JADAK a business unit of Novanta MERCURY6EN Part 15.247 Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum User Manual

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Application ID	g1W2Fxt0OTN6WeUW0TpbHg==
Document Description	User Manual Nano Design Guide v01RevA.pdf
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Filesize	141.61kB (1770129 bits)
Date Submitted	2015-04-28 00:00:00
Date Available	2015-10-25 00:00:00
Creation Date	2015-04-28 15:54:40
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Document Author:	kzablonski

A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
875-0077-01 RevA
ThingMagic Nano Design Guide
For ThingMagic Nano with Firmware Ver. 1.3.1 and later
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Government Limited Rights Notice: All documentation and manuals were developed at
private expense and no part of it was developed using Government funds.
The U.S. Government’s rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or
disclose the technical data contained herein are restricted by paragraph (b)(3) of the
Rights in Technical Data — Noncommercial Items clause (DFARS 252.227-7013(b)(3)),
as amended from time-to-time. Any reproduction of technical data or portions thereof
marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings. Any person, other than the
U.S. Government, who has been provided access to such data must promptly notify
ThingMagic.
ThingMagic, Mercury, Reads Any Tag, and the ThingMagic logo are trademarks or
registered trademarks of ThingMagic, A Division of Trimble.
Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of
Trimble or other companies.
©2015 ThingMagic – a division of Trimble Navigation Limited. ThingMagic and The
Engine in RFID are registered trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited. Other marks
may be protected by their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.d
ThingMagic, A Division of Trimble
1 Merrill Street
Woburn, MA 01801
01 Revision A
March, 2015
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Revision Table
Date
Version
Description
3/2015
01 Draft 1
First Draft for early-access release
4/2015
01 REV A
First Release
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Communication Regulation Information
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Communication Regulation Information
C A U T I O N !
Please contact ThingMagic support - support@thingmagic.com - before
beginning the process of getting regulatory approval for a finished product using the ThingMagic Nano.
ThingMagic Nano Regulatory Information
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:
ŠReorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
ŠIncrease the separation between the equipment and receiver.
ŠConnect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
ŠConsult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.
ThingMagic Nano Regulatory Information
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
W A R N I N G !
Operation of the ThingMagic Nano module requires professional
installation to correctly set the TX power for the RF cable and antenna
selected.
This transmitter module is authorized to be used in other devices only by OEM integrators
under the following conditions:
1.
The antenna(s) must be installed such that a minimum separation distance of 21cm
is maintained between the radiator (antenna) & user’s/nearby people’s body at all
times.
2.
The transmitter module must not be co-located with any other antenna or transmitter.
As long as the two conditions above are met, further transmitter testing will not be
required. However, the OEM integrator is still responsible for testing their end-product for
any additional compliance requirements required with this module installed (for example,
digital device emissions, PC peripheral requirements, etc.).
Note
In the event that these conditions can not be met (for certain configurations
or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no
longer considered valid and the FCC ID can not be used on the final product.
In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for reevaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a
separate FCC authorization.
The OEM integrator has to be aware not to provide information to the end user regarding
how to install or remove this RF module in the user manual of the end product.
User Manual Requirement
The user manual for the end product must include the following information in a prominent
location;
“To comply with FCC’s RF radiation exposure requirements, the antenna(s) used for this
transmitter must be installed such that a minimum separation distance of 21cm is
maintained between the radiator (antenna) & user’s/nearby people’s body at all times and
must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.”
AND
“The transmitting portion of this device carries with it the following two warnings:
“This device complies with Part 15....”
ThingMagic Nano Regulatory Information
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
AND
“Any changes or modifications to the transmitting module not expressly approved by
ThingMagic Inc. could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment” “
End Product Labeling
The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:
“Contains Transmitter Module FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6EN”
or
“Contains FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6EN.”
Industry Canada
Under Industry Canada regulations, this radio transmitter may only operate using an
antenna of a type and maximum (or lesser) gain approved for the transmitter by Industry
Canada. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its
gain should be so chosen that the equivalent isotropic radiated power (e.i.r.p.) is not more
than that necessary for successful communication.
This radio transmitter (identify the device by certification number, or model number if
Category II) has been approved by Industry Canada to operate with the antenna types
listed below with the maximum permissible gain and required antenna impedance for
each antenna type indicated. Antenna types not included in this list, having a gain greater
than the maximum gain indicated for that type, are strictly prohibited for use with this
device
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause
interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that
may cause undesired operation of the device.
To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should
be so chosen that the equivalent isotropic ally radiated power (e.i.r.p.) is not more than
that permitted for successful communication.
This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed in Shock and Vibration
table. Antennas not included in these lists are strictly prohibited for use with this device.
To comply with IC RF exposure limits for general population/uncontrolled exposure, the
antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of
at least 21 cm from all persons and must not be collocated or operating in conjunction
with any other antenna or transmitter.
ThingMagic Nano Regulatory Information
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
End Product Labeling
The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:
“Contains ThingMagic Inc. ThingMagic Nano (or appropriate model number you’re filing
with IC) transmitting module FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6EN (IC: 5407A-MERCURY6EN)”
Industrie Canada
ConformĂŠment Ă  la rĂŠglementation d'Industrie Canada, le prĂŠsent ĂŠmetteur radio peut
fonctionner avec une antenne d'un type et d'un gain maximal (ou infĂŠrieur) approuvĂŠ pour
l'ĂŠmetteur par Industrie Canada. Dans le but de rĂŠduire les risques de brouillage
radioĂŠlectrique Ă  l'intention des autres utilisateurs, il faut choisir le type d'antenne et son
gain de sorte que la puissance isotrope rayonnĂŠe ĂŠquivalente (p.i.r.e.) ne dĂŠpasse pas
l'intensitĂŠ nĂŠcessaire Ă  l'ĂŠtablissement d'une communication satisfaisante.
Le prĂŠsent ĂŠmetteur radio (identifier le dispositif par son numĂŠro de certification ou son
numÊro de modèle s'il fait partie du matÊriel de catÊgorie I) a ÊtÊ approuvÊ par Industrie
Canada pour fonctionner avec les types d'antenne ĂŠnumĂŠrĂŠs ci-dessous et ayant un gain
admissible maximal et l'impĂŠdance requise pour chaque type d'antenne. Les types
d'antenne non inclus dans cette liste, ou dont le gain est supĂŠrieur au gain maximal
indiquĂŠ, sont strictement interdits pour l'exploitation de l'ĂŠmetteur
Le fonctionnement de l’ appareil est soumis aux deux conditions suivantes:
1.
Cet appareil ne doit pas perturber les communications radio, et
2.
cet appareil doit supporter toute perturbation, y compris les perturbations qui
pourraient provoquer son dysfonctionnement.
Pour rĂŠduire le risque d'interfĂŠrence aux autres utilisateurs, le type d'antenne et son gain
doivent être choisis de façon que la puissance isotrope rayonnÊe Êquivalente (PIRE) ne
dĂŠpasse pas celle nĂŠcessaire pour une communication rĂŠussie.
L’ appareil a été conçu pour fonctionner avec les antennes énumérés dans les tables
Antennes Autorisées. Il est strictement interdit de l’ utiliser l’ appareil avec des antennes
qui ne sont pas inclus dans ces listes.
Au but de conformer aux limites d'exposition RF pour la population gĂŠnĂŠrale (exposition
non-contrĂ´lĂŠe), les antennes utilisĂŠs doivent ĂŞtre installĂŠs Ă  une distance d'au moins 21
cm de toute personne et ne doivent pas ĂŞtre installĂŠ en proximitĂŠ ou utilisĂŠ en conjonction
avec un autre antenne ou transmetteur.
Marquage sur l’ étiquette du produit complet dans un endroit visible: "Contient
ThingMagic transmetteur, FCC ID: QV5MERCURY6EN (IC:5407A-MERCURY6EN)"
ThingMagic Nano Regulatory Information
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Authorized Antennas
This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed in Authorized Antennas.
Antennas not included in this list are strictly prohibited for use with this device.
ThingMagic Nano Regulatory Information
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
10
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Contents
Communication Regulation Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
ThingMagic Nano Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Industry Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Industrie Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Authorized Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Specifications Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Hardware Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Module Pin-out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Antenna Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Antenna Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Antenna Detection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Digital/Power Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Control Signal Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
ENABLE Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
DC Power Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
RF Power Output Impact on DC Input Current and Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Power Supply Ripple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Idle DC Power Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
RF Characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
RF Output Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Receive Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Contents
11
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Receiver Adjacent Channel Rejection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Thermal Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Thermal Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) Specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Shock and Vibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Authorized Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
FCC Modular Certification Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Physical Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Tape-and-Reel Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
SMT Reflow Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Hardware Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Host Board Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Landing Pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Carrier Board Heat Sinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Firmware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Boot Loader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Application Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Programming the ThingMagic Nano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Upgrading the ThingMagic Nano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Verifying Application Firmware Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Custom On-Reader Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Communication Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Serial Communication Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Host-to-Reader Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Reader-to-Host Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
CCITT CRC-16 Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
User Programming Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Regulatory Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Supported Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Frequency Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Frequency Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
12
Contents
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Frequency Hop Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Protocol Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
ISO 18000-6C (Gen2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Gen2 Protocol Configuration Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Unsupported Gen2 Functionality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Unsupported Custom Gen2 Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Unsupported Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Antenna Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Using a Multiplexer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Port Power and Settling Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Tag Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Tag Buffer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Tag Streaming/Continuous Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Tag Read Meta Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Power Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Power Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Performance Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Event Response Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Appendix A: Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Common Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
FAULT_MSG_WRONG_NUMBER_OF_DATA – (100h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
FAULT_INVALID_OPCODE – (101h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_OPCODE – 102h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_HIGH – 103h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
FAULT_MSG_INVALID_FREQ_RECEIVED (104h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
FAULT_MSG_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE - (105h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_LOW - (106h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_FEATURE - (109h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
FAULT_INVALID_BAUD_RATE - (10Ah) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Bootloader Faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
FAULT_BL_INVALID_IMAGE_CRC – 200h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
FAULT_BL_INVALID_APP_END_ADDR – 201h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Flash Faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
FAULT_FLASH_BAD_ERASE_PASSWORD – 300h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
FAULT_FLASH_BAD_WRITE_PASSWORD – 301h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
FAULT_FLASH_UNDEFINED_ERROR – 302h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
FAULT_FLASH_ILLEGAL_SECTOR – 303h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
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13
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FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_NON_ERASED_AREA – 304h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_ILLEGAL_SECTOR – 305h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
FAULT_FLASH_VERIFY_FAILED – 306h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Protocol Faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
FAULT_NO_TAGS_FOUND – (400h). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
FAULT_NO_PROTOCOL_DEFINED – 401h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
FAULT_INVALID_PROTOCOL_SPECIFIED – 402h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
FAULT_WRITE_PASSED_LOCK_FAILED – 403h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
FAULT_PROTOCOL_NO_DATA_READ – 404h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
FAULT_AFE_NOT_ON – 405h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
FAULT_PROTOCOL_WRITE_FAILED – 406h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
FAULT_NOT_IMPLEMENTED_FOR_THIS_PROTOCOL – 407h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_WRITE_DATA – 408h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_ADDRESS – 409h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
FAULT_GENERAL_TAG_ERROR – 40Ah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
FAULT_DATA_TOO_LARGE – 40Bh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_KILL_PASSWORD – 40Ch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
FAULT_PROTOCOL_KILL_FAILED - 40Eh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
FAULT_PROTOCOL_BIT_DECODING_FAILED - 40Fh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_EPC – 410h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_NUM_DATA – 411h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_OTHER_ERROR - 420h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
FAULT_GEN2_PROTOCOL_MEMORY_OVERRUN_BAD_PC - 423h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_MEMORY_LOCKED - 424h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_INSUFFICIENT_POWER - 42Bh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_NON_SPECIFIC_ERROR - 42Fh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR - 430h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_FREQ – 500h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
FAULT_AHAL_CHANNEL_OCCUPIED – 501h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
FAULT_AHAL_TRANSMITTER_ON – 502h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
FAULT_ANTENNA_NOT_CONNECTED – 503h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
FAULT_TEMPERATURE_EXCEED_LIMITS – 504h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
FAULT_POOR_RETURN_LOSS – 505h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_ANTENA_CONFIG – 507h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Tag ID Buffer Faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NOT_ENOUGH_TAGS_AVAILABLE – 600h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_FULL – 601h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_REPEATED_TAG_ID – 602h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NUM_TAG_TOO_LARGE – 603h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
14
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A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
System Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
FAULT_SYSTEM_UNKNOWN_ERROR – 7F00h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
FAULT_TM_ASSERT_FAILED – 7F01h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Dev Kit Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Included Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Setting up the Dev Kit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Connecting the Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Powering up and Connecting to a PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Dev Kit USB Interfaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
USB/RS232 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Dev kit Jumpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Dev Kit Schematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Demo Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Notice on Restricted Use of the Dev Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Appendix C: Environmental Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
ESD Damage Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Identifying ESD as the Cause of Damaged Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Common Installation Best Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Raising the ESD Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Further ESD Protection for Reduced RF Power Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Variables Affecting Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Tag Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Multiple Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Contents
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16
Contents
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Introduction
The ThingMagicÂŽ NanoÂŽ embedded module is an RFID engine that you can integrate with
other systems to create RFID-enabled products.
