Tag Access dialog box, Access Type QT_None selected and QT Control Access WRITE option selected
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From this dialog, the user can perform a QT control data read or write operation followed
immediately by a read operation against tags.
The configurable parameters for the QT control data read or write operation are identical
to those in section titling Access Type QT_None.
The configurable parameters for the QT read operation are identical to those in section
titling Access Type Read. Output from QT read operations is directed to the primary application
window.
Access Type QT_Write
Selecting the QT_Write Access Type option displays the configuration dialog shown in
the figure below.
From this dialog, the user can perform a QT control data read or write operation followed
immediately by a write operation against tags.
The configurable parameters for the QT control data read or write operation are identical to
those in section titling Access Type QT_None..
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The configurable parameters for the QT write operation are identical to those in section 3.3.1.2.
Output from QT write operations is directed to the primary application window.
Note that while a reader is actively executing a command, such as Inventory, only live data
views are available. Even if a user has selected a post-capture view, the view is automatically
switched to a live data view when a command is issued to the reader.
While the command is running, users can switch between any of the three live views (Summary,
Standard and Protocol Trace). However, the user interface prevents users from switching to
any of the post-capture views. See the figure below.
When the post-capture processing completes, all views become available from the View menu,
as shown in the figure below.
Except for the Reader Protocol view, all post-capture views are divided into three groups under
the submenus:
Packet Views
Diagnostic Views
Performance Views
The Protocol Trace is the only view that supports the display of both live and post-capture data.
When the reader is active, the Reader Protocol view displays the last one thousand captured
packets for the current command. When the post-capture process completes, the Reader
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View Name
Tag Access
Command
Summary
Antenna Cycle
Summary
Inventory Cycle
Summary
Inventory Round
Summary
Inventory
Parameters
Contents
Lists in chronological order all Inventory Response packets received from
the reader. The view includes the Tag ID, time of packet arrival, the
Antenna number, device time, the access type, and the tag data.
Provides summary information about the commands executed by the
reader in the current session. Data items include elapsed time of the
command, execution mode, tag count, unique tag count, and tag read
rate.
Provides summary information about the antenna cycles executed by the
reader in the current session. Data items include the number of antennas
included, the tag count, unique tags, and tag singulation rate.
Provides a summary of all of the inventory cycles included in the current
session (or since the last time the session was cleared). The view
includes the total and unique tag count, logical antenna number, and read
rate.
Lists data related to each inventory round including the antenna used, tag
count, and elapsed time in milliseconds.
Lists the parameter used in the sessions inventory rounds.
The following table lists the post-capture diagnostic views that are available:
Post-Capture Diagnostic Views
View Name
All Packets
(Raw Format)
Invalid Packets
Inventory Cycle
Diagnostics
Inventory Round
Diagnostic
Contents
Lists in chronological order all packets received from the reader.
Lists invalid or unrecognized packets, the raw data, and the parsing error.
Lists diagnostic information for each inventory cycle.
Note: The extended data format must be selected to obtain this information.
The following table lists the post-capture performance view that is available:
Post-Capture Performance View
View Name
Singulation Rate
Data
Contents
Provides data useful for calculating the read rate achieved by the reader.
Exporting Data
The Tracer application allows you to export data to Microsoft Excel 2003. To export data:
From the File menu, click Export. A dialog box opens from which you can select the views
you wish to export. You can export one or more views at a time.
The application saves exported files in the users temporary directory. After the export
completes, Tracer invokes Microsoft Excel, or the associated application for xml format
worksheets, to open the exported data file. Each view selected for export becomes a separate
sheet in an Excel workbook.
Note: Microsoft Excel allows only the first 65536 rows in each view to be exported. If a session is too big for Excel,
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Logging Data
Tracer supports the logging to a text file of all packets received from readers. See figure below
To enable logging:
1. From the Tools menu, click Tracer Options. This opens the Tracer Options dialog box.
2. In the Tracer Options dialog box, click the Data Logging tab.
3. Select the Enable Logging check box.
4. If desired, specify an alternative directory in which log files should be stored.
Data Logging
The log files created by Tracer are named rfidxxxx.log, where xxxx is a four digit sequence
number. The figure below shows an example of log file content.
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The log file contains four fields separated by tab characters. These fields are defined in the
following table.
Log File Field Definitions
Field
Radio Index
Time stamp
Symbolic Name
Packet Data
Contents
A unique serial number for the reader.
Elapsed time in milliseconds from the start of the session.
The symbolic name for the packet.
The packet data in hexadecimal format.
The Tracer Reader Configuration dialog contains many function-specific pages, each of which
is listed on the left-hand side selection bar. The current selection is always indicated by a visual
highlight. For example, in the figure below, the Settings page is active.
The following sections describe each page of the Tracer Reader Configuration dialog
boxstarting with the Settings page. Refer to the Indy_Firmware_Datasheet and the
IN_DG_IPJ_Indy_RFID_Host_Library_API_Reference_Manual for a description of the
underlying functionality.
Settings Page
When the Reader Configuration dialog first opens, it displays the Settings page shown in the
figure above. The settings displayed are the current settings on the reader. From this page, you
can view and/or configure the following items:
Operating Region (Read only, set within the reader)
Link Profile Data Format (Compact, Normal or Extended)
Operational Mode (Continuous Mode or Discontinuous Mode)
Inventory Algorithm (Fixed Q or Dyanmic Q)
Antenna Configuration Page
From the Antenna Configuration page, you can configure the readers 16 logical antenna ports.
