Ingenu ULPENODE120 On-Ramp Wireless eNode User Manual eNode
On-Ramp Wireless On-Ramp Wireless eNode eNode
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On-Ramp Wireless Confidential and Proprietary. Restricted Distribution. This document is not to be used,
disclosed, or distributed to anyone without express written consent from On-Ramp Wireless. The recipient of this
document shall respect the security of this document and maintain the confidentiality of the information it contains.
The master copy of this document is stored in electronic format, therefore any hard or soft copy used for distribution
purposes must be considered as uncontrolled. Reference should be made to On-Ramp Wireless to obtain the latest
revision.
eNode User Manual
On-Ramp Wireless Incorporated
10920 Via Frontera, Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92127
U.S.A.
Copyright © 2011 On-Ramp Wireless Incorporated.
All Rights Reserved.
The information disclosed in this document is proprietary to On-Ramp Wireless Inc., and is not to be used
or disclosed to unauthorized persons without the written consent of On-Ramp Wireless. The recipient of
this document shall respect the security of this document and maintain the confidentiality of the
information it contains. The master copy of this document is stored in electronic format, therefore any
hard or soft copy used for distribution purposes must be considered as uncontrolled. Reference should be
made to On-Ramp Wireless to obtain the latest version. By accepting this material the recipient agrees
that this material and the information contained therein is to be held in confidence and in trust and will not
be used, copied, reproduced in whole or in part, nor its contents revealed in any manner to others without
the express written permission of On-Ramp Wireless Incorporated.
On-Ramp Wireless Incorporated reserves the right to make changes to the product(s) or information
contained herein without notice. No liability is assumed for any damages arising directly or indirectly by
their use or application. The information provided in this document is provided on an “as is” basis.
This document contains On-Ramp Wireless proprietary information and must be shredded when
discarded.
This documentation and the software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved. This
documentation and the software may not be copied, except as otherwise provided in your software
license or as expressly permitted in writing by On-Ramp Wireless, Incorporated.
Any sample code herein is provided for your convenience and has not been tested or designed to work
on any particular system configuration. It is provided “AS IS” and your use of this sample code, whether
as provided or with any modification, is at your own risk. On-Ramp Wireless undertakes no liability or
responsibility with respect to the sample code, and disclaims all warranties, express and implied,
including without limitation warranties on merchantability, fitness for a specified purpose, and
infringement. On-Ramp Wireless reserves all rights in the sample code, and permits use of this sample
code only for educational and reference purposes.
This technology and technical data may be subject to U.S. and international export, re-export or transfer
(“export”) laws. Diversion contrary to U.S. and international law is strictly prohibited.
Ultra-Link Processing™ is a trademark of On-Ramp Wireless.
Other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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Contents
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1
2 Ultra-Link Processing Overview .......................................................................... 2
3 Regulatory Approvals ........................................................................................... 3
3.1 Federal Communications Commission ...................................................................................... 3
3.2 Industry Canada ......................................................................................................................... 3
3.3 Usage ......................................................................................................................................... 4
3.3.1 Integrators ........................................................................................................................ 4
3.3.2 RF Exposure Statement ................................................................................................... 4
3.4 Antennas .................................................................................................................................... 4
4 eNode Interfaces ................................................................................................... 6
4.1 Hardware Interface..................................................................................................................... 6
4.1.1 SPI Slave Interface ........................................................................................................... 6
4.1.2 Pin Description ................................................................................................................. 6
4.1.3 Electrical Characteristics .................................................................................................. 7
4.1.4 eNode Dimensions ........................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Software Interface ...................................................................................................................... 9
4.3 Host Interface ............................................................................................................................. 9
4.3.1 Functional Description ...................................................................................................... 9
4.3.2 Host Interface Protocol ................................................................................................... 10
4.3.3 Signal Description ........................................................................................................... 10
4.3.4 Master Request / Slave Ready ....................................................................................... 10
4.3.5 Slave Request ................................................................................................................ 11
4.3.6 Other Signals .................................................................................................................. 11
4.3.7 SPI Interface Driver ........................................................................................................ 11
5 Software Upgrade Protocol ................................................................................ 12
5.1 Overview .................................................................................................................................. 12
5.2 Requirements ........................................................................................................................... 12
5.3 Notes and Recommendations .................................................................................................. 12
Appendix A Abbreviations and Terms ................................................................. 13
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Figures
Figure 1. On-Ramp Wireless ULP Network ..................................................................................... 2
Figure 2. eNode Mechanical Dimensions ........................................................................................ 8
Figure 3. eNode SPI Interface ......................................................................................................... 9
Tables
Table 1. eNode Pin Description ....................................................................................................... 6
Table 2. eNode SPI Signal Definition ............................................................................................. 10
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Revision History
Revision
Release Date
Change Description
01
February 12, 2010
Initial Release.