Applications to control the ThingMagic Nano modules and derivative products can be
written using the high level MercuryAPI. The MercuryAPI supports Java, “.NET” and C
programming environments. The MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains
sample applications and source code to help developers get started demoing and
developing functionality. For more information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI
Programmers Guide and the MercuryAPI SDK, available on the ThingMagic website.
This document is for hardware designers and software developers. It describes the
hardware specifications and firmware functionality and provides guidance on how to
incorporate the ThingMagic Nano module within a third-party host system. The rest of the
document is broken down into the following sections:
ŠHardware Overview - This section provides detailed specifications of the ThingMagic
Nano hardware. This section should be read in its entirety before designing hardware
or attempting to operate the ThingMagic Nano module in hardware other than the
ThingMagic Dev Kit.
ŠHardware Integration - This section describes the ideal attributes of a main board
which incorporates the ThingMagic Nano module.
ŠFirmware Overview - This section provides a detailed description of the ThingMagic
Nano firmware components including the bootloader and application firmware.
ŠCommunication Protocol - This section provides an overview of the low level serial
communications protocol used by the ThingMagic Nano.
ŠFunctionality of the ThingMagic Nano - This section provides detailed descriptions of the
ThingMagic Nano features and functionality that are supported through the use of the
MercuryAPI.
ŠAppendix A: Error Messages - This appendix lists and provides causes and suggested
solutions for ThingMagic Nano Error Codes.
ŠAppendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit - Quick Start guide to getting connected to the
ThingMagic Nano Developer’s Kit and using the Demo Applications included with the
MercuryAPI SDK.
ŠAppendix C: Environmental Considerations - Details about environmental factors that
should be considered relating to reader performance and survivability.
Introduction
17
Specifications Summary
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Specifications Summary
The table below summarizes the specifications of the ThingMagic Nano module. Many of
these specifications are discussed in detail in the Hardware Overview chapter.
Physical
22 mm L x 26 mm W x 3.0 mm H
Dimensions
(.866 in L x 1.024 in W x 0.118 in H)
Tag / Transponder Protocols
RFID Protocol
Support
EPCglobal Gen 2 (ISO 18000-6C) with nominal
backscatter rate of 250 kbps
RF Interface
18
Antennas
Single 50 ё connection (board-edge)
RF Power Output
Separate read and write levels, commandadjustable from 0 dBm to 27 dBm in 0.01 dB steps
Introduction
Specifications Summary
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Pre-configured for the following regions:
ŕśľ FCC (NA, SA) 917.4-927.2 MHz
ŕśľ ETSI (EU) 865.6-867.6 MHz
ŕśľ TRAI (India) 865-867 MHz
Regulatory
ŕśľ KCC (Korea) 917-923.5 MHz
ඵ MIC (Japan) 916.8 – 923.4 MHz
ŕśľ ACMA (Australia) 920-926 MHz
ŕśľ SRRC-MII (P.R.China) 920.1-924.9 MHz
ඵ ‘Open’ (Customizable channel plan; 859-873 MHz
and 915-930 MHz)
Data/Control Interface
Physical
41 board-edge connections providing access to RF,
DC power, communication, and GPIO signals
ŕśľ UART; 3.3V logic levels
Control/Data Interfaces
ŕśľ 9.6 to 921.6 kbps data rate
ŕśľ Enable control
GPIO Sensors and
Indicators
Four 3.3V bidirectional ports;
API support
.NET, Java, and Embedded “C” APIs
Configurable as input (sensor) or output (indicator)
Power
Introduction
19
Specifications Summary
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
DC Voltage: 3.3 to 5.5 V for +25 dBm out
3.7 to 5.5 V for +27 dBm out
DC Power
Nominal DC power consumption when reading:
Required
3.6 W@ 5 VDC for +27 dBm out
3.3 W@ 5 VDC for +25 dBm out
1.5 W@ 5 VDC for
0 dBm out
ŕśľ 0.84 W in ready mode
Idle Power
ŕśľ 0.015 W in sleep mode
Consumption
ŕśľ 0.00025 W in shutdown mode
Environment
ŕśľ FCC 47 CFR Ch. 1 Part 15
Certification
ŕśľ Industrie Canada RSS-21 0
ŕśľ ETSI EN 302 208 v1.4.1
Operating Temp.
-20C to +60C (case temperature)
Storage Temp.
-40C to +85C
Shock and
Survives 1 meter drop during handling
Vibration
Performance
Boot time
ŕśľ Less than 150 msec for initial boot after firmware
download
ŕśľ Less than 30 msec for subsequent boots.
Read/Write
Performance
20
ŕśľ Up to 150 tags/sec to read 96-bit EPC
ŕśľ 80 msec typical for standard write of 96-bit EPC
Introduction
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Hardware Overview
The following section provides detailed specifications of the ThingMagic Nano hardware
including:
ŠHardware Interfaces
ŠDC Power Requirements
ŠRF Characteristics
ŠEnvironmental Specifications
ŠAuthorized Antennas
ŠPhysical Dimensions
ŠTape-and-Reel Dimensions
Hardware Overview
21
Hardware Interfaces
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Hardware Interfaces
Module Pin-out
Connections are made to the module using 41 edge pads (“vias”) that allow the module to
be surface mounted to a main board. Here is a bottom view of the module, showing the
numerical interfaces of the module:
The sections that follow explain in detail how these connections are used.
Antenna Connections
The ThingMagic Nano supports one monostatic bidirectional RF antenna through edge
vias. See Hardware Integration for antenna edge via locations and layout guidelines.
The maximum RF power that can be delivered to a 50 ohm load from each port is 0.5
Watts, or +27 dBm (regulatory requirements permitting).
22
Hardware Overview
Hardware Interfaces
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Antenna Requirements
The performance of the ThingMagic Nano is affected by antenna quality. Antennas that
provide good 50 ohm match at the operating frequency band perform best. Specified
performance is achieved with antennas providing 17 dB return loss (VSWR of 1.33) or
better across the operating band. Damage to the module will not occur for any return loss
of 1 dB or greater. Damage may occur if antennas are disconnected during operation or if
the module sees an open or short circuit at its antenna port.
Antenna Detection
C A U T I O N !
Like the Micro module, but unlike the M6e and M5e modules, the ThingMagic Nano DOES NOT support automatic antenna detection. When writing applications to control the ThingMagic Nano you MUST explicitly
specify the antenna to operate on. Using the MercuryAPI this requires
creation of a “SimpleReadPlan” object with the list of antennas set and
that object set as the active /reader/read/plan. For more information see
the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide | Level 2 API | Advanced Reading |
“ReadPlan” section.
Hardware Overview
23
Hardware Interfaces
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Digital/Power Interfaces
The edge via connections provides power, serial communications signals, an enable
control, and access to the GPIO lines to the ThingMagic Nano module.
See Hardware Integration for pinout details of both connections and layout guidelines
24
Hardware Overview
Hardware Interfaces
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
ThingMagic Nano Digital Connector Signal Definition
Edge Via
Pin #
Signal
Signal
Direction
(In/Out of
ThingMagic
Nano)
Notes
1-9, 18-19
GND
Signal Return
Must connect all GND pins to ground
as they also serve to remove heat
from the module
10
Vout
DC Power
Output
3.4V DC output. Maximum load 5 mA.
Turns off when ENABLE is pulled low.
Leave unconnected if not used.
11
ENABLE
Enable/Shutdown
TTL input that turns the module off
and reduces its power consumption to
nearly zero.
Hi=Enable, Low=Shutdown module
If left unconnected, module will stay in
ENABLE state.
12
GPIO1
Bidirectional
GPIO
13
GPIO2
Bidirectional
GPIO
14
GPIO3
Bidirectional
GPIO
15
GPIO4
Bidirectional
GPIO
Vin
Power Supply
Input
3.3 to 5.5VDC. Pins 16 and 17 are
internally connected. Connect the DC
power source to both pins to ensure
sufficient current carrying capacity.
20
UART_TX
In
UART Serial input, 3V logic
21
UART_RX
Out
UART Serial output, 3V logic
RFU
Reserved
Reserved for future use - leave unconnected
RF
RF Transmit
and Receive
Interface to antenna
GND
RF Ground
Must connect all GND pins to ground
as they also serve to remove heat
from the module
16,17
22-28
39
38-39, 40-41
Hardware Overview
Each line configurable as input or output interface (by default it is an input
with internal pull-down).
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Hardware Interfaces
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The following table gives the Voltage and Current limits for all communication and control
interfaces:
Specification
Limits
Input Low-level Voltage
1.0 V max to indicate
low state; no lower
than 0.3 V below
ground to prevent
damage
Input High-level Voltage
1.9 V min to indicate
high state; 3.7 V max
when module is
powered up, no more
than 0.3 V higher
than Vout when
module is turned off
to prevent damage.
Output Low-level Voltage
0.3 V typ, 0.7 V max
Output High-level Voltage
3.0 V typ, 2.7 V min
Output Low-level Current
10 mA max
Output High-level Current
7 mA max
Control Signal Specification
The module communicates to a host processor via a TTL logic level UART serial port,
accessed on the edge vias. The TTL logic level UART supports complete functionality.
The USB port supports complete functionality except the lowest power operational mode.
26
Hardware Overview
Hardware Interfaces
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
TTL Level UART Interface
A level converter is necessary to interface to other devices that use standard 12V RS232.
Only three pins are required for serial communication (TX, RX, and GND). Hardware
handshaking is not supported.
The connected host processor’s receiver must have the capability to receive up to 256
bytes of data at a time without overflowing.
Baud rates supported:
– 9600
– 19200
– 38400
– 115200
– 230400
– 460800
– 921600
Note
Upon initial power up, the default baud rate of 115200 will be used. If that
baud rate is changed and saved in the application mode, the new saved
baud rate will be used the next time the module is powered up.
General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)
The four GPIO connections, provided through the ThingMagic Nano Digital Connector
Signal Definition, may be configured as inputs or outputs using the MercuryAPI. The GPIO
pins should connect through 1 kOhm resistors to the module to ensure the input Voltage
limits are maintained even if the module is shut off.
Module power consumption can be adversely affected by incorrect GPIO configuration.
Similarly, the power consumption of external equipment connected to the GPIOs can also
be adversely affected. The following instructions will yield specification compliant
operation.
On power up, the ThingMagic Nano module configures its GPIOs as inputs to avoid
contention from user equipment that may be driving those lines. The input configuration is
a 3.3 volt logic CMOS input and is internally pulled down with a resistance value of
between 20 and 60 kOhms (40 kOhms nominal).
GPIOs may be reconfigured individually after power up to become outputs. Lines
configured as outputs consume no excess power if the output is left open.
Hardware Overview
27
Hardware Interfaces
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Configuring GPIO Settings
The GPIO lines are configured as inputs or outputs through the MercuryAPI by setting the
reader configuration parameters /reader/gpio/inputList and /reader/gpio/outputList. Once
configured as inputs or outputs the state of the lines can be Get or Set using the gpiGet()
and gpoSet() methods, respectively. See the language specific reference guide for more
details.
ENABLE Line
C A U T I O N !
The polarity of the ENABLE line is opposite from the 4-port M6e module.
The ENABLE line (referred to as the SHUTDOWN line in the M6e) must be set HIGH (Vin
level) or Open Circuit to ENABLE module. In order to shut down the module, the line can
be set LOW or pulled to Ground. Switching from high to low to high is equivalent to
performing a power cycle of the module. All internal components are powered down when
set low.
28
Hardware Overview
DC Power Requirements
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
DC Power Requirements
The module is specified to operate with DC input levels of between 3.3 and 5.5 V. All
specifications are maintained as long as the total input current is below 1 A. At 1 A, the
internal Voltage regulator’s protection circuit allows no more current to be taken in. This
1A current limit will be reached slightly sooner if current is drawn out the Vout line, and the
GPIO lines are supplying current to external circuits.
The most obvious impact of this 1A limit is that the module cannot be operated below 3.7
Volts when the RF power output level is set to 27 dBm. This limit is fully explained in the
next section.
The module will still operate if the DC input Voltage level falls below 3.3 V, but its
specifications are not guaranteed. If the DC input Voltage falls below 3 VDC, a “brownout” self-protection function in the processor will gracefully turn the module off so that the
module will not be in an undeterminate state once the voltage is restored.
RF Power Output Impact on DC Input Current and Power
The ThingMagic Nano supports separate read and write power level which are command
adjustable via the MercuryAPI. Power levels must be between:
– Minimum RF Power = 0 dBm
– Maximum RF Power = +27 dBm
Hardware Overview
29
DC Power Requirements
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Note
Maximum power may have to be reduced to meet regulatory limits, which
specify the combined effect of the module, antenna, cable and enclosure
shielding of the integrated product.
As shown in the chart, the current draw when the RF output level is set to +27 dBm
reaches the limit of 1A when the DC input voltage is below 3.7 V. Below the 3.7 VDC input
level, the RF level will no longer reach 27 dBm, although no error message will be
returned. The input Voltage should be maintained above 3.7 Volts if the RF output power
setting is above +25 dBm. 3.5 V is adequate for an RF output power level of +26 dBm,
and 3.3 V is adequate for an RF output power level of +25 dBm and below. The chart
30
Hardware Overview
DC Power Requirements
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
below shows the impact of the input DC Voltage on the RF output level for +25 dBm and
+27 dBm RF power levels.
