R F Technologies 30011534001 User Manual Hardware Overview

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Hardware Overview

PinPoint Corporation

System Hardware Introduction

FCC REGULATIONS

This system 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.

WARNINGS

Changes or modifications not expressely approved by PinPoint Corporation

could void the users authority to operate the equipment.

Contents

Section 1: Introduction to the System

WELCOME

Welcome to the 3D-iD system. The 3D-iD system is an LPS (Local Positioning

System) designed to take asset and personnel tracking to the next level. Where

GPS supplies global, outdoor, positioning data, the 3D-iD LPS system provides

local, indoor and outdoor, positioning data. In addition, the system comes with a

variety of tools that enable you to track and monitor tagged assets in three-

dimensional space. The purpose of this manual is to introduce you to the sys-

tems technology and walk you through the an overview of its installation.

There are myriad applications for the technology  applications which previous

technologies, due to their many limitations  cannot address. In manufacturig

and distribution applications, the 3D-iD system can help shippers find containers

in shipping yards. In healthcare, it can be used to insure that hospitals can

keep track of their valuable assets, decreasing lost equipment and increasing

efficiency.

The 3D-iD system relies on a combination of hardware and software. Before

examining the systems operation, well take a brief look at the components that

make up the system. The two elements relevant to an end-user include:

· Tags that are attached to assets or people which are to be tracked

· A suite of software applications that present the user with information

about Tag locations and conditions.

The remaining elements, all of which have to be installed and configured,

include:

·The Antennas,

·The Cell Controllers

·The software infrastructure.

In this manual, well briefly explore each of these elements.

HOW THE 3D-ID SYSTEM WORKS:

The 3D-iD system is comprised of two basic parts, a hardware and a software

system. The combination of the two systems allows tags to be located, tracked

and secured throughout an installation site. The hardware side of the system

generates Tag Antenna Distance (TAD) data, while the software side of the sys-

tem converts that data to other forms, and presents it to the end-user.

The hardware side of the system consists of three parts: Tags, Antennas and

Cell Controllers.

 Tags are the objects tracked  they can be affixed to an asset or person,

allowing the system to track that asset or person.

 Antennas are stationary devices from which TAD distances are meas-

ured. They are supplied with DC power via their coaxial cable connection

to a Cell Controller.

 Cell Controllers are the brains of the hardware side of the system. They

coordinate the antennas and use the roundtrip time required for a radio

signal to travel from an antenna to a tag to calculate the distance

between the Tags and Antennas. This is what we call TAD (Tag-Antenna

Distance) data.

Once TAD data has been generated, it is forwarded to a ViewPoint Server on

the software side of the system. Which then converts that data into Location

and Alert data and publishes it to client applications.

Location (or LOC) data is data that indicates the Location (which are derived

from logical statements involving TAD variables) that a tag is in. A Location can

be a room, a wing or even an entire floor, depending on the configuration of the

system.

Alert (or ALR) data is data that is generated based on certain trigger events for

single tags or pairs of tags. There are two basic groups of alert conditions. The

first group, alerts associated with a single tag, can be set when a tag enters or

exits an area or when a tag remains within a certain location for a set period of

time. The second group, alerts associated with a pair of tags, can be triggered

when one tag enters an area without the other, when the two tags are near one

another or when the two tags are far from one another.

Detailed information about the ViewPoint Server is available in the Users

Manual. In brief, ViewPoints NT Services (which are programs that run in the

background on the server, and require no user input) receive the TAD data.

These services then use lookup tables created by the user when the software

system is setup to convert the TAD data into Location (LOC) and Alert (ALR)

data. The services then publish that data to various client applications which

end-users use to view specific data. The services can also publish data to a

Recorder service, which saves data to a database.

Combined, the hardware and software elements of the PinPoint system can

generate a wide variety of data based on the location of tags.