02
February 29, 2010
Updated with certification comments (Sections 4.3 and 4.4).
03
July 28, 2010
Updated for ULPENODE110.
04
September 3, 2010
Updated maximum power consumption and input voltage range.
Removed UART statement. Updated formatting.
05
September 16, 2010
Applied new formatting, modified footer to include copyright
statement.
06
November 4, 2010
Updated section 3.3 Usage, to include Integrators and RF
Exposure statements.
07
June 20, 2011
Updated section 3.3 Usage, to include Integrators and RF
Exposure statements.
08
November 8, 2011
Updated for ULPENODE120 (R11).
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1 Introduction
This document describes On-Ramp Wireless’ Ultra-Link Processing™ (ULP) eNode and its use within a
ULP wireless packet data network. It also provides information about the hardware and software
interfaces. It is intended for use by customers integrating the On-Ramp Wireless’ eNode module into
their sensor and location tracking systems (referred to as hosts in this document).
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2 Ultra-Link Processing Overview
The Ultra-Link Processing ™ (ULP) wireless packet data network, comprised of eNodes and
Access Points (APs) operates at a breakthrough receive-sensitivity of -142 dBm. This dramatic
increase in receive sensitivity allows for a 2,000 mile wireless range in free space and 25x the
range (600x the coverage) of typical wireless sensor systems while maintaining a small and low-
cost form factor with multi-year battery operation.
The ULP eNode is designed to easily integrate, via standard interfaces, with sensors enabling
robust wireless communication with one or more Access Points interfaced with a customer’s
local or wide area network.
Each Access Point supports tens of thousands of sensors and can simultaneously demodulate
signals from up to a 1000 sensors using a unique patented multiple access scheme. With 172 dB
of total allowable path loss (FCC/IC regulatory regions) the ULP network can easily be deployed
using a star topology configuration, overcoming the limitations of legacy wireless sensor
networks (802.11, 802.15.4, 900 MHz FHSS) that require complicated mesh protocols to extend
range or operate in a capacity limited simplex mode.
Figure 1. On-Ramp Wireless ULP Network
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3 Regulatory Approvals
The eNode has been designed to meet regulations for world-wide use.
3.1 Federal Communications Commission
This device complies with part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
NOTE: 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.
3.2 Industry Canada
The installer of this radio equipment must ensure that the antenna is located or pointed such
that it does not emit RF field in excess of Health Canada limits for the general population;
consult Safety Code 6, obtainable from Heath Canada’s website http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-
eng.php.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation of the device.
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To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be
chosen so that the equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) is not more than that
permitted for successful communication.
Canadian Two Part Warning Statement:
This device complies with Industry Canada licence-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the
device.
Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio
exempts de licence. L'exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l'appareil ne
doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage
radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement.
3.3 Usage
FCC ID: XTE-ULPENODE120. IC: 8655A-ULPENODE120. This device is only authorized for use in
mobile or fixed applications. To meet FCC and other national radio frequency (RF) exposure
requirements, the antenna for this device must be installed to ensure a separation distance of at
least 20cm (8 inches) from the antenna to a person.
3.3.1 Integrators
A label showing the FCC ID and IC designators, listed above, must be affixed to the exterior of
any device containing the eNode (if the eNode is not visible). The exterior label must include:
Contains FCC ID: XTE-ULPENODE120, IC: 8655A-ULPENODE120.
3.3.2 RF Exposure Statement
The air interface supports operation on channels in the 2402 MHz – 2476 MHz range for FCC/IC
regulatory domains and 2402 MHz – 2481 MHz for the ETSI regulatory domain.
Before the ULP Node becomes operational it must undergo a commissioning procedure, during
which critical information required for operation is entered into the device and stored in non-
volatile storage. It is during the initial commissioning procedure that the regulatory domain,
under which the device will operate, is set. Subsequent configuration of the device during
operation is checked against the commissioned regulatory domain and non-permitted channels
or transmit power levels are rejected and the device will not transmit until a permissible
configuration per the commissioned regulatory domain is set.
3.4 Antennas
This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed below, and having a
maximum gain of 2 dBi. Antennas not included in this list or having a gain greater than 2 dBi are
strictly prohibited for use with this device. The required antenna impedance is 50 ohms.
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2 dBi omni-directional antenna
1 dBi omni-directional antenna
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4 eNode Interfaces
The eNode platform provides ULP modem functionality on the client side. The eNode platform
handles PHY and MAC layers (L1 and L2) for the ULP technology. The eNode platform supports
interfacing over Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI). The eNode easily integrates with a sensor or
location tracking system using the software and hardware interfaces supported. The eNode acts
as the slave device and the host board acts as the master.