The power drawn by the module is fairly constant, rising slightly as the DC Input Voltage
is lowered. Once the 1A input current limit is reached, the input power appears to
Hardware Overview
31
DC Power Requirements
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
decrease, but this is because the RF output level is no longer reflecting the desired
setting. This chart shows these dependencies:
Note: Power consumption is defined for operation into a 17 dB return loss load (VSWR of 1.33)
or better. Power consumption may increase, up to 4 W, during operation into return losses
worse than 17 dB and high ambient temperatures. Power consumption will also vary
based on Supported Regions in use.
Power Supply Ripple
The following are the minimum requirements to avoid module damage and to insure
performance and regulatory specifications are met. Certain local regulatory specifications
may require tighter specifications.
32
Hardware Overview
DC Power Requirements
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Š3.5 to 5.5 VDC
ŠLess than 25 mV pk-pk ripple all frequencies,
ŠLess than 11 mV pk-pk ripple for frequencies less than 100 kHz,
ŠNo spectral spike greater than 5 mV pk-pk in any 1 kHz band.
Idle DC Power Consumption
When not actively transmitting, the ThingMagic Nano module falls back into one of 3 idle
states, called “power modes”. There are 5 enumerated idle power modes defined in the
API, but the Nano module only supports 3 options, so three of the settings behave
identically. Each successive power mode turns off more of the module’s circuits, which
have to be restored when a command is executed, imposing a slight delay. The following
table gives the power consumption levels and the delay to respond to a command for
each. See Idle DC Power Consumption for details.
ThingMagic Nano Power Consumption
Operation
DC Power
Consumed
at 5 VDC
Time to
Respond to
a Read
Command
Power Mode = “FULL”
0.85 W
Less than 5
msec
Power Mode = “MINSAVE”,
“MEDSAVE”, or “MAXSAVE”
0.04 W
Less than 20
msec
Power Mode = “SLEEP”
0.02 W
Less than 20
msec
ENABLE Line disabled
.00015 W
Module
reboots when
Enable line
brought high
These nominal values should be used to calculate metrics such as battery life. To
determine the absolute maximum DC power that would be required under any condition,
one must consider temperature, channel of operation, and antenna return loss.
Hardware Overview
33
RF Characteristics
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
RF Characteristics
RF Output Power
The output power is may be configured to a separate value for read and write operations
(for many tags, more power is required to write to read). The range of values is from 0
dBm to +27 dBm, in 0.01 dB increments. (For example, 27 dBm will be configured as
“2700” in units of centi-dBm.) The modules are calibrated when they are manufactured in
0.5 dB increments and linear interpolation is used to set values with greater granularity
than this.
The granularity of the RF output power setting should not be confused with its accuracy.
The accuracy of the output level is specified to be +/- 1 dBm for each regional setting.
Additional variation may be experienced if the DC input Voltage and temperature changes
while the module is operational.
This chart shows the typical transmit output variation over frequency. The typical variation
is less than +/-0.5 dBm for all transmit levels, across the entire frequency band.
DC Input Voltage also affects the transmit output level accuracy. The typical variation is
less than +/- 0.20 dBm except at high output levels for low DC input voltages, as has been
34
Hardware Overview
RF Characteristics
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
discussed in the RF Power Output Impact on DC Input Current and Power section.
The output accuracy over temperature is typically +/1 0.75 dBm, with most variation
occurring at lower transmit output power levels.
Hardware Overview
35
RF Characteristics
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Receive Sensitivity
The receiver sensitivity is influenced by both user-defined settings and by external
environmental factors. These factors are:
ŠTransmit Level
ŠGen2 “M” setting
ŠRegion of Operation
Receive sensitivity is strongly influenced by the amount of interference caused by the
reader’s own transmit signal. This interference can be reduced by reducing the transmit
level. ThingMagic always quotes the receive sensitivity at the highest transmit level (+27
dBm for the Nano), but 1 dB of sensitivity is typically gained for every dB that the
transmitter output level is reduced.
The Gen2 “M” setting influences how data is encoded when sent from the tag to the
reader. Higher “M” values send data at lower rates and are more noise immune,
increasing the module’s sensitivity. Lower “M” values send data at higher rates,
decreasing the sensitivity somewhat.
The region of operation is also a factor. The Nano has slightly better receive sensitivity in
the EU and India regions (865 to 868 MHz) than in the North American region and
36
Hardware Overview
RF Characteristics
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
subsets of that region adopted by countries around the world (917 to 928 MHz). The
following table gives the sensitivity for these factors for a transmit output level of +27
dBm.
The following table shows the impact of “M” value and frequency range on the sensitivity.
Region
North America and
subsets of 917 to 928
MHz band
EU and India (865 to 868
MHz
“M” Value
Sensitivity
-57 dBm
-57 dBm
-49 dBm
-61 dBm
-61 dBm
-53 dBm
Receiver Adjacent Channel Rejection
The ThingMagic Nano receives signals that are centered at +250 kHz from its own
carrier. The width of the receive filter is adjusted to match the “M” value of the signal
being sent by the tag. An M value of 2 require the widest filter and an M value of 8
requires the narrowest filter. If operating in an environment where many readers are
present, observe the performance of one reader as the other readers are turned on and
off. If the performance improves when the other readers are turned off, then the system
may be experiencing reader-to-reader interference. This reader-to-reader interference will
be minimized by using the highest “M” value that is consistent with the tag read rates
required by the application.
Hardware Overview
37
Environmental Specifications
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Environmental Specifications
Thermal Considerations
The module will operate within its stated specifications over a temperature range o f-20 to
+60 degrees C, measured at the ground plan that the ThingMagic Nano module is
soldered to.
It may be safely stored in temperatures ranging from -40 degrees C to +85 degrees C.
Thermal Management
Heat-sinking
For high duty cycles, it is essential to use a surface mount configuration where all edge
vias are soldered to a carrier or mother board, with a large area of ground plane, that will
either radiate heat or conduct the heat to a larger heat-sink. A high density of PCB vias
from the top to bottom of the board will efficiently conduct heat to a bottom mount heatsink. Often the weak link in thermal management design is not the thermal interface from
the ThingMagic Nano to the heat-sink, but rather the thermal interface from the heat-sink
to the outside world.
Duty Cycle
If overheating occurs it is recommended to first try reducing the duty cycle of operation.
This involves modifying the RF On/Off (API parameter settings /reader/read/
asyncOnTime and asyncOffTime) values. A good place to start is 50% duty cycle using
250ms/250ms On/Off.
If your performance requirements can be met, a low enough duty cycle can result in no
heat sinking required. Or with adequate heat sinking you can run continuously at 100%
duty cycle.
38
Hardware Overview
Environmental Specifications
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) Specification
IEC-61000-4-2 and MIL-883 3015.7 discharges direct to operational antenna port
tolerates max 1 KV pulse. It will tolerate a 4 kV air discharge on the I/O and power lines. It
is recommended that protective diodes be placed on the I/O lines as shown in the carrier
board schematic diagram (see Hardware Integration).
Note
Survival level varies with antenna return loss and antenna characteristics.
See ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations for methods to increase ESD
tolerances.
W A R N I N G !
The ThingMagic Nano antenna port may be susceptible to damage from
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). Equipment failure can result if the
antenna or communication ports are subjected to ESD. Standard ESD
precautions should be taken during installation and operation to avoid
static discharge when handling or making connections to the
ThingMagic Nano reader antenna or communication ports.
Environmental analysis should also be performed to ensure static is not
building up on and around the antennas, possibly causing discharges
during operation.
Shock and Vibration
The ThingMagic Nano module is specified to survive a 1 meter drop onto a hard surface.
It will also survive the following vibration limits:
Š4.02 Grms random, mounted on a non-resonant hard carrier
ŠFive shipments by air, MIL-STD-810G METHOD 514.6 ANNEX C, Figure 514.6C-5
General Exposure pg 514.6C-16, and Table 514.6C-VII, General Exposure. 5
minutes each of three axes.
Hardware Overview
39
Authorized Antennas
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Authorized Antennas
This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed below, and having a maximum gain of 8.15ÂŹdBiL. Antennas not included in this list or having a gain greater than 8.15 dBiLÂŹare
strictly prohibited for use with this device without regulatory approval. The required antenna
impedance is 50 ohms.
ThingMagic Nano Authorized Antennas
Vendor
Model
Type
Polarizatio
Frequency
Range
MTI
Wireless
Laird
MT-263020
Patch
Circular
S9025P
Patch
Circular
Laird
S8658WPL
Patch
Circular
MTI
Wireless
MTI
Wireless
MTI-262013
Patch
Circular
MTI-242043
Patch
Circular
902-928
MHz
902-928
MHz
865-960
MHz
902-928
MHz
865-956
MHz
Laird
FG9026
Dipole
Linear
902-928
MHz
Circular
Gain
(dBiC)
11 min
Max Linear
Gain (dBi)
5.5
4.3
8.5
6.0
7 min, 7.5
max
7.5 in EU
band, 8.5 in
NA band
[Not
Applicable]
6.0
6.0
8.15
Note: Most of these are circularly polarized antennas, but since most tag antennas are linearly
polarized, the equivalent linear gain, as provided, of the antenna should be used for all
calculations.
FCC Modular Certification Considerations
Trimble has obtained FCC modular certification for the ThingMagic Nano module. This
means that the module can be installed in different end-use products by another
equipment manufacturer with limited or no additional testing or equipment authorization
for the transmitter function provided by that specific module. Specifically:
ŠNo additional transmitter-compliance testing is required if the module is operated with
one of the antennas listed in the FCC filing
ŠNo additional transmitter-compliance testing is required if the module is operated with
the same type of antenna as listed in the FCC filing as long as it has equal or lower
gain than the antenna listed. Equivalent antennas must be of the same general type
(e.g. dipole, circularly polarized patch, etc.), must be of equal or less gain than an
antenna previously authorized under the same FCC ID, and must have similar in
40
Hardware Overview
Authorized Antennas
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
band and out of band characteristics (consult specification sheet for cutoff
frequencies).
If the antenna is of a different type or higher gain than those listed in the module’s FCC
filing, see ThingMagic Nano Authorized Antennas, a class II permissive change must be
requested from the FCC. Contact us at support@thingmagic.com and we can help you
though this process.
A host using a module component that has a modular grant can:
1.
Be marketed and sold with the module built inside that does not have to be end-user
accessible/replaceable, or
2.
Be end-user plug-and- play replaceable.
In addition, a host product is required to comply with all applicable FCC equipment
authorizations, regulations, requirements and equipment functions not associated with
the RFID module portion. For example, compliance must be demonstrated to regulations
for other transmitter components within the host product; to requirements for unintentional
radiators (Part 15B), and to additional authorization requirements for the non-transmitter
functions on the transmitter module (for example, incidental transmissions while in
receive mode or radiation due to digital logic functions).
To ensure compliance with all non-transmitter functions the host manufacturer is
responsible for ensuring compliance with the module(s) installed and fully operational.
For example, if a host was previously authorized as an unintentional radiator under the
Declaration of Conformity procedure without a transmitter certified module and a module
is added, the host manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that the after the module is
installed and operational the host continues to be compliant with Part 15B unintentional
radiator requirements. Since this may depend on the details of how the module is
integrated with the host, we shall provide guidance to the host manufacturer for
compliance with Part 15B requirements.
Hardware Overview
41
Physical Dimensions
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Physical Dimensions
The dimensions of the ThingMagic Nano module are provided in the following diagram
and table:
Attribute
Width
Length
Height (includes PCB, shield, mask and labels)
Mass
42
Value
22 +/-0.2 mm
26 +/-0.2 mm
3.0 maximum
3.2 gms
Hardware Overview
Physical Dimensions
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Tape-and-Reel Dimensions
Hardware Overview
43
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Physical Dimensions
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Hardware Overview
Physical Dimensions
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
The Nano is delivered in a tape-and-reel package. The reel measures 13 inches by 4
inches.
Hardware Overview
45
SMT Reflow Profile
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
SMT Reflow Profile
Short profiles are recommended for reflow soldering processes. Peak zone temperature
should be adjusted high enough to ensure proper wetting and optimized forming of solder
joints.
Generally speaking, unnecessary long exposure and exposure to more than 245C should
be avoided.
To not overstress the assembly, the complete reflow profile should be as short as
possible. Here an optimization considering all components on the application must be
performed. The optimization of a reflow profile is a gradual process. It needs to be
performed for every paste, equipment and product combination. The presented profiles
are only samples and valid for the used pastes, reflow machines and test application
boards. Therefore a "ready to use" reflow profile can not be given.
There must be only be one reflow cycle, maximum.
46
Hardware Overview
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Hardware Integration
The ThingMagicÂŽ NanoÂŽ embedded module is an RFID engine that you can integrate with
other systems to create RFID-enabled products. This chapter discusses topics relating to
this, including requirements for a host board design and characteristics of the Nano
Carrier Board that ThingMagic offers for use in Development Kits and for applications
where a module with standard connectors is required.