HOW THE HARDWARE WORKS:

The purpose of PinPoints 3D-iDs hardware system is to determine the distance

between tags and antennas. There are three elements involved in this process.

The first two are the tags and the antennas. The third is the cell controller,

which coordinates the actions of the tags and antennas  and interprets their

signals.

Each tag is on (and detectable) for a very short period of time. Because this

on time is so brief - relative to the off times - the chances of two tags being

on at once are very remote. With this in mind, we can examine the Cell

Controllers operation. The Cell Controllers basic job is to record the amount of

time a radio signal takes to go between each antenna and the tag which is cur-

rently on and back. The Cell Controller can calculate the distance between a

single Antenna and a Tag from the transmission time and the speed of light.

The following is the procedure it follows for deriving the time needed for a radio

signal to travel between the Tag and the Antenna:

1. The Cell Controller sends an antenna a spread spectrum radio signal to

broadcast to the tags at 2.442GHz.

2. Whichever tag is on at that moment (assuming one is on and in range of

the antenna):

2.1. Receives the signal

2.2. Converts it to 5.770GHz

2.3. Modulates its unique serial number on the return signal

2.4. Retransmits the signal

3. The current antenna receives the signal and sends it back to the Cell

Controller.

4. The Cell Controller receives the signal and runs filters to remove multi-

path and then demodulates the signal.

5. The Cell Controller determines the delay between the sent and the

received message and then uses that to calculate the distance between

the tag and the antenna.

6. The newly created Tag Antenna Distance (TAD) data is then forwarded to

the Cell Controllers subscribers in the software system.

7. The Cell Controller then returns to step one, cycling the next antenna.

The Cell Controller cycle time is fast enough for every antenna on a Cell

Controller to detect a tag during that single tags on time.

8. By cycling constantly, the Cell Controller repeats the process for every

tag within reach of its antennas.

The 3D-iD tags are designed using L3RF technology. They are designed for

Long range, Long battery life and Low cost. In an open environment, a tag can

be seen at more than 100 feet. This is a far greater distance than traditional

RFID tracking technologies can offer. In addition, a tags battery typically lasts

over 1 year. With some configurations, a tags battery can last over 5 years.

What defines the tag as an L3RF device? The technology is proprietary, howev-

er, there are some interesting technologies involved.

Spread Spectrum Technology:

First and foremost, the system uses direct sequence spread spectrum technolo-

gy. Spread spectrum is used because the technology allows for clear transmis-

sion over long distances with little signal strength. In addition, spread spectrum

technology allows for the operation of many devices within a single frequency

range. This removes the impractical requirement that a frequency be set aside

soley for use of the 3D-iD system. Direct Sequence spread spectrum is used

because alternatives, such as frequency hopping spread spectrum, require sig-

nificantly more complex hardware and far greater system synchronization. This

hardware would complicate Tag, Antenna and Cell Controller design, raise main-

tenance costs, increase Tag weight and significantly increase the initial costs of

the system. For more details, see the www.pinpointco.com

Dual Frequency Technology:

The 3D-iD system also relies on a unique dual frequency architecture. The

Antennas send signals to the Tags at 2.442GHz. The Tags respond with a

5.770GHz signal. The dual frequency approach is used to remove the complex-

ities of separating modulated Tag responses from unmodulated radio reflections

when both lie within a single frequency. Take as an example a signal that is

broadcast by an antenna at one frequency when the antenna is listening at that

same frequency. Metal walls and other objects might bounce back a false

return signal that would be difficult to distinguish from a geniune Tag return sig-

nal. If the tag responds at another frequency, in this case, at 5.770GHz, its sig-

nal need only be separated from the surrounding noise - not from very similar

versions of itself.

While the 3D-iD system benefits from the strenths of L3RF technology, it must

be kept in mind that various factors can negatively influence the effectiveness of

the system. Shorter chirp rates - the rates at which the tag announces its

presence - will result in shorter battery lives. In addition, microwave ovens,

thick walls and metal surfaces - among other things - can significantly impact an

Antennas effective range.