As the figure below shows, this page displays the current antenna configuration within a grid.
Antenna Configuration
The Import and Export buttons allow the antenna data to be manipulated by Microsoft Excel
and then imported back into the reader.
To change the setting for a logical antenna, click its associated Edit button in the first column of
the grid. This displays the dialog box shown in the figure below.
To change the global antenna sense threshold, click on the Edit Threshold button.
bring up the dialog box shown in the figure below.
This will
The Display Criterion # spin box allows you to select the criteria currently being viewed. It has
a range of one (1) up to the value displayed under Active Criteria.
The Load button causes the application to perform a direct query to the current reader and
reload the page with the retrieved select criteria settings.
To change the select criteria parameters for the active reader, click the Edit button.
displays the dialog box shown in the figure below.
This
The Load button queries the current reader and refreshes the values displayed on the
Algorithm Settings page.
To modify the algorithm settings for the current reader, click the Edit button.
dialog box similar to the one shown in the figure below.
This opens a
In the Active Algorithm dropdown box, you can select between the Fixed Q and Dyanmic Q
algorithm. When you select a new algorithm, the configurable fields displayed in the center
sub-panel change to match those available with the selected algorithm.
The Activate Select Rules and Active Post-Singulation Rules checkboxes control whether the
select and post singulation criteria that have been configured should be utilized during
inventory, read, write, and similar operations.
Post Singulation Criteria Page
Use the Post Singulation page to view and configure reader settings that define the manner in
which tags and post singulation are filtered (based on all or part of the tags EPC).
The figure below shows an example of the page displayed when the Post Singulation Criteria
option is chosen.
The Display Criterion # spin box allows you to select the criteria currently being viewed. It has
a range of one (1) up to the value displayed under Active Criteria.
The Load button causes the application to perform a direct query to the current reader and
reload the page with the retrieved post singulation criteria settings.
To change the post singulation criteria parameters for the active reader, click the Edit button.
This displays the dialog box shown in the figure below.
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RF Channels Page
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RF channels are identified and ordered by their slot number and displayed in a grid format
along with their current configuration values.
This dialog also allows you to import data from and export data to Microsoft Excel (using the
Excel XML format).
To edit a slot, click the Edit button next to the slot number. This displays the RF Channels
dialog box (shown in the figure below) from which the user can configure the channel.
Note that the channel frequency value is not directly editable by the user. Instead, this value is
dynamically calculated based upon the supplied multiply and divide ratios.
Other value limitations for fields presented on this page are as follows: Divide Ratio can only
be set to a value of 1 or greater
Minimum DAC Band can only be set to value ranging from 0 to the current value of
Maximum DAC Band inclusive
Affinity Band can only be set to values from the current Minimum DAC Band to Maximum
DAC Band inclusive
Maximum DAC Band can only be set to values ranging from the current value of Minimum
DAC Band to 7 inclusive
Note: When settings for a channel are saved, the specified Affinity Band is evaluated by the reader firmware. If
the firmware determines the Affinity Band is non-optimal, a new value between the Minimum DAC and Maximum
DAC Bands (inclusive) is generated and subsequently displayed on the RF Channels page.
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Troubleshooting Panel
The Troubleshooting page provides access to the Indy Firmware error register as well as the
ability to clear the error and reset the Indy Firmware. See the figure below.
Troubleshooting Page
Note: Performing a Reset Firmware operation causes a reset of the connection to the current reader. The reader
will no longer be accessible via the application until the application is restarted.
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The Dump MAC button reads all MAC registers and dumps the data in the status window.
The Clear Status button clears the status window.
The Save Status button allows the content of the status window to be saved to a file.
Check Keep History to retain all access history in the status window. Uncheck Keep History to
retain only the last access record in the status window.
Register Type MacBank
Selecting the MacBank Register Access option displays the dialog shown in the figure below.
This dialog reduces the user input required to perform read and write access to MAC Banked
Registers.
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The configurable parameters for MAC Banked Register read operations are identical to those
in section 3.7.11.1. The figure below shows the status window for a valid banked register read,
detailing the currently selected bank, the applicable selector address, and the content of all
banks.
The configurable parameters for Bypass Register read and operations are identical to those in
section 3.7.11.1.
Register Type OEM
Selecting the OEM Register Access option displays
the dialog shown in the figure below. From this
dialog, the user can perform read and write access
to the OEM Registers.
The configurable parameters for OEM Register read and operations are identical to those in
section 3.7.11.1.
Register Type LinkProfile
Selecting the LinkProfle Register Access option displays the dialog shown in the figure below.
From this dialog, the user can perform read and write access to the registers of individual link
profiles.
The configurable parameters for OEM Register read and write operations are identical to those
in section 3.7.11.1, except that a Profile Id parameter is provided in order to perform the read
and write operations on a specific link profile.
Known Issues
The application does detect new readers that become active after the application has
started. You should power on and connect your readers prior to starting the Tracer
application.
The names of detected readers are displayed as ASCII only in the Device menu.
Truncation is not supported in the Firmware Release v2.4.2, so selecting it in the Select
criteria will render an error.
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