4.1 Hardware Interface
4.1.1 SPI Slave Interface
The SPI Slave eNode Interface provides communication with an external host via a serial
peripheral interface (SPI). The host is the SPI master and the eNode is the SPI slave. In addition
to the standard SPI signals, a host-to-node wakeup request, a node-to-host status and a node-
to-host transmit request are included to support eNode state transitions and bi-directional
message traffic.
4.1.2 Pin Description
Table 1. eNode Pin Description
Pin #
Pin Name
Pin
Description
Type
Remark
Master
Slave
J701, 1
RXD0
Serial 0 Receive
Out
In
Reserved for future use.
J701, 2
TXD0
Serial 0
Transmit
In
Out
Reserved for future use.
J701, 3
T_OUT
TBD
J701, 4
RESET
eNode Reset
Out
In
Provides the host with the ability to
reset the eNode.
J701, 5
SPI-CS0
SPI Chip Select
Out
In
Used by Master to select which slave
it is communicating with over SPI Bus
J701, 6
SPI-SCLK
Serial Clock
Out
In
SPI Bus clock driven by master.
Depending on how polarity and phase
are configured, this clock’s edges
indicate when the data on MISO and
MOSI are valid.
J701, 7
SPI-MOSI
Master Out
Slave In
Out
In
SPI Bus data line in the direction of
master to slave.
J701, 8
SPI-MISO
Master In Slave
Out
In
Out
SPI Bus data line in the direction of
slave to master.
J701, 9
GND
J701, 10
GND
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Pin #
Pin Name
Pin
Description
Type
Remark
Master
Slave
J703, 1
VBATT1
J703, 2
VBATT2
J703, 3
RXD1
Serial 1 Receive
Reserved for future use
J703, 4
TXD1
Serial 1
Transmit
Reserved for future use
J703, 5
GND
J703, 6
SPI-MRQ
Master Request
Out
In
Driven by the master to indicate to
slave that SPI activity needs to take
place. If the slave is sleeping, this
signal will wake it up. When the slave
detects this signal high, it must
respond by driving Slave Ready high.
J703, 7
SPI-SRDY
Slave Ready
In
Out
Driven by the slave to indicate to the
master that it is awake and ready to
perform SPI Bus transactions.
J703, 8
SPI-SRQ
Slave Request
In
Out
Driven by the slave to indicate that it
wishes to send a message over SPI
Bus to the master. This is necessary
since master drives the clock and this
gives the slave a way to inform the
master that the slave wishes the clock
to be driven.
J703, 9
GND
J703, 10
GND
4.1.3 Electrical Characteristics
Module signals are defined as CMOS compatible 3V levels. The actual 3V levels could be
between 3.0V and 3.6V.
The eNode board converts the input voltage (VBATT) to its own required voltage levels. The
input voltage range is 2.6V to 5.5V.
The board can consume 2.5 watts during transmission, its maximum power mode. The
power supply to the eNode must be able to supply enough current at a given operating
voltage to provide 2.5 watts.
The eNode is designed to operate over a range of -40C to +85C ambient temperature.
SPI signals are part of the 7-wire SPI interface system
4.1.4 eNode Dimensions
The following figure provides the eNode dimensions.
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Figure 2. eNode Mechanical Dimensions
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4.2 Software Interface
On-Ramp Wireless’ eNode platform’s Software Interface includes the node resident SPI driver
for the Interface Hardware and the node resident messaging application. While the driver
enables the hardware for data transfer, the messaging application implements user-level
messages which enable the host to control the behavior of the node. Using these messages the
host can control the eNode all the way from integration to deployment, including
commissioning and configuration.
The SPI driver initializes and manages the SPI hardware. Together with SPI hardware, the driver
implements the SPI interface. On-Ramp Wireless’ SPI Interface has additional features that
support sleep requests and wake-up requests.
The host interface provides functionality described in next section. The host interface layer is
hardware independent and can run on SPI.
NOTE: The SPI Master driver and Host Interface Protocol application on the host need to be
developed by the owner of the host. They are not provided by On-Ramp Wireless. Some
sample code is available.
ULP Node
Host
SPI Slave DriverUART Driver
Host Interface
SPI Master Driver UART Driver
Host Interface Protocol Application
Sensor or Meter Reading Application
MACPHYRF
Figure 3. eNode SPI Interface
4.3 Host Interface
4.3.1 Functional Description
The host interface supports the higher layer messages for:
Commissioning the eNode from the host
Configuring the eNode from the host
Controlling the startup and steady state behavior of the eNode
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Transferring payload data to and from the host
Upgrading the Software on the eNode. [Future releases]
Executing a set of diagnostic tests on the eNode. [Future releases]
Collecting debug data from the eNode. [Future releases]
The messages can be broadly classified as Debug, Configuration, and User Data messages.