RULE SETS

Abrief examination of rule sets is suggested before the installation overview is

begun. While the technician who carries out the site survey will define the loca-

tion rule set for the site, an understanding of what rule sets are is very impor-

tant.

Rule Sets define how the software side of the 3D-iD system interprets TAD data.

An end-user has very little use for TAD data in and of itself. For example, know-

ing how far a wheelchair is from a particular antenna is of little practical use to a

nurse sitting at a desk. Far more useful would be some sort of data indicated

which room a wheelchair is in - or perhaps simply an alert if a wheelchair goes

someplace it is not supposed to. Rule Sets, which are lookup tables of a sort,

were created to convert TAD data to more useful formats.

As previously mentioned, alert sets are used to convert TAD data into two other

forms of data.

The first of these is Location (or LOC) data. Location data is data that

indicates the Location (which are derived from logical statements involv-

ing TAD variables) that a tag is in. A Location can be a room, a wing or

even an entire floor, depending on the configuration of the system.

The second kind of data is Alert (or ALR) data. Alert data is generated

from Location data. Alert data is data that is generated based on certain

trigger events for single tags or pairs of tags. There are two basic

groups of alert conditions. The first group, alerts associated with a single

tag, can be set when a tag enters or exits an area or when a tag remains

within a certain location for a set period of time. The second group,

alerts associated with a pair of tags, can be triggered when one tag

enters an area without the other, when the two tags are near one another

or when the two tags are far from one another.

LOCATION DATA

TAD data is converted to LOC data by means of a Location Rule Set. The first

kind of Rule Set is called a Location Rule Set. A Location Rule Set works by

reading in TAD data and testing it against a list of user-defined statements.

Each statement is associated with a Location. These statements are descrip-

tions of locations in terms of TAD data. For example, a basic statement, in plain

english, might read A tag is in this location if it is within 10 feet of Antenna 2 on

Cell Controller 1 and more than 20 feet from Antenna 3 on Cell Controller 1. 

A very common type of Location statement is called the closest to statement.

Just like a tag can be said to be in a location because it is less than 15 feet

from a certain antenna, it can also be said to be in a location if it is closest to a

particular antenna. This can allow for a very simple definition of locations. A

basic closest to statement might read A tag is in this location if it is closest to

Antenna 2 on Cell Controller 1. Please note, a tag is assigned to the location

associated with the first statement in the list that is true.

The Location Rule Set statements can make use of a standard array of boolean

and functional operators. Without exploring the actual syntax, these statements

include and, or, not, parenthetical and closest to statements. All behave as they

would normally be expected to.

Asyntax reference for Location Rule Sets is available in the ViewPoint Users

Manual.

ALERT DATA

An Alert Rule Set is used to convert Location Data to Alert Data. The idea

behind Alert data is quite simple. When Tag location data matches certain con-

ditions, an Alert will be fired. There is no need to define conditions before

installing the system. Doing so might be counterproductive, as many of the

Alerts depend on the assets the tags themselves are attached to. But, it is

important to have a general idea about what kinds of alerts will be created. The

details of Alerts pertain to the types of Locations that should be created -- and,

by extension, on where antenna should be placed.

For reference, there are 8 Alert Types, 4 of which are Single Tag Alert Types

and 4 of which are Paired Tag Alert Types:

Single Tag Alert Types

Entry: The Entry Alert is triggered when the associated Tag enters a par-

ticular location.

Exit: The Exit Alert is triggered when the associated Tag exits a particular

location.

Stationary: The Stationary Alert is triggered when the associated Tag

remains in the indicated location for a set period of time.

TimeOut: The Timeout alert is fired when a Tag was last heard from in

the indicated location, but has not been heard from in any location for a

set period of time. Any subsequent chirp from this Tag in any location

clears this Alert.