ŠHost Board Design
ŠThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
Hardware Integration
47
Host Board Design
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Host Board Design
Landing Pads
The position of each of the pads is given in the following table. The dimensioning origin is
at the center of the module edge that includes the RF pad. The tolerances of these
positions should be maintained to within +/-0.2mm. All pads are 2.0 mm long by 0.75 mm
wide.
48
Hardware Integration
Host Board Design
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Pin
Number
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
Hardware Integration
Position
(mm)
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
-10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
10.5
2.5
1.25
-1.25
7.5
6.25
Position
(mm)
-2
-3.25
-4.5
-5.75
-7
-8.25
-9.5
-10.75
-12
-13.25
-14.5
-15.75
-17
-18.25
-19.5
-20.75
-22
-23.25
-23.25
-22
-20.75
-19.5
-18.25
-17
-15.75
-14.5
-13.25
-12
-10.75
-9.5
-8.25
-7
-5.75
-4.5
-3.25
-2
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
49
Host Board Design
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
40
41
3.75
2.5
-0.5
-0.5
Peripheral pads as shown on the footprint are what the ThingMagic Nano module will
mount to. These peripheral pads are at a pitch of 1.25 mm. The intention for the
ThingMagic Nano module is to use routed-through via connections with 0.7 mm diameter
edge vias. The pads of the ThingMagic Nano module underside should align with the
copper pads of the footprint, with a pad exposure extending outside the M6e-Nano edge
be a nominal 0.5 mm. A 0.5 mm keep-out shall surround any non-ground pad. The
50
Hardware Integration
Host Board Design
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
module pad positional tolerance shall be not more than +/-0.2 mm to support contact
alignment during fixturing.
The circuitry feeding the RF pad of the M6e-Nano shall be optimized for connecting to a
coplanar wave guide with ground plane beneath. The CPW-G will have dimensions as
shown in the following diagram.
The area beneath the module should be kept clear of traces and copper.
In addition to the design and process recommendations, the following should be
considered:
There is the potential for 24MHz harmonics radiating from pins 22 through 28 of the
ThingMagic Nano. If emissions testing shows such harmonics the easiest fix is to put
bypass capacitors (typically 39 to 100pf) directly at the ÂŹoffending pins on the carrier
board. Note that higher values are not necessarily better. The ideal capacitor value will
have series resonance near the most offending frequency. 39pF has been good for
around 900 MHz in sample board layouts.
Hardware Integration
51
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
ThingMagic has created a Carrier Board for the ThingMagic Nano module, as an example
of a host board for this module and to make it compatible with the standard Development
Kit main board. It has the size and dimensions of the M6e module (69 mm x 43 mm), and
uses the same connector for power and control (Molex 53261-1571 - 1.25mm pin centers,
52
Hardware Integration
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
1 amp per pin rating. which mates with Molex housing p/n 51021-1500 with crimps p/n
63811-0300).
The pin definitions are the same as for the M6e, for the functions that are supported by
both, with one exception: The “SHUTDOWN” line of the M6e has reversed polarity and is
the “ENABLE” line in the ThingMagic Nano.
Pin Number
Signal
Signal Direction
with respect to
Carrier Board
Notes
1,2
GND
Power and Signal
Return
Must connect both
pins to ground.
3.4
DC Power in
Input
3.3 to 5.5 VDC; must
connect both pins to
the supply.
GPIO1
Bidirectional
Same Specifications
as Nano itself.
GPIO2
Bidirectional
Same Specifications
as Nano itself.
GPIO3
Bidirectional
Same Specifications
as Nano itself.
GPIO4
Bidirectional
Same Specifications
as Nano itself.
UART RX
Input
10
UART TX
Output
11-13
RFU
Not Internally Connected
14
ENABLE
Input
15
Unused
Internally Pulled high,
in ENABLE state, if
not connected
The UART RX and UART TX lines are buffered on the carrier board. This makes the
inputs 5V tolerant and increases the output current driving capability from around 10 mA
to around 15 mA.
Diodes are also added on all I/O lines to increase the ESD protection.
Hardware Integration
53
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
W A R N I N G !
The buffer on the Nano Carrier Board is
driven by the Vout pin on the ThingMagic
Nano. Current supplied to this buffer will
count toward the 1A total current that the
ThingMagic Nano draws from its power
source.
54
Hardware Integration
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
The following page provides a schematic diagram for the Nano Carrier Board.Contact
support@thingmagic.com to obtain this in a PDF file.
Hardware Integration
55
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
56
Hardware Integration
A
M6e
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin
Interface Pinout
1 GND
2 GND
3 +5V
4 +5V
5 GPIO1
6 GPIO2
7 GPIO3
8 GPIO4
9 RS-232_RX_TTL
10 RS-232_TX_TTL
11 USB_DM
12 USB_DP
13 USB_5VSENSE
14 SHUTDOWN
15 RESET
53261-1571
M1
M2
J6
VIN
10
11
12
13
14
15
R1
DNP
MH7
MH4
MH3
MH8
MH2
D2
TVS-4
Optional ESD Protection
TVS-4
D3
DNP
J5
DNP
J3
SPI_MOSI__USBDM
SPI_CLK__USBDP
MH1
TVS-4
D1
GPIO4__VSENSE
R2
DNP
Jump Pin 1-2 for USB powered
Leave open for normal operation
MH9
GND
GND
VIN
VIN
GPIO1
GPIO2
GPIO3
GPIO4__VSENSE
RS232_RX_EXT
RS232_TX_EXT
DNP
RFU11 R11
RFU12 R10
DNP
USB+5
SHUTDOWN_N
GND
GND
T1
T2
TP SMT TP SMT
DNP
GND7
VBUS
DN
DP
ID
GND
GND
1 USB+5
2 SPI_MOSI__USBDM
3 SPI_CLK__USBDP
5 GND
J4
GND6
Jump Pin 1-2 for Shutdown
Leave open for normal operation
RESETN
CON10A
SWDIO
SWCLK
10
J2
V3R3
V3R3
J9
10
12
14
16
18
20
11
13
15
17
19
18
17
16
U1
TM-NANO
450-0070-01_RevX3
RF_OUT
PIN19
PIN20
PIN21
PIN22
PIN23
PIN24
PIN25
PIN26
PIN27
PIN28
PIN29
PIN30
PIN31
PIN32
PIN33
PIN34
PIN35
PIN36
V3R3
SPI_MISO__SDA
SPI_CSN__SCL
Date:
Size
Title
R8
1.00K
RS232_TX_EXT
R5
1.00K
1Y
VCC
2Y
C6
0.1U
74LVC2G17
1A
GND
2A
U2
FB 100 OHM
FB 100 OHM
R4
100K
L2
L3
R9
150NH
3.9N
L1
C3
100P
C4
100P
Monday, March 16, 2015
Document Number
435-0070-01
RS232_RX
Sheet
R7
1.00K
R6
1.00K
RS232_TX
NANO CARRIER WITH M6E FOOTPRINT
R3
100K
SPI_CLK__USBDP
SPI_MOSI__USBDM
SWCLK
SWDIO
RESETN
DNP
C2
20P
C5
This tuning gives 0.21 dB IL -29 dB RL
RS232_RX_EXT
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
CHANGE LOG X3:
1) Change C5, L1 from 22P, 4.7N to 20P, 3.9N.
1) Add PCB1
VIN
SHUTDOWN_N
USB+5
SPI_MOSI__USBDM
SPI_CLK__USBDP
SPI_CSN__SCL
SPI_MISO__SDA
SWDIO
SWCLK
PIN18
PIN17
PIN16
PIN15
PIN14
PIN13
PIN12
PIN11
PIN10
PIN9
PIN8
PIN7
PIN6
PIN5
PIN4
PIN3
PIN2
PIN1
20021521-00020
MATES_WITH = 20021444-00020T4LF
PCB1
VIN
V3R3
GPIO1
GPIO2
GPIO3
GPIO4__VSENSE
RS232_RX_EXT
RS232_TX_EXT
VIN
GPIO4__VSENSE 15
14
GPIO3
GPIO or USB-5V Sense
13
GPIO2
12
GPIO1
11
10
ADC_CAPABLE
SHUTDOWN_N
DAC_CAPABLE
HI=RUN, LOW=SHUTDOWN
VIN
USB+5
GND
SHUTDOWN_N
GND
39
41
40
GND41
GND40
38
37
RF
Hardware Integration
GND38
GND37
JTAG Header
of
J1
MMCX
Rev
X3
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
57
ThingMagic Nano Carrier Board
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Carrier Board Heat Sinking
The ThingMagic Nano can run at full RF power at room temperature on stand-offs in the
Dev Kit. If you wish to test the ThingMagic Nano under extreme temperature conditions,
you may want to mount it on the heat spreader that is supplied with the Micro modules for
the xPRESS Sensor Hub.
Make sure it is assembled as shown in these pictures so no live signals are shorted to ground.
Note
The Sensor Hub firmware does not support the Nano module at this time.
58
Hardware Integration
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Firmware Overview
The following section provides detailed description of the ThingMagic Nano firmware
components, including:
ŠBoot Loader
ŠApplication Firmware
ŠCustom On-Reader Applications
Firmware Overview
59
Boot Loader
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Boot Loader
The boot loader provides low-level functionality. This program provides the low level
hardware support for configuring communication settings, loading Application Firmware
and storing and retrieving data to/from flash.
When a module is powered up or reset, the boot loader code is automatically loaded and
executed.
Note
Unlike previous ThingMagic modules (M4e and M5e) the ThingMagic Nano
bootloader should effectively be invisible to the user. The ThingMagic Nano
is by default configured to auto-boot into application firmware and for any
operations that require the module be in bootloader mode the MercuryAPI
will handle the switching automatically.
60
Firmware Overview
Application Firmware
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Application Firmware
The application firmware contains the tag protocol code along with all the command
interfaces to set and get system parameters and perform tag operations. The application
firmware is, by default, started automatically upon power up.
Programming the ThingMagic Nano
Applications to control the ThingMagic Nano module and derivative products are written
using the high level MercuryAPI. The MercuryAPI supports Java, “.NET” and C
programming environments. The MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains
sample applications and source code to help developers get started demoing and
developing functionality. For more information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI
Programmers Guide and the MercuryAPI SDK, available on the ThingMagic website.
Upgrading the ThingMagic Nano
New features developed for the ThingMagic Nano are made available to existing modules
through an Application Firmware upgrade, along with corresponding updates to the
MercuryAPI to make use of the new features. Firmware upgrades can be applied using
the MercuryAPI to build the functionality into custom applications or using the MercuryAPI
SDK demo utilities.
Verifying Application Firmware Image
The application firmware has an image level Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) embedded
in it to protect against corrupted firmware during an upgrade process. (If the upgrade is
unsuccessful, the CRC will not match the contents in flash.) When the boot loader starts
the application FW, it first verifies that the image CRC is correct. If this check fails, then
the boot loader does not start the application firmware and an error is returned.
Firmware Overview
61
Custom On-Reader Applications
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Custom On-Reader Applications
The ThingMagic Nano does not support installing customer applications on the module.
All reader configuration and control is performed using the documented MercuryAPI
methods in applications running on a host processor.
62
Firmware Overview
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Communication Protocol
The following section provides an overview of the low level serial communications
protocol used by the ThingMagic Nano. Topics include:
ŠSerial Communication Protocol
ŠUser Programming Interface
Communication Protocol
63
Serial Communication Protocol
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Serial Communication Protocol
The serial communication between a computer (host) and the ThingMagic Nano is based
on a synchronized command-response/master-slave mechanism. Whenever the host
sends a message to the reader, it cannot send another message until after it receives a
response. The reader never initiates a communication session; only the host initiates a
communication session.
This protocol allows for each command to have its own time-out because some
commands require more time to execute than others. The host must manage retries, if
necessary. The host must keep track of the state of the intended reader if it reissues a
command.
Host-to-Reader Communication
Host-to-reader communication is packetized according to the following diagram. The
reader can only accept one command at a time, and commands are executed serially, so
the host waits for a reader-to-host response before issuing another host-to-reader
command packet.
64
Header
Data Length
Command
Data
CRC-16
Checksum
Hdr
Len
Cmd
----------------
CRC Hi /
CRC LO
1 byte
1 byte
1 byte
0 to 250
bytes
2 bytes
Communication Protocol
Serial Communication Protocol
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Reader-to-Host Communication
The following diagram defines the format of the generic Response Packet sent from the
reader to the host. The Response Packet is different in format from the Request Packet.
Header
Data Length
Command
Status Word
Data
CRC-16
Checksum
Hdr
Len
Cmd
Status Word
----------------
CRC Hi /
CRC LO
1 byte
1 byte
1 byte
2 bytes
0 to 248
bytes
2 bytes
CCITT CRC-16 Calculation
The same CRC calculation is performed on all serial communications between the host
and the reader. The CRC is calculated on the Data Length, Command, Status Word, and
Data bytes. The header is not included in the CRC.
Communication Protocol
65
User Programming Interface
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
User Programming Interface
The ThingMagic Nano does not support programming to the serial protocol directly. All
user interaction with the ThingMagic Nano must be performed using the MercuryAPI.