4.3.2 Host Interface Protocol
On-Ramp Wireless’ ULP eNode’s host interface supports reliable transfer of messages between
the host and eNode over SPI. To support this functionality:
Explicit ‘Connect’ and ‘Disconnect’ messages are supported.
Each host-to-node message is acknowledged. This is useful in reliability and also for back-
pressure, where the host needs to slow down or stop sending messages to the eNode. The
node-to-host messages do not have any acknowledgements. The eNode will not wait for
acknowledgements. The eNode expects the host to be able to receive all messages and keep
up with the eNode.
For the SPI interface, the host (being the SPI master) is expected to be fast enough so as to
not block various operations at the eNode. If this is violated, the eNode will miss RX/TX
events.
The SPI driver provides methods for basic bit/byte transport. To do that there are SPI message
requests, SPI message headers and SPI payload. The SPI payload contains the host interface
message.
4.3.3 Signal Description
Table 2. eNode SPI Signal Definition
Pin Name
Pin Description
Type
Master
Slave
MISO
Master In Slave Out
In
Out
MOSI
Master Out Slave In
Out
In
SCLK
Serial Clock
Out
In
SS
Slave Select
Out
In
MRQ
Master Request
Out
In
SRDY
Slave Ready
In
Out
SRQ
Slave Request
In
Out
4.3.4 Master Request / Slave Ready
Before initiating transfers to and from the node, the host must ensure the node is awake and
ready to receive SPI traffic by driving MRQ high and waiting for the node SPI slave to drive SRDY
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high. A high level on MRQ will wake up a sleeping node and will prevent the node from going
back to sleep.
4.3.5 Slave Request
The node requests a message transfer from node-to-host by driving the SRQ high. Hosts that
support bi-directional SPI traffic respond to SRQ by sending a message request to the node after
the completion of any ongoing transfers.
4.3.6 Other Signals
Other signals (i.e., MISO, MOSI, SCLK, SS) are as per SPI Standard.
4.3.7 SPI Interface Driver
The node SPI Slave Interface software driver provides a messaging protocol for interfacing to a
host device running an On-Ramp Wireless host SPI master driver and for interfacing to a device
running its own driver.
The On-Ramp Wireless host SPI master driver uses a messaging protocol that is active only after
the host has completed an arbitration sequence. This allows the node to pass traffic across the
SPI interface to both a host and a non-host device.
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5 Software Upgrade Protocol
5.1 Overview
The node supports upgrading of its software via the host SPI interface. This mechanism allows a
host which has access to a new software image to transfer the image to an attached node in
small pieces and have them written to flash. After the entire image has been transferred the
node is powered cycled to boot the new software image.
5.2 Requirements
The node must be in the idle state when a software upgrade is attempted. The duration of an
upgrade cycle is dependent on the host but is at least 180 seconds.
Power must be maintained during an upgrade cycle. Power loss during an upgrade cycle will
result in a non-functional node.
5.3 Notes and Recommendations
The eNode processor is based on ARM and hence Little Endian.
At the SPI interface level:
Arbitration typically needs to be done at startup and after exiting from deep sleep
modes. In addition to the normal case, the eNode supports arbitration at-will. When the
host initiates arbitration, the eNode will comply. This could be used to exit out of error
conditions.
eNode-to-host communication takes priority over host-to-eNode, as there are buffers
with limited sizes on the eNode. Buffer overflows could cause unspecified results at the
eNode. When there is a race condition between host-to-eNode and eNode-to-host data
transfer initiation, then the eNode-to-host is given priority. However, if a host-to-eNode
transfer is in progress, then the eNode waits for the transfer to complete.
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Appendix A Abbreviations and Terms
Abbreviation/Term
Definition
AP
Access Point. The ULP network component geographically deployed
over a territory.
EIRP
Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power
eNode
A small form factor wireless network module that works in combination
with various devices and sensors. Also referred to as Node.
ETSI
European Telecommunications Standards Institute
FCC
Federal Communications Commission
IC
Industry Canada
MISO
Master In Slave Out
MOSI
Master Out Slave In
MRQ
Master Request
NMS
Network Management System
NOC
Network Operating Center
Node
Also known as eNode.
The generic term often used interchangeably with eNode.
RF
Radio Frequency
RX
Receive / Receiver
SCLK
Serial Clock
SPI
Serial Peripheral Interface
SRDY
Slave Ready
SRQ
Slave Request
SS
Slave Select
TX
Transmit / Transmitter
ULP
Ultra-Link Processing™. The On-Ramp Wireless proprietary wireless
communication technology.