Paired Tag Alert Types

Escort: The Escort Alert is triggered when the tag selected first in the

pair enters a particular location without the second tag.

Pair: The Pair Alert is triggered when either tag enters a particular loca-

tion without the other.

Friend: The Friend Alert is triggered when two tags within a particular

location are separated by more than a set distance.

Foe: The Foe Alert is triggered when two tags within a particular location

are nearer than a set distance from each other.

Section 2: Installation Planning

CUSTOMER CONSULTATION

The first step in setting up a 3D-iD Installation is the customer consultation. A

customers needs must be assessed before any hardware placement work can

begin. There is a series of questions that must be answered before work can

proceed. The following are the questions which must be answered:

WHAT TYPE OF COVERAGE IS REQUIRED?

There are several basic types of coverage. These include:

Portal Coverage

Which is coverage of entrances and exits

Zonal Coverage

Which is coverage of certain locations, or zones

Tracking Coverage

Which is the fullest type of coverage allowing the tracking of real time

movement.

Antennas can be placed much more sparingly if portal coverage is all that

is required. Greater antenna density will be required if broader coverage

is necessary.

WHERE IS COVERAGE REQUIRED?

Once the type of coverage has been assessed, it is generally a good idea to lay

out where coverage is actually required. Working from a floorplan, required

locations can be drawn. For example, if laying out portal coverage, locations

should be drawn around entrances and exits. The technicians carrying out the

site survey and antenna layout procedure can then use the Locations drawn on

the floorplan as a road map for antenna placement.

WHAT TYPES OF ASSETS ARE TO BE TAGGED, AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

There is a tradeoff between a tags reporting rates and the amount of time

required to track them. In a situation where there are 500 tags, each reporting

every second, and all within the domain of a single cell controller, the Cell

Controller will have a difficult time tracking the tags quickly. If, however, those

500 tags are reporting in every 3 seconds the Cell Controller will be able to see

all of them far more quickly. Tags can be set to report at a variety of intervals.

For assets which need to be closely monitored, like notebook computers, faster

reporting will probably be required. If an asset does not need to be closely

monitored, the Cell Controller will have an easier time tracking tags if the tag

reporting time is larger. The tag reporting time is technically referred to as its

chirp time. More detailed documentation on chirp times and how they affect Cell

Controller behavior is available in the Tag Specification in Section 3 of this man-

ual.

ARE THE CLIENT SYSTEMS ABLE TO RUN THE VIEWPOINT CLIENT SOFTWARE?

The client systems must be running with the minimum characteristics described

in the Equipment Descriptions and Specifications.

ISTHE INFRASTRUCTURE PREPARED FOR THE 3D-ID COMPONENTS?

Agreat deal of infrastructure work can be done later in the process. But it

should be understood that existing ethernet and power drops, as well as prede-

fined routes which are setup for cabling can greatly simplify the installation pro-

cedure.

INITIAL SITE SURVEY

Once the customers requirements have been examined, a site survey can be

carried out. While we will briefly explain what the survey is and why it is done,

referral to a PinPoint technician for your actual site survey is highly recommend-

ed. As the process is extremely complicated, our technicians are very practiced

at it and effective at quickly and accurately completing it.

A site survey is carried out in order to ensure that assets will be tracked in the

areas where they must be tracked. Working from the customers coverage

requirements, the placement and direction of antennas must be precisely deter-

mined. Correctly placed antennas will allow for easier location and alert config-

uration.

The initial site survey involves setting up a test 3D-iD system and extensively

testing various possible antenna positions to ensure that tags can be seen by

antennas where coverage is required. In determining which antenna positions

to test many factors are taken into account. Among them,

·The effects of metal surfaces such white boards or metal equipment on

RF signals.

·The effects of microwave ovens and other RF emitters.

· The types of wall construction at a facility. Wall Construction can and will

affect the visibility of Tags by Antennas. Standard drywall constructions

do not drastically affect Antenna performance. However, cinderblock,

firewalls, hard plaster and many older style constructions will stop the

Antenna signal.