The MercuryAPI supports Java, “.NET” and C programming environments. The
MercuryAPI Software Development Kit (SDK) contains sample applications and source
code to help developers get started demoing and developing functionality. For more
information on the MercuryAPI see the MercuryAPI Programmers Guide and the
MercuryAPI SDK, available on the ThingMagic website.
66
Communication Protocol
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
The following section provides detailed descriptions of the ThingMagic Nano features and
functionality that are supported through the use of the MercuryAPI.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
67
Regulatory Support
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Regulatory Support
C A U T I O N !
Please contact ThingMagic support - support@thingmagic.com - before
beginning the process of getting regulatory approval for a finished product using the ThingMagic Nano.
Supported Regions
The ThingMagic Nano has differing levels of support for operation and use under the laws
and guidelines of several regions. The regional support is shown in the following table.
Region
Regulatory Support
Notes
Narrow Band North
America
(NA_REDUCED_FCC)
FCC 47 CFG Ch. 1 Part 15
Industrie Canada RSS-210
Complies with all FCC regulations but uses a
narrow frequency range: 917,400 kHz to
927,200 kHz
European Union (EU3)
Revised ETSI EN 302 208
By default EU3 will use four channels. EU3
region can also be used in a single channel
mode. These two modes of operation are
defined as:
Single Channel Mode
• Set by manually setting the frequency hop
table to a single frequency. In this mode the
module will occupy the set channel for up to
four seconds, after which it will be quiet for
100ms before transmitting on the same
channel again.
Note: The EU and EU2
regions are for
legacy applications
using old ETSI
regulations. These
should not be used.
Multi Channel Mode
• Set by leaving the default or manually setting
more than one frequency in the hop table. In
this mode the module will occupy one of the
configured channels for up to four seconds,
after which it may switch to another channel
and immediately occupy that channel for up
to four seconds. This mode allows for
continuous operation.
68
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Regulatory Support
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Korea (KR2)
KCC (2009)
The first frequency channel (917,300kHz) of the
KR2 region is derated to +22dBm to meet the
regulatory requirements. All other channels
operate up to +27dBm. In the worst case scenario, each time the derated channel is used it
will stay on that channel for 400ms. The fastest
it will move to the next channel, in the case
where no tags are found using that frequency, it
will move to the next channel after 10 empty
query rounds, approximately 120ms.
India (IN)
Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India (TRAI), 2005 regulations
People’s Republic of
China (PRC)
SRRC, MII
Australia (AU)
ACMA LIPD Class Licence
Variation 2011 (No. 1)
New Zealand (NZ)
Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio
Licence for Short Range
Devices) Notice 2011
This region is included for testing purposes.
Compliance to New Zealand regulatory requirements has not been confirmed.
Japan (JP)
Japan MIC “36dBm EIRP
blanket license radio station
with LBT”
Full power operation restricts the channel range
from 916.8Mhz to 920.8MHz and all default
channels are within this range.
The PRC specifications limits channels 920 to
920.5MHz and 924.5 to 925.0MHz to transmitting at 100mW or below. The default hop table
uses only the center channels which allow 2W
ERP, 1W conducted, power output. If the hop
table is modified to use the outer, lower power
channels the RF level will be limited to the outer
channels limit, 100mW or +20dBm
Per the regulations, this region supports Listenbefore-talk at the required level of -74 dBm.
Open Region
No regulatory compliance
enforced
This region allows the module to be manually
configured within the full capabilities supported
by the hardware, see Regional Frequency
Specifications table. The Open region should
be used for laboratory testing only as it does not
meet any regulatory requirements for any one
region.
The regional functionality is set using the MercuryAPI. Setting the region of operation
configures the regional default settings including:
ŠLoads the Frequency Hop Table with the appropriate table for the selected region.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
69
Regulatory Support
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
ŠSets the PLL Frequency Setting to the first entry in the hop table, even if the RF is off.
ŠSelects the transmit filter, if applicable.
Frequency Setting
The modules have a PLL synthesizer that sets the modulation frequency to the desired
value. Whenever the frequency is changed, the module must first power off the
modulation, change the frequency, and then turn on the modulation again. Since this can
take several milliseconds, it is possible that tags are powered off during a frequency hop.
In addition to setting the default regional settings, the ThingMagic Nano has commands
that allow the transmit frequency to be set manually.
C A U T I O N !
Use these commands with extreme caution.
It is possible to change the module’s compliance with the regional regulations.
Frequency Units
All frequencies in the ThingMagic Nano are expressed in kHz using unsigned 32-bit
integers. For instance, a carrier frequency of 918 MHz is expressed as 918000 kHz.
The PLL is set automatically to the closest frequency - based on the minimum frequency
quantization for the current region - that matches the specified value. The ThingMagic
Nano has an absolute minimum quantization of 100 kHz. Each region also has a
minimum quantization based on regulatory specifications, which may be greater. The
following table details the frequency quantization in kHz for each region setting.
70
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Regulatory Support
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Regional Frequency Specifications
Region
Frequency
Quantization
(kHz)
Minimum
Frequency
(kHz)
Maximum
Frequency
(kHz)
Number of
Channels in
Default Hop
Table
NA2 (Reduced FCC)
200
917,400 kHz
927,200 kHz
50
EU3 (ETSI)
100
865,600 kHz
867,600 kHz
IN (India)
100
865,000 kHz
867,000 kHz
KR2 (Korea)
100
917,000 kHz
923,500 kHz
PRC
125
920,125 kHz
924,875 kHz
16
AU (Australia)
250
920,000 kHz
926,000 kHz
10
NZ (New Zealand)
250
922,000 kHz
927,000 kHz
11
JP (Japan)
100
916,900 kHz
923,400 kHz
Open
100
859,000 kHz
915,000 kHz
873,000 kHz
930,000 kHz
15
16
When manually setting frequencies the module will round down for any value that is not
an even multiple of the supported frequency quantization.
For example: In the NA region, setting a frequency of 917,599 kHz results in a setting of
917,400 kHz.
When setting the frequency of the module, any frequencies outside of the valid range for
the specified region are rejected.
Frequency Hop Table
The frequency hop table determines the frequencies used by the ThingMagic Nano when
transmitting. The hop table characteristics are:
ŠContains up to 62 entries.
ŠMust be within the frequency range for the region currently selected.
ŠChanges are not stored in flash, thus changes made are not retained after a power
cycle, including when the ENABLE line is activated after having been in the shutdown
state.
ŠIndividual entries cannot be changed without reloading the entire table.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
71
Regulatory Support
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
ŠFrequencies are used in the order of entries in the table, so if a random order is
required, the frequencies must be pre-randomized before entering.
If necessary for a region, the hop table are randomized to create a pseudo-random
sequence of frequencies to use. This is done automatically using the default hop tables
provided for each region.
72
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Protocol Support
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Protocol Support
Unlike the M6e and Micro modules, the ThingMagic Nano does not have the ability to
support tag protocols other then ISO 18000-6B (gen2). Future support for ISO 18000-63
(Gen2V2) is likely, however.
ISO 18000-6C (Gen2)
Gen2 Protocol Configuration Options
The ThingMagic Nano supports limited ISO-18000-6C profiles, with only the Backscatter
Link Frequency (BLF) and “M” value as configurable options. The protocol options are set
in the MercuryAPI Reader Configuration Parameters (/reader/gen2/*). The following table
shows the supported combinations:
Backscatter
Link Frequency
(kHz)
Encoding
Tari
(usec)
Modulation
Scheme
250
Miller (M=8)
25
PR-ASK
Up to 85 tags per second read rate
250
Miller (M=4)
25
PR-ASK
Default; Up to 170 tags
per second read rate.
250
Miller (M=2)
25
PR-ASK
Up to 240 tags per
second read rate.
Notes
Note
It is important that the /reader/baudRate is greater than the BLF divided
by the “M” value when reading continuously. If it’s not then the reader could
be reading data faster than the transport can process it, and the reader’s
buffer might fill up.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
73
Protocol Support
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Unsupported Gen2 Functionality
The ThingMagic Nano module firmware can perform some Gen2 functions as a standalone command, but cannot do so as part of an embedded TagOps command: Here is
the list of supported standard Gen2 functions:
As Embedded
TagOPs
As Stand-alone
TagOPs
Gen2 Read Data
Yes
Yes
Gen2 Write Tag
No
Yes
Gen2 Write Data
No
Yes
Gen2 Lock Tag
No
Yes
Gen2 Kill Tag
No
Yes
Gen2 Block Write
No
Yes
Gen2 Block Erase
No
Yes
Gen2 Block Permalock
No
Yes
Secure Read Data
No
No
Function
Additionally, some functions are not supported simply because the Nano hardware only
supports one antenna, such as:
Š
Unsupported Custom Gen2 Functions
The ThingMagic Nano module does not support many of the custom commands which
are supported in the other module families. Functionality NOT supported includes:
ŠHiggs 2 FullLoadImage
ŠHiggs 2 PartialLoadImage
ŠHiggs 3 FastLoadImage
ŠHiggs 3 LoadImage
ŠHiggs 3 BlockReadLock
ŠNXP G2X and G2i Set/Reset ReadProtect
74
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Protocol Support
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
ŠNXP G2X and G2i Change EAS and Alarm
ŠNXP G2X and G2i Calibrate
ŠNXP G2i ChangeConfig
ŠMonza 4QT ReadWrite
ŠAMS/IDS SL900A Sensor Tag Commands
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
75
Unsupported Features
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Unsupported Features
ŠUnlike other ThingMagic modules, the ThingMagic Nano module currently does not
support gathering reader statistics independent of the meta data that can be
gathered with tag reads. The statistics not supported include:
ŠRF On-time
ŠNoise Floor,
ŠNoise Floor with Transmit On
ŠFrequency
ŠTemperature
ŠAntenna Ports
ŠCurrent Protocol
ŠThe ThingMagic Nano module currently does not support Save and Restore of
settings.
Š“User Mode”, which is a little-used feature of older modules, is not supported.
ŠAny commands that involve multiple antennas are not supported.
ŠAntenna detection is not supported (The M6e module supports this, the nano and
Micro modules do not).
76
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Antenna Port
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Antenna Port
The ThingMagic Nano has one monostatic antenna port. This port is capable of both
transmitting and receiving. The module also supports Using a Multiplexer, allowing up to 8
total logical antenna ports, controlled using two GPIO lines.
Note
The ThingMagic Nano does not support bistatic (separate transmit and
receive port) operation.
Using a Multiplexer
Multiplexer switching is controlled through the use of one or two of the General Purpose
Input/Output (GPIO) lines. In order to enable automatic multiplexer port switching the
module must be configured to use Use GPIO as Antenna Switch in /reader/antenna/
portSwitchGpos.
Once the GPIO line(s) usage has been enabled the following control line states are
applied when the different Logical Antenna settings are used. The tables below show the
mapping that results using GPIO 1 and 2 for multiplexer control (as is used by the
ThingMagic 1 to 4 multiplexer) allowing for 4 logical antenna ports.
Note
The Logical Antenna values are static labels indicating the available control
line states. The specific physical antenna port they map to depends on the
control line to antenna port map of the multiplexer in use. The translation
from Logical Antenna label to physical port must be maintained by the
control software.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
77
Antenna Port
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
GPIO 1 & 2 Used for Antenna Switching
GPIO
Output 1
State
GPIO
Output 2
State
Logical Antenna
Setting
Low
Low
Low
High
High
Low
High
High
If only one GPIO Output line is used for antenna control, the combinations of the available
output control line states (the GPIO line in use and the module port) result in a subset of
logical antenna settings which can be used.
ONLY GPIO 1 Used for Antenna Switching
GPIO
Output 1
State
Logical Antenna
Setting
Low
1 or 2
High
3 or 4
Note
The “missing” logical antenna settings are still usable when only one GPIO
line is used for antenna control and simply results in redundant logical
antenna settings. For example, using only GPIO 1, logical setting 1 and 3
both result from GPIO1=Low.
ONLY GPIO 2 Used for Antenna Switching
78
GPIO
Output 2
State
Logical Antenna
Setting
Low
1 or 3
High
2 or 4
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Antenna Port
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Port Power and Settling Time
The ThingMagic Nano allows the power and settling time for each logical antenna to be
set using the reader configuration parameters /reader/radio/portReadPowerList
and /reader/antenna/settlingTimeList, respectively. The order the antennas
settings are defined does not affect search order.
Note
Settling time is the time between the control lines switching to the next
antenna setting and RF turning on for operations on that port. This allows
time for external multiplexer’s to fully switch to the new port before a signal is
sent, if necessary. Default value is 0.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
79
Tag Handling
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Tag Handling
When the ThingMagic Nano performs inventory operations (MercuryAPI Read
commands) data is stored in a Tag Buffer until retrieved by the client application, or
streamed directly to the client if operating in Tag Streaming/Continuous Reading mode.
Tag Buffer
The ThingMagic Nano uses a dynamic buffer that depends on EPC length and quantity of
data read. As a rule of thumb it can store a maximum of 48 96-bit EPC tags in the Tag
Buffer at a time. Since the ThingMagic Nano supports streaming of read results the buffer
limit is, typically, not an issue. Each tag entry consists of a variable number of bytes and
consists of the following fields:
Total Entry
Size
68 bytes
(Max EPC
Length = 496bits)
Field
Size
Description
EPC
Length
2 bytes
Indicates the actual EPC length of the tag
read.
PC Word
2 bytes
Contains the Protocol Control bits for the tag.
EPC
62 bytes
Contains the tag’s EPC value.
Tag CRC
2 bytes
The tag’s CRC.
Tag Read Meta Data
The Tag buffer acts as a First In First Out (FIFO) — the first Tag found by the reader is
the first one to be read out.
Tag Streaming/Continuous Reading
When reading tags during asynchronous inventory operations (MercuryAPI
Reader.StartReading()) using an /reader/read/asyncOffTime=0 the ThingMagic
Nano “streams” the tag results back to the host processor. This means that tags are
pushed out of the buffer as soon as they are processed by the ThingMagic Nano and put
into the buffer. The buffer is put into a circular mode that keeps the buffer from filling. This
allows for the ThingMagic Nano to perform continuous search operations without the
need to periodically stop reading and fetch the contents of the buffer. Aside from not
seeing “down time” when performing a read operation this behavior is essentially invisible
to the user as all tag handling is done by the MercuryAPI.
80
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Tag Handling
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Note
When the TTL Level UART Interface is used it is not possible for the module to
detect a broken communications interface connection and stop streaming
the tag results.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
81
Tag Read Meta Data
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Tag Read Meta Data
In addition to the tag EPC ID resulting from ThingMagic Nano inventory operation each
TagReadData (see MercuryAPI for code details) contains meta data about how, where
and when the tag was read. The specific meta data available for each tag read is as
follows:
Meta Data Field
Description
Antenna ID
The antenna on with the tag was read. When Using a Multiplexer, if appropriately configured, the Antenna ID entry will
contain the logical antenna port of the tag read. If the same tag
is read on more than one antenna there will be a tag buffer
entry for each antenna on which the tag was read.
Read Count
The number of times the tag was read on [Antenna ID].
Timestamp
The time the tag was read, relative to the time the command to
read was issued, in milliseconds. If the Tag Read Meta Data is
not retrieved from the Tag Buffer between read commands
there will be no way to distinguish order of tags read with different read command invocations.
Tag Data
When reading an embedded TagOp is specified for a ReadPlan the TagReadData will contain the first 128 words of data
returned for each tag.
Note: Tags with the same TagID but different Tag Data
can be considered unique and each get a Tag
Buffer entry if set in the reader configuration
parameter /reader/tagReadData/
uniqueByData. By default it is not.
82
Frequency
The frequency on which the tag was read
Tag Phase
Not supported in ThingMagic Nano
LQI/RSSI
The receive signal strength of the tag response in dBm.
GPIO Status
The signal status (High or Low) of all GPIO pins when tag was
read.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Power Management
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Power Management
The ThingMagic Nano is designed for power efficiency and offers several different power
management modes. The following power management modes affect the power
consumption during different periods of ThingMagic Nano usage and impact performance
in different ways. The available power management modes are:
ŠPower Modes - set in /reader/powerMode - Controls the power savings when the
ThingMagic Nano is idle.
Power Modes
The Power Mode setting (set in /reader/powerMode) allows the user to trade off
increased RF operation startup time for additional power savings. Our terminology can be
a little confusing. “MINSAVE” refers to the minimum amount of power saving applied,
which results in a higher idle power level than “MAXSAVE”.
The details of the amount of power consumed in each mode is shown in the table under
Idle DC Power Consumption. The behavior of each mode and impact on RF command
latency is as follows:
ŠPowerMode.FULL – In this mode, the unit operates at full power to attain the best
performance possible. This mode is only intended for use in cases where power
consumption is not an issue. This is the default Power Mode at startup.
ŠPowerMode.MINSAVE – This mode may add up to 20 ms of delay from idle to RF on
when initiating an RF operation. It performs more aggressive power savings, such as
automatically shutting down the analog section between commands, and then
restarting it whenever a tag command is issued. MEDSAVE and MAXSAVE are the
same as MINSAVE
ŠPowerMode.SLEEP – This mode essentially shuts down the digital and analog
boards, except to power the bare minimum logic required to wake the processor.This
mode may add up to 20 ms of delay from idle to RF on when initiating an RF
operation. (There is no known disadvantage to using SLEEP mode rather than any of
the M**SAVE modes, since their wake-up times are nearly identical.)
Note
See additional latency specifications under Event Response Times.
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
83
Performance Characteristics
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Performance Characteristics
Event Response Times
The following table provides some metrics on how long common ThingMagic Nano
operations take. An event response time is defined as the maximum time from the end of
a command (end of the last bit in the serial stream) or event (e.g. power up) to the
response event the command or event causes.
Event Response Times
Start Command/
Event
Typical
Time
(msec)
End Event
Notes
Power Up
Application Active (with
CRC check)
140
This longer power up period should only
occur for the first boot with new firmware.
Power Up
Application Active
28
Once the firmware CRC has been verified subsequent power ups do not
require the CRC check be performed,
saving time.
Tag Read
RF On
When in Power Mode = FULL
Tag Read
RF On
20
When in Power Mode = MINSAVE
Tag Read
RF On
20
When in Power Mode = SLEEP
84
Functionality of the ThingMagic Nano
Common Error Messages
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Appendix A: Error Messages
This appendix discusses error messages that you might see in API transport logs or
passed up by the API to the host program. Categories of messages include:
ŠCommon Error Messages
ŠBootloader Faults
ŠFlash Faults
ŠProtocol Faults
ŠAnalog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults
ŠTag ID Buffer Faults
ŠSystem Errors
Common Error Messages
The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section.
Fault Message
Code
FAULT_MSG_WRONG_NUMBER_OF_DATA – (100h)
100h
FAULT_INVALID_OPCODE – (101h)
101h
FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_OPCODE – 102h
102h
FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_HIGH – 103h
103h
FAULT_MSG_INVALID_FREQ_RECEIVED (104h)
104h
FAULT_MSG_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE - (105h)
105h
FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_LOW - (106h)
106h
FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_FEATURE - (109h)
109h
FAULT_INVALID_BAUD_RATE - (10Ah)
10Ah
FAULT_MSG_WRONG_NUMBER_OF_DATA – (100h)
Cause
If the data length in any of the Host-to-M5e/M5e-Compact messages is less than or more
than the number of arguments in the message, the reader returns this message.
Appendix A: Error Messages
85
Common Error Messages
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Solution
Make sure the number of arguments matches the data length.
FAULT_INVALID_OPCODE – (101h)
Cause
The opCode received is invalid or not supported in the currently running program
(bootloader or main application) or is not supported in the current version of code.
Solution
Check the following:
ŠMake sure the command is supported in the currently running program.
ŠCheck the documentation for the opCode the host sent and make sure it is correct and
supported.
ŠCheck the previous module responses for an assert (0x7F0X) which will reset the
module into the bootloader.
FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_OPCODE – 102h
Cause
Some of the reserved commands might return this error code.
This does not mean that they always will do this since ThingMagic reserves the right to
modify those commands at anytime.
Solution
Check the documentation for the opCode the host sent to the reader and make sure it is
supported.
FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_HIGH – 103h
Cause
A message was sent to set the read or write power to a level that is higher than the
current HW supports.
86
Appendix A: Error Messages
Common Error Messages
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Solution
Check the HW specifications for the supported powers and insure that the level is not
exceeded.
The M5e 1 Watt units support power from 5 dBm to 30 dBm.
The M5e-Compact units support power from 10 dBm to 23 dBm.
FAULT_MSG_INVALID_FREQ_RECEIVED (104h)
Cause
A message was received by the reader to set the frequency outside the supported range
Solution
Make sure the host does not set the frequency outside this range or any other locally
supported ranges.
FAULT_MSG_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE - (105h)
Cause
The reader received a valid command with an unsupported or invalid value within this
command.
For example, currently the module supports four antennas. If the module receives a
message with an antenna value other than 1 to 4, it returns this error.
Solution
Make sure the host sets all the values in a command according to the values published in
this document.
FAULT_MSG_POWER_TOO_LOW - (106h)
Cause
A message was received to set the read or write power to a level that is lower than the
current HW supports.
Appendix A: Error Messages
87
Common Error Messages
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Solution
Check the HW specifications for the supported powers and insure that level is not
exceeded. The ThingMagic Nano supports powers between 5 and 30 dBm.
FAULT_UNIMPLEMENTED_FEATURE - (109h)
Cause
Attempting to invoke a command not supported on this firmware or hardware.
Solution
Check the command being invoked against the documentation.
FAULT_INVALID_BAUD_RATE - (10Ah)
Cause
When the baud rate is set to a rate that is not specified in the Baud Rate table, this error
message is returned.
Solution
Check the table of specific baud rates and select a baud rate.
88
Appendix A: Error Messages
Bootloader Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Bootloader Faults
The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section.
Fault Message
Code
FAULT_BL_INVALID_IMAGE_CRC
200h
FAULT_BL_INVALID_APP_END_ADDR
201h
FAULT_BL_INVALID_IMAGE_CRC – 200h
Cause
When the application firmware is loaded the reader checks the image stored in flash and
returns this error if the calculated CRC is different than the one stored in flash.
Solution
The exact reason for the corruption could be that the image loaded in flash was corrupted
during the transfer or corrupted for some other reason.
To fix this problem, reload the application code in flash.
FAULT_BL_INVALID_APP_END_ADDR – 201h
Cause
When the application firmware is loaded the reader checks the image stored in flash and
returns this error if the last word stored in flash does not have the correct address value.
Solution
The exact reason for the corruption could be that the image loaded in flash got corrupted
during the transfer or, corrupted for some other reason.
To fix this problem, reload the application code in flash.
Appendix A: Error Messages
89
Flash Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Flash Faults
The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section.
Fault Message
Code
FAULT_FLASH_BAD_ERASE_PASSWORD – 300h
300h
FAULT_FLASH_BAD_WRITE_PASSWORD – 301h
301h
FAULT_FLASH_UNDEFINED_ERROR – 302h
302h
FAULT_FLASH_ILLEGAL_SECTOR – 303h
303h
FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_NON_ERASED_AREA – 304h
304h
FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_ILLEGAL_SECTOR – 305h
305h
FAULT_FLASH_VERIFY_FAILED – 306h
306h
FAULT_FLASH_BAD_ERASE_PASSWORD – 300h
Cause
A command was received to erase some part of the flash but the password supplied with
the command was incorrect.
Solution
When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error
response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
FAULT_FLASH_BAD_WRITE_PASSWORD – 301h
Cause
A command was received to write some part of the flash but the password supplied with
the command was not correct.
Solution
When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error
response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
90
Appendix A: Error Messages
Flash Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
FAULT_FLASH_UNDEFINED_ERROR – 302h
Cause
This is an internal error and it is caused by a software problem in module.
Solution
When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error
response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
FAULT_FLASH_ILLEGAL_SECTOR – 303h
Cause
An erase or write flash command was received with the sector value and password not
matching.
Solution
When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error
response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_NON_ERASED_AREA – 304h
Cause
The module received a write flash command to an area of flash that was not previously
erased.
Solution
When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error
response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
FAULT_FLASH_WRITE_TO_ILLEGAL_SECTOR – 305h
Cause
The module received a write flash command to write across a sector boundary that is
prohibited.
Appendix A: Error Messages
91
Flash Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Solution
When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error
response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
FAULT_FLASH_VERIFY_FAILED – 306h
Cause
The module received a write flash command that was unsuccessful because data being
written to flash contained an uneven number of bytes.
Solution
When this occurs make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error
response and send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
92
Appendix A: Error Messages
Protocol Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Protocol Faults
The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section.
Fault Message
Code
FAULT_NO_TAGS_FOUND – (400h)
400h
FAULT_NO_PROTOCOL_DEFINED – 401h
401h
FAULT_INVALID_PROTOCOL_SPECIFIED – 402h
402h
FAULT_WRITE_PASSED_LOCK_FAILED – 403h
403h
FAULT_PROTOCOL_NO_DATA_READ – 404h
404h
FAULT_AFE_NOT_ON – 405h
405h
FAULT_PROTOCOL_WRITE_FAILED – 406h
406h
FAULT_NOT_IMPLEMENTED_FOR_THIS_PROTOCOL – 407h
407h
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_WRITE_DATA – 408h
408h
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_ADDRESS – 409h
409h
FAULT_GENERAL_TAG_ERROR – 40Ah
40Ah
FAULT_DATA_TOO_LARGE – 40Bh
40Bh
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_KILL_PASSWORD – 40Ch
40Ch
FAULT_PROTOCOL_KILL_FAILED - 40Eh
40Eh
FAULT_PROTOCOL_BIT_DECODING_FAILED - 40Fh
40Fh
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_EPC – 410h
410h
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_NUM_DATA – 411h
411h
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_OTHER_ERROR - 420h
420h
FAULT_GEN2_PROTOCOL_MEMORY_OVERRUN_BAD_PC 423h
423h
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_MEMORY_LOCKED - 424h
424h
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_INSUFFICIENT_POWER - 42Bh
42Bh
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_NON_SPECIFIC_ERROR - 42Fh
42Fh
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR - 430h
430h
Appendix A: Error Messages
93
Protocol Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
FAULT_NO_TAGS_FOUND – (400h)
Cause
A command was received (such as like read, write, or lock) but the operation failed. There
are many reasons that can cause this error to occur.