·Holes in walls (such as doors or windows) that may more easily permit

the transit of RF signals.

While the site survey is being carried out, the exact locations of every antenna

and Cell Controller are chosen. In addition, the strength of the antennas sig-

nals and the signal to noise threshold used to filter the tags return signals are

set for each antenna. When placing Cell Controllers and Antennas, care is

taken to ensure that they are within cabling length of each other.

Once the site survey is complete, the installer will have available a floorplan

detailing the placement of every antenna, Cell Controller and Server (although

there is greater leeway in Server placement). With this information in hand, the

actual installation of the 3D-iD elements can proceed.

PHYSICAL INSTALLATION

The physical installation of the 3D-iD system involves the placement of 4 com-

ponents. These include, as mentioned in the Installation Planning section, the

Antennas, Cell Controllers and Servers. In addition, tags must be attached to

assets. While extensive documentation on the actual installation of all of these

elements is available in the packaging for each element, a brief explanation of

the installation process is included below. It is generally suggested that the ele-

ments of the 3D-iD system be installed in the following order:

1. Antennas

2. Cell Controllers

3. Antenna/Cell Controller Cabling

4. Tags

5. 3D-iD Server

6. ViewPoint (Client) Software Installations

ANTENNAS

1. Attach the base of the antenna mount to

the wall where the antenna should be

placed. In situations where the antenna is

to be mounted in other types of locations,

such as under a drop ceiling, additional

mounting creativity might be required.

2. Attach the antenna to the mount, and

align it in the manner determined by the

technician during the site survey.

3. The antenna must be installed so that there is at least a 6 inch gap

between it and any possible contact with people. Failure to install it in

this fashion may invalidate the users

license to operate this product.

CELL CONTROLLERS

1. Place the Cell Controller in the location

determined earlier.

2. Ensure that the Cell Controller has ade-

quate ventilation.

3. Attach the power and network cabling to

the Cell Controller.

ANTENNA/CELL CONTROLLER CABLING

For each Cell Controller/Antenna combination:

1. String cable from the Cell Controller towards the Antenna. Leave 1-2 feet

of cable at the Cell Controller. In order to avoid bends or kinks  which

will cripple the accuracy of antenna readings - do not attach the cable to

the Cell Controller.

2. Coil the extra cabling near the antenna to allow for easier movement of

the antenna should the need arise.

3. Connect the cable to both the Cell Controller and the Antenna

4. Label the cable at both ends for future ref-

erence. A potential labeling scheme could

be based on the Cell Controller Antenna

port that the Antenna is connected to.

TAGS

The tag is one of three key elements in the PinPoint 3D-iD hardware system.

PinPoint 3D-iD Tags are radio frequency

tags that are mounted onto assets or

people that are to be tracked. Each tag

contains a 2-structure antenna in the

opposite configuration of the PinPoint

3D-iD Antenna, but at 500 milliwatts of

power. The tags 5.8 GHz broadcast pro-

vides the Cell Controller with a distance

measurement from a given antenna, and

allows the ViewPoint application to dis-

play the location of the tagged item.

Tags can be mounted on flat or curved surfaces using PinPoints tag mounting

kits. Tags are available in asset design or as personnel tags.

TAG DETECTION

Time to See Specific tag

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Tags in Range of Cell Controller

Seconds

Average

90.0%

99.0%

99.9%

A Tags chirp length is 2.3ms. While a Tag is chirping, it is responding to incom-

ing signals. A Tag can only

be detected by an antenna

only while it is chirping.

Tags chirp asynchronously,

meaning they are not syn-

chronized to the reader or

to each other. To prevent

two Tags from continuously

chirping in synchronization,

the chirping interval

includes a randomized off-

set, utilizing a function that

incorporates the Tags ID.

The combination of the off-

set and the very short 2.3 millisecond Tag signals minimize the number of Tag

collisions. There is a possibility that Tag reads will be lost due to collisions,

particularly if there are large numbers of Tags in range of a given Cell Controller.

A Tags chirp interval (the period at which it repeats its chirp) can be set if nec-

essary. A variety of chirping intervals are supported in the T20 tag. The default

chirp interval is 3 seconds. Alternatively, chirp intervals of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10,

15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 sec-

onds can be set in the fac-

tory, in accordance with

end-user requirements.

Faster chirp rates mean

Tags will be detected more

rapidly. On the other hand,

Tags with faster chirp rates

have shorter battery lives.

Generally, chirp intervals

are set lower for critical

hardware and higher for for

larger, less mobile or less

critical assets such as

desks.

Time to See All Tags

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Tags in Range of Cell Controller

Seconds

Average

90.0%

99.0%

99.9%

Time to See Specific Tag (99%)

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

150

225

300

375

450

Tags in Range of Cell Controller

Seconds

1 sec tag

3 sec tag

System performance depends on the number of Tags in range of individual cell

controllers, and whether the Tags chirp frequently or infrequently. For example,

if 50 Tags within range of a single Cell Controller are configured to chirp at the

default rate of 3 seconds, there is a 99% chance of seeing a specific tag within

5 seconds, and a 99% chance of seeing all Tags within 8 seconds. With 100

Tags, these values increase to 6 and 12 seconds, respectively.

The associated graphs provide performance estimates for various Tag popula-

tions within range of a single Cell Controller, up to 500 tags. Two graphs

assume the default of a 3-second tag, a third graph shows similar data with a 1-

second Tag. Most installations have a large number of Cell Controllers, with the

Tags divided among them. For example, if an installation has 750 Tags equally

divided among 10 Cell Controllers, system performance can be estimated based

on 75 Tags per cell controller. Increasing the number of Cell Controllers, or

decreasing the number of chirps per tag can increase system capacity.

With populations of 100 tags or fewer, performance can be substantially

improved by configuring tags to chirp more frequently. The third chart shows

performance of a tag that chirps once per second, compared with the default of

3 seconds. Note that 3-second tags perform better with tag populations of 300

or more, while 1-second tags are better at lower overall tag populations.

T20 BATTERY LIFE

The battery life of a T20 tag is over a year (1.2 years) with a tag that chirps

once every three seconds, which is the default. Configuring tags to chirp more

frequently then every three seconds reduces battery life roughly proportionally.

For example, a tag that chirps twice as frequently will have approximately half

the battery life.

Similarly, battery life may be extended by programming tags to chirp less fre-

quently. This is particularly a consideration for asset tracking applications. The

battery life roughly doubles by increasing the chirping interval from 3 to 20 sec-

onds.

The T20 is our most current tag model.

TAG READ RANGE AND ORIENTATION CONSIDERATIONS

PinPoint T20 Tags can be read at a distance of 80 meters (250 feet) under ideal

conditions. This specification provides margin for the Tag to be read in a wide

variety of typical indoor conditions, such as through walls. Specifically, the Tag

is designed to be powerful enough to be read through sheet rock walls, but

lacks the power to be read through concrete and metal typically found in floor

construction. The ability to be read through walls allows Cell Controller anten-

nas to be placed in a hallway, and read the tags in adjacent offices. The inabili-

ty to be read through floors ensures that a Tags location will always be identi-

fied on the correct floor. This is consistent with many applications, where great

precision is not needed as long as the floor is correctly identified.

The Tags antenna is linearly polarized. In combination with the circularly polar-

ized Cell Controller antenna, the result is that the tag is insensitive to rotation

around the radial axis.

The T20 Tag is normally attached to assets or worn as a badge. Therefore, to

conserve power the Tags antenna is designed to emit power from the front of

the Tag only. The HPBW (Half Power Beam Width) is approximately 80 degrees

on the vertical axis, and 120 degrees on the horizontal axis. Multipath environ-

ments typical for indoor applications usually enable a Tag to be read at dis-

tances up to about 20 meters, even if the Tag is facing away from the Cell

Controllers antenna.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

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.