Here is a list of possible reasons that could be causing this error:
ŠNo tag in the RF field
ŠRead/write power too low
ŠAntenna not connected
ŠTag is weak or dead
Solution
Make sure there is a good tag in the field and all parameters are set up correctly. The best
way to check this is to try few tags of the same type to rule out a weak tag. If none
passed, then it could be SW configuration such as protocol value, antenna, and so forth,
or a placement configuration like a tag location.
FAULT_NO_PROTOCOL_DEFINED – 401h
Cause
A command was received to perform a protocol command but no protocol was initially set.
The reader powers up with no protocols set.
Solution
A protocol must be set before the reader can begin RF operations.
FAULT_INVALID_PROTOCOL_SPECIFIED – 402h
Cause
The protocol value was set to a protocol that is not supported with the current version of
SW.
94
Appendix A: Error Messages
Protocol Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Solution
This value is invalid or this version of SW does not support the protocol value. Check the
documentation for the correct values for the protocols in use and that you are licensed for
it.
FAULT_WRITE_PASSED_LOCK_FAILED – 403h
Cause
During a Write Tag Data for ISO18000-6B or UCODE, if the lock fails, this error is
returned. The write command passed but the lock did not. This could be a bad tag.
Solution
Try to write a few other tags and make sure that they are placed in the RF field.
FAULT_PROTOCOL_NO_DATA_READ – 404h
Cause
A command was sent but did not succeed.
Solution
The tag used has failed or does not have the correct CRC. Try to read a few other tags to
check the HW/SW configuration.
FAULT_AFE_NOT_ON – 405h
Cause
A command was received for an operation, like read or write, but the AFE was in the off
state.
Solution
Make sure the region and tag protocol have been set to supported values.
Appendix A: Error Messages
95
Protocol Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
FAULT_PROTOCOL_WRITE_FAILED – 406h
Cause
An attempt to modify the contents of a tag failed. There are many reasons for failure.
Solution
Check that the tag is good and try another operation on a few more tags.
FAULT_NOT_IMPLEMENTED_FOR_THIS_PROTOCOL – 407h
Cause
A command was received which is not supported by a protocol.
Solution
Check the documentation for the supported commands and protocols.
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_WRITE_DATA – 408h
Cause
An ID write was attempted with an unsupported/incorrect ID length.
Solution
Verify the Tag ID length being written.
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_ADDRESS – 409h
Cause
A command was received attempting to access an invalid address in the tag data address
space.
Solution
Make sure that the address specified is within the scope of the tag data address space
and available for the specific operation. The protocol specifications contain information
about the supported addresses.
96
Appendix A: Error Messages
Protocol Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
FAULT_GENERAL_TAG_ERROR – 40Ah
Cause
This error is used by the GEN2 module. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill
command fails. This error can be internal or functional.
Solution
Make a note of the operations you were performing and contact ThingMagic at http://
support.thingmagic.com
FAULT_DATA_TOO_LARGE – 40Bh
Cause
A command was received to Read Tag Data with a data value larger than expected or it is
not the correct size.
Solution
Check the size of the data value in the message sent to the reader.
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_KILL_PASSWORD – 40Ch
Cause
An incorrect kill password was received as part of the Kill command.
Solution
Check the password.
FAULT_PROTOCOL_KILL_FAILED - 40Eh
Cause
Attempt to kill a tag failed for an unknown reason
Solution
Check tag is in RF field and the kill password.
Appendix A: Error Messages
97
Protocol Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
FAULT_PROTOCOL_BIT_DECODING_FAILED - 40Fh
Cause
Attempt to operate on a tag with an EPC length greater than the Maximum EPC length
setting.
Solution
Check the EPC length being written.
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_EPC – 410h
Cause
This error is used by the GEN2 module indicating an invalid EPC value has been
specified for an operation. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill command
fails.
Solution
Check the EPC value that is being passed in the command resulting in this error.
FAULT_PROTOCOL_INVALID_NUM_DATA – 411h
Cause
This error is used by the GEN2 module indicating invalid data has been specified for an
operation. This fault can occur if the read, write, lock, or kill command fails.
Solution
Check the data that is being passed in the command resulting in this error.
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_OTHER_ERROR - 420h
Cause
This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. Its a catch-all for error not covered by other codes.
98
Appendix A: Error Messages
Protocol Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Solution
Check the data that is being passed in the command resulting in this error. Try with a
different tag.
FAULT_GEN2_PROTOCOL_MEMORY_OVERRUN_BAD_PC 423h
Cause
This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The specified memory location does not exist or
the PC value is not supported by the Tag.
Solution
Check the data that is being written and where its being written to in the command
resulting in this error.
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_MEMORY_LOCKED - 424h
Cause
This is an error returned by Gen2 tags.The specified memory location is locked and/or
permalocked and is either not writable or not readable.
Solution
Check the data that is being written and where its being written to in the command
resulting in this error. Check the access password being sent.
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_INSUFFICIENT_POWER - 42Bh
Cause
This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The tag has insufficient power to perform the
memory-write operation.
Solution
Try moving the tag closer to the antenna. Try with a different tag.
Appendix A: Error Messages
99
Protocol Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_NON_SPECIFIC_ERROR - 42Fh
Cause
This is an error returned by Gen2 tags. The tag does not support error specific codes.
Solution
Check the data that is being written and where its being written to in the command
resulting in this error. Try with a different tag.
FAULT_GEN2 PROTOCOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR - 430h
Cause
This is an error returned by ThingMagic Nano when no more error information is available
about why the operation failed.
Solution
Check the data that is being written and where its being written to in the command
resulting in this error. Try with a different tag.
100
Appendix A: Error Messages
Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults
FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_FREQ – 500h
Cause
A command was received to set a frequency outside the specified range.
Solution
Check the values you are trying to set and be sure that they fall within the range of the set
region of operation.
FAULT_AHAL_CHANNEL_OCCUPIED – 501h
Cause
With LBT enabled an attempt was made to set the frequency to an occupied channel.
Solution
Try a different channel. If supported by the region of operation turn LBT off.
FAULT_AHAL_TRANSMITTER_ON – 502h
Cause
Checking antenna status while CW is on is not allowed.
Solution
Do not perform antenna checking when CW is turned on.
FAULT_ANTENNA_NOT_CONNECTED – 503h
Cause
An attempt was made to transmit on an antenna which did not pass the antenna detection
when antenna detection was turned on.
Appendix A: Error Messages
101
Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Solution
Connect a detectable antenna. (Antenna must have some DC resistance.) (Does not
apply to Micro or ThingMagic Nano as they do not detect antennas.)
FAULT_TEMPERATURE_EXCEED_LIMITS – 504h
Cause
The module has exceeded the maximum or minimum operating temperature and will not
allow an RF operation until it is back in range.
Solution
Take steps to resolve thermal issues with module:
ŠReduce duty cycle
ŠAdd heat sink
FAULT_POOR_RETURN_LOSS – 505h
Cause
The module has detected a poor return loss and has ended RF operation to avoid module
damage.
Solution
Take steps to resolve high return loss on receiver:
ŠMake sure antenna VSWR is within module specifications
ŠMake sure antennas are correctly attached before transmitting
ŠCheck environment to ensure no occurrences of high signal reflection back at
antennas.
FAULT_AHAL_INVALID_ANTENA_CONFIG – 507h
Cause
An attempt to set an antenna configuration that is not valid.
102
Appendix A: Error Messages
Analog Hardware Abstraction Layer Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Solution
Use the correct antenna setting or change the reader configuration.
Appendix A: Error Messages
103
Tag ID Buffer Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Tag ID Buffer Faults
The following table lists the common faults discussed in this section.
Fault Message
Code
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NOT_ENOUGH_TAGS_AVAILABLE – 600h
600h
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_FULL – 601h
601h
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_REPEATED_TAG_ID – 602h
602h
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NUM_TAG_TOO_LARGE – 603h
603h
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NOT_ENOUGH_TAGS_AVAILABLE
– 600h
Cause
A command was received to get a certain number of tag ids from the tag id buffer. The
reader contains less tag ids stored in its tag id buffer than the number the host is sending.
Solution
Send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_FULL – 601h
Cause
The tag id buffer is full.
Solution
Make sure the baud rate is set to a higher frequency that the /reader/gen2/BLF frequency.
Send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
104
Appendix A: Error Messages
Tag ID Buffer Faults
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_REPEATED_TAG_ID – 602h
Cause
The module has an internal error. One of the protocols is trying to add an existing TagID
to the buffer.
Solution
Send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
FAULT_TAG_ID_BUFFER_NUM_TAG_TOO_LARGE – 603h
Cause
The module received a request to retrieve more tags than is supported by the current
version of the software.
Solution
Send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
Appendix A: Error Messages
105
System Errors
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
System Errors
FAULT_SYSTEM_UNKNOWN_ERROR – 7F00h
Cause
The error is internal.
Solution
Send a test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
FAULT_TM_ASSERT_FAILED – 7F01h
Cause
An unexpected Internal Error has occurred.
Solution
The error will cause the module to switch back to Bootloader mode. When this occurs
make note of the operations you were executing, save FULL error response and send a
test case reproducing the behavior to support@thingmagic.com.
106
Appendix A: Error Messages
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit
This appendix provides instructions on the use of the ThingMagic Nano Development Kit:
ŠDev Kit Hardware
ŠDemo Application
ŠNotice on Restricted Use of the Dev Kit
Dev Kit Hardware
Included Components
With the dev kit, you will receive the following components:
ŠThe ThingMagic Nano module soldered onto carrier board
ŠPower/interface developers board
ŠOne USB cable
ŠOne antenna
ŠOne coax cable
ŠOne 9V power supply
ŠInternational power adapter kit
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit
107
Dev Kit Hardware
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
ŠSample tags
ŠOne paper insert:
– QuickStart Guide - Details on which documents and software to download to get
up and running quickly, along with details on how to register for and contact
support.
Setting up the Dev Kit
When setting up the Dev Kit, use the following procedures:
ŠConnecting the Antenna
ŠPowering up and Connecting to a PC
W A R N I N G !
Never mount the carrier board so that it is resting flat against the metal
plate of the Dev Kit main board unless a heat sink has been attached to
the bottom of the Carrier Board as shown in this picture:
Connecting the Antenna
ThingMagic supplies one antenna that can read tags from 20’ away with most of the
provided tags. The antenna is monstatic. Use the following procedure to connect the
antenna to the Dev Kit.
1.
Connect one end of the coax cable to the antenna.
2.
Connect the other end of the cable to the antenna port 1 connector on the Dev Kit.
Powering up and Connecting to a PC
After connecting the antenna you can power up the Dev Kit and establish a host
connection.
108
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Dev Kit Hardware
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
1.
Connect the USB cable (use only the black connector) from a PC to the developer’s
kit. There are two Dev Kit USB Interfaces options.
2.
Plug the power supply into the Dev Kit’s DC power input connector.
3.
The LED next to the DC input jack, labeled DS1, should light up. If it doesn’t light up
check jumper J17 to make sure the jumper is connecting pins 2 and 3
4.
Follow the steps based on the Dev Kit USB Interfaces used and make note of the
COM port or /dev device file, as appropriate for your operating system the USB
interface is assigned.
5.
To start reading tags start the Demo Application (Universal Reader Assistant).
W A R N I N G !
While the module is powered up, do not touch components. Doing so
may be damage the dev kit and ThingMagic Nano module.
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit
109
Dev Kit Hardware
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Dev Kit USB Interfaces
USB/RS232
The USB interface (connector labeled USB/RS232) closest to the power plug is to the
RS232 interface of the ThingMagic Nano through an FTDI USB to serial converter. The
drivers for it are available at
http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
Please follow the instructions in the installation guide appropriate for your operating
system.
The ThingMagic Nano does not support a native USB port, so this port on the Dev Kit is
inoperable.
A COM port should now be assigned to the ThingMagic Nano. If you aren’t sure what
COM port is assigned you can find it using the Windows Device Manager:
110
a.
Open the Device Manager (located in Control Panel | System).
b.
Select the Hardware tab and click Device Manager.
c.
Select View | Devices by Type | Ports (COM & LPT) The device appears as USB
Serial Port (COM#).
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit
Dev Kit Hardware
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Dev kit Jumpers
J8
Jumpers to connect ThingMagic Nano I/O lines to dev kit. (4)For added safety, you should
remove all 3 jumpers for USB connections and the AUTO_BT connection to the module.
These lines are not supported, but are connected to the ThingMagic Nano module for test
purposes, so should be left unconnected for all applications.
J19
The jumper at J19 that connects Shutdown to ground must be REMOVED. With this
jumper removed, the module is always operational. ÂŹThe shutdown switch has no affect
on the ThingMagic Nano.ÂŹ To put the ThingMagic Nano into shutdown mode is to reinstall
the jumper at J19. See ThingMagic Nano Digital Connector Signal Definition for details on
the ENABLE Line. AUTO_BOOT controls ENABLE Line.
J9
Header for alternate power supply. Make sure DC plug (J1) is not connected if using J9.
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit
111
Dev Kit Hardware
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
J10, J11
Jump pins OUT to GPIO# to connect ThingMagic Nano GPIO lines to output LEDs. Jump
pins IN to GPIO# to connect ThingMagic Nano GPIO to corresponding input switches
SW[3,4]GPIO#. Make sure GPIO lines are correspondingly configured as input or
outputs (see Configuring GPIO Settings).
J13, J15
Not used.
J14
Can be used to connect GPIO lines to external circuits. If used jumpers should be
removed from J10, J11.
J16
Jump pins 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 to reset dev kit power supply. Same as using switch SW1
except allows for control by external circuit.
J17
Jump pins 1 and 2 to use the 5V INPUT and GND inputs to provide power. Jump pins 2
and 3 to use the Dev Kit’s DC power jack and power brick power.
Dev Kit Schematics
Available upon request from support@thingmagic.com.
112
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit
Demo Application
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Demo Application
A demo application which supports multi-protocol reading and writing is provided in the
MercuryAPI SDK package. The executable for this example is included in the MercuryAPI
SDK package under /cs/samples/exe/Universal-Reader-Assistant.exe and is also
available for direct download from rfid.thingmagic.com/dev kit.
Note: The Universal Reader Assistant included in the MercuryAPI SDK maybe an older revision
than the one available for standalone download.
See the Readme.txt in /cs/samples/Universal-Reader-Assistant/Universal-ReaderAssistant for usage details.
See the MercuryAPI Programming Guide for details on using the MercuryAPI.
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit
113
Notice on Restricted Use of the Dev Kit
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Notice on Restricted Use of the Dev Kit
The Mercury6e Developers Kit (Dev Kit) is intended for use solely by professional
engineers for the purpose of evaluating the feasibility of applications.
The user’s evaluation must be limited to use within a laboratory setting. This Dev Kit has
not been certified for use by the FCC in accordance with Part 15 of the FCC regulations,
ETSI, KCC or any other regulatory bodies and may not be sold or given for public use.
Distribution and sale of the Dev Kit is intended solely for use in future development of
devices which may be subject to regional regulatory authorities governing radio emission.
This Dev Kit may not be resold by users for any purpose. Accordingly, operation of the
Dev Kit in the development of future devices is deemed within the discretion of the user
and the user shall have all responsibility for any compliance with any regional regulatory
authority governing radio emission of such development or use, including without
limitation reducing electrical interference to legally acceptable levels. All products
developed by user must be approved by the appropriate regional regulatory authority
governing radio emission prior to marketing or sale of such products and user bears all
responsibility for obtaining the prior appropriate regulatory approval, or approval as
needed from any other authority governing radio emission.
114
Appendix B: Getting Started - Dev Kit
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Appendix C: Environmental
Considerations
This Appendix details environmental factors that should be considered relating to reader
performance and survivability. Topics include:
ŠElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations
ŠVariables Affecting Performance
Appendix C: Environmental Considerations
115
ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations
W A R N I N G !
The ThingMagic Nano antenna port may be susceptible to damage from
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). Equipment failure can result if the antenna or
communication ports are subjected to ESD. Standard ESD precautions should
be taken during installation to avoid static discharge when handling or making
connections to the ThingMagic Nano reader antenna or communication ports.
Environmental analysis should also be performed to ensure static is not building
up on and around the antennas, possibly causing discharges during operation.
ESD Damage Overview
In ThingMagic Nano-based reader installations where readers have failed without known
cause, based on anecdotal information ESD has been found to be the most common
cause. Failures due to ESD tend to be in the ThingMagic Nano power amplifier section
(PA). PA failures typically manifest themselves at the software interface in the following
ways:
ŠRF operations (read, write, etc.) respond with Assert - 7F01 - indicating a a fatal
error. This is typically due to the module not being able to reach the target power
level due to PA damage.
ŠRF operations (read, write, etc.) respond with No Antenna Connected/Detected
even when a known good antenna is attached.
ŠUnexpected Invalid Command errors, indicating command not supported, when that
command had worked just fine shortly before. The reason a command becomes
suddenly not supported is that the reader, in the course of its self protection routines,
has returned to the bootloader to prevent any further damage. This jump to boot
loader caused by power amp damage occurs at the start of any read tag commands.
Ultimately determining that ESD is the root cause of failures is difficult because it relies on
negative result experiments, i.e. it is the lack of failure after a configuration change, rather
than a positive flag wave that says “I’m ESD”. Such flag waves are sometimes, but only
sometimes, available at the un-packaged transistor level under high power microscopy.
The remoteness of microscopic examination from the installed field failures is indicative of
the high cost of using such analysis methods for chasing down ESD issues. Therefore
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most ESD issue resolutions will be using the negative result experiments to determine
success.
ESD discharges come with a range of values, and like many things in life there is the
“matter of degree”. For many installations, the ThingMagic Nano has been successfully
deployed and operates happily. For these, there is no failure issue, ESD or otherwise. For
a different installation that with bare ThingMagic Nano, has a failure problem from ESD,
there will be some distribution of ESD intensities occurring. Without knowledge of a limit in
the statistics of those intensities, there may always be the bigger zap waiting in the wings.
For the bare ThingMagic Nano equipped with the mitigation methods described below,
there will always be the rouge ESD discharge that exceeds any given mitigation, and
results in failure. Fortunately, many installations will have some upper bound on the value
of ESD events given the geometry of that installation.
Several sequential steps are recommended for a) determining the ESD is the likely cause
of a given group of failures, and b) enhancing the ThingMagic Nano’s environment to
eliminate ESD failures. The steps vary depending on the required ThingMagic Nano
output power in any given application.
Identifying ESD as the Cause of Damaged Readers
The following are some suggested methods to determine if ESD is a cause of reader
failures, i.e. ESD diagnostics. Please remember- some of these suggestions have the
negative result experiment problem.
ŠReturn failed units for analysis. Analysis should be able to say if it is the power
amplifier that has in fact failed, but won’t be able to definitively identify that the cause
is ESD. However, ESD is one of the more common causes of PA failure.
ŠMeasure ambient static levels with static meter. AlphaLabs SVM2 is such a meter, but
there are others. You may be surprised at the static potentials floating detected.
However, high static doesn’t necessarily mean discharges, but should be considered
cause for further investigation. High levels that keep changing are highly indicative of
discharges.
ŠTouch some things around the antenna, and operating area. If you feel static
discharges, that qualitatively says quite a bit about what is in front of the antenna.
What actually gets to the ThingMagic Nano is also strongly influenced by the antenna
installation, cabling, and grounding discussed above.
ŠUse the mean operating time statistic before and after one or more of the changes
listed below to quantitatively determine if the change has resulted in an improvement.
Be sure to restart your statistics after the change.
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ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) Considerations
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Common Installation Best Practices
The following are common installation best practices which will ensure the readers isn’t
being unnecessarily exposed to ESD in even low risk environments. These should be
applied to all installations, full power or partial power, ESD or not:
ŠInsure that ThingMagic Nano, ThingMagic Nano reader housing, and antenna ground
connection are all grounded to a common low impedance ground.
ŠVerify R-TNC knurled threaded nuts are tight and stay tight. Don’t use a thread locking
compound that would compromise the grounding connection of the thread to thread
mate. If there is any indication that field vibration might cause the R-TNC to loosen,
apply RTV or other adhesive externally.
ŠUse antenna cables with double shield outer conductors, or even full metallic shield
semirigid cables. ThingMagic specified cables are double shielded and adequate for
most applications. ESD discharge currents flowing ostensibly on the outer surface of
a single shield coaxial cable have been seen to couple to the inside of coaxial cables,
causing ESD failure. Avoid RG-58. Prefer RG-223.
ŠMinimize ground loops in coaxial cable runs to antennas. Having the ThingMagic
Nano and antenna both tied to ground (per item 1) leads to the possibility of ground
currents flowing along antenna cables. The tendency of these currents to flow is
related to the area of the conceptual surface marked out by the antenna cable and
the nearest continuous ground surface. When this conceptual surface has minimum
area, these ground loop current are minimized. Routing antenna cables against
grounded metallic chassis parts helps minimize ground loop currents.
ŠKeep the antenna radome in place. It provides significant ESD protection for the
metallic parts of the antenna, and protects the antenna from performance changes
due to environmental accumulation.
ŠKeep careful track of serial numbers, operating life times, numbers of units operating.
You need this information to know that your mean operating life time is. Only with this
number will you be able to know if you have a failure problem in the first place, ESD
or otherwise. And then after any given change, whether things have improvement or
not. Or if the failures are confined to one instantiation, or distributed across your
population.
Raising the ESD Threshold
For applications where full ThingMagic Nano power is needed for maximum tag read
range and ESD is suspected the following components are recommended additions to the
installation to raise the level of ESD the reader can tolerate:
ŠSelect or change to an antenna with all radiating elements grounded for DC. The MTI
MT-262031-T(L,R)H-A is such an antenna. The Laird IF900-SF00 and CAF95956
are not such antennas. The grounding of the antenna elements dissipates static
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charge leakage, and provides a high pass characteristic that attenuates discharge
events. (This also makes the antenna compatible with the ThingMagic Nano antenna
detect methods.)
ŠInstall a Minicircuits SHP600+ high pass filter in the cable run at the ThingMagic Nano
(or Vega or other finished reader) end. This additional component will reduce
transmit power by 0.4 dB which may affect read range in some critical applications.
However the filter will significantly attenuate discharges and improve the ThingMagic
Nano ESD survival level.
Note
The SHP600+ is not rated for the full +31.5 dBm output of the ThingMagic
Nano reader at +85 degree C. Operation at reduced temperature has been
anecdotally observed to be OK, but has not been fully qualified by
ThingMagic.
Š90 V Lightning Arrestors, such as the Terrawave Solutions Model TW-LP-RPTNC-PBHJ have been shown to be effective in suppressing ESD. This model contains a gas
discharge tube which must be replaced periodically.
ŠInstall a Diode Clamp* circuit immediately outboard from the SHP600 filter. This will
reduce transmit power by an additional 0.4 dB, but in combination with the SHP600
will further improve the ThingMagic Nano ESD survival level. (Needs DC power,
contact support@thingmagic.com for availability.)
Further ESD Protection for Reduced RF Power Applications
In addition to the protective measures recommended above, for applications where
reduced ThingMagic Nano RF power is acceptable and ESD is suspected the following
protective measures can also be applied:
ŠInstall a one watt attenuator with a decibel value of +30 dBm minus the dBm value
needed for tag power up. Then run the reader at +30 dBm instead of reduced
transmit power. This will attenuate inbound ESD pulses by the installed decibel
value, while keeping the tag operation generally unchanged. Attenuators of 6 dB
have been shown to not adversely effect read sensitivity. Position the attenuator as
close to the ThingMagic Nano as feasible.
ŠAs described above add the SHP600 filter immediately adjacent to the attenuator, on
the antenna side.
ŠAdd Diode Clamp, if required, adjacent to the SHP600, on the antenna side.
Appendix C: Environmental Considerations
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Variables Affecting Performance
A DIVISION OF TRIMBLE
Variables Affecting Performance
Reader performance may be affected by the following variables, depending on the site
where your Reader is being deployed:
Š Environmental
Š Tag Considerations
Š Multiple Readers
Environmental
Reader performance may be affected by the following environmental conditions:
Š Metal surfaces such as desks, filing cabinets, bookshelves, and wastebaskets
may enhance or degrade Reader performance.
Š Antennas should be mounted far away from metal surfaces that may adversely
affect the system performance.
Š Devices that operate at 900 MHz, such as cordless phones and wireless LANs,
can degrade Reader performance. The Reader may also adversely affect the
performance of these 900 MHz devices.
Š Moving machinery can interfere the Reader performance. Test Reader
performance with moving machinery turned off.
Š Fluorescent lighting fixtures are a source of strong electromagnetic interference
and if possible should be replaced. If fluorescent lights cannot be replaced, then
keep the Reader cables and antennas away from them.
Š Coaxial cables leading from the Reader to antennas can be a strong source of
electromagnetic radiation. These cables should be laid flat and not coiled up.
Tag Considerations
There are several variables associated with tags that can affect Reader performance:
Š Application Surface: Some materials, including metal and moisture, interfere with
tag performance. Tags applied to items made from or containing these materials
may not perform as expected.
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Variables Affecting Performance
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Š Tag Orientation: Reader performance is affected by the orientation of the tag in
the antenna field. The ThingMagic antenna is circularly polarized, so it reads
face-to but not edge-to.
Š Tag Model: Many tag models are available. Each model has its own
performance characteristics.
Multiple Readers
The Reader adversely affect performance of 900 MHz devices. These devices also may
degrade performance of the Reader.
Š Antennas on other Readers operating in close proximity may interfere with one
another, thus degrading performance of the Readers.
Š Interference from other antennas may be eliminated or reduced by using either
one or both of the following strategies:
w Affected antennas may be synchronized by a separate user application using
a time-multiplexing strategy.
w Antenna power can be reduced by reconfiguring the RF Transmit Power
setting for the Reader.
Note
Performance tests conducted under typical operating conditions at your site are
recommended to help you optimize system performance.
Appendix C: Environmental Considerations
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122
Appendix C: Environmental Considerations

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