Tag Size: 2.5 x 3.5 x 0.75

Transmission Frequency: 5.774GHz

Reception Frequency: 2.884GHz

Survivable Temperature Range: -40°C (-38°F) to 70°C (158°F)

Operational Temperature Range: 0°C (32°F) to 50°C (122°F)

Effective Range: 3-120 from Antenna

Accuracy/Resolution:

System will locate tag within 10 of actual location 99% of the time.

Radiation Pattern: 180° radiation pattern from outer (Antenna) surface

Default Duty Cycle: 5 sec

Battery Life: 12 months at 5 second duty cycle

CELL CONTROLLERS

The Cell Controller acts as the brains for the PinPoint hardware system. The

PinPoint Cell Controller is an

active network peripheral, which

transmits and receives a radio

frequency signal through attached

antennas. This signal is returned

from a 3D-iD tag and translated

by the Cell Controller into Tag

Antenna Distance information

(TAD data). The translated TAD

data is then sent from the Cell

Controller to a server via stan-

dard TCP / IP over an Ethernet

LAN. Each PinPoint Cell

Controller can support up to 16

antennas and comes with a sin-

gle 10 / 100 BT network interface. The PinPoint Cell Controller acts as a DCHP

client; therefore receiving its networking addressing information from a DHCP

server across the LAN.

The Cell Controller is a Linux based system running proprietary software devel-

oped by PinPoint. The hardware

is a Pentium system with custom

PinPoint developed boards pro-

viding customized processing and

communications capabilities.

The Cell Controllers transmit and

receive signal strengths - as well

as other settings, can be altered

via the Cell Controller Interface,

which is in turn available through

the Configurator application. For

additional assistance, see the

Configurator application and its

accompanying documentation.

HARDWARE/SOFTWARE:

APinPoint 3D-iD Cell Controller (code named C20) includes:

4 x 4 switching antenna cards

a 10 / 100 BT network interface card

a power cord

and PinPoint 3D-iD Cell Controller Software version 1.0 or higher

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

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.

Dimensions: 18 x 9 x 6

Range: 3 to 125 feet

Performance: Detect 1 tag in a population of:

100 4.6ms tags within 10 seconds 99% of the time

500 4.6ms tags within 30 seconds 99% of the time

Number of Antennas: Between 1 and 16

Required Antenna Cable Length: All cables must be exactly 100 long

Operational Temperatures: 10°C (50°F) - 35°C (95°F)

Survivable Temperatures: -40°C (-38°F) - 65°C (149°F)

ANTENNAS

The antenna actually broadcasts messages to the tags and receives the tags

responses. The antennas are designed to work exclusively with the PinPoint

3D-iD Cell Controller. The antenna is composed of 2 structures, one designed to

transmit and one to receive. The transmit

structure broadcasts a 2.4 GHz radio fre-

quency signal at 1 watt of power generat-

ed from the Cell Controller. When this

signal is picked up by a 3D-iD tag, the

tag responds with a 5.8 GHz signal

which is picked up by the receive struc-

ture on the antenna. Each antenna is

connected to the Cell Controller by a

dedicated piece of plenum or riser rated

coaxial cable. The coaxial also supplies

the AC needed to power the antenna.

The coaxial cable is connected to a dedicated port on one of the Cell

Controllers 4 x 4 multiplexing switching antenna cards.

Antennas can be mounted flush against walls with provided wall mounting hard-

ware, suspended above ceiling tiles or mounted on tripods.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

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.

Frequency: Tx: 2442 + 83.5 MHz

Rx: 5800 + 150 MHz

Power: 12 V DC (supplied from coaxial cable)

Radiation Pattern: Ellipto-conical (62° azimuth, 32° elevation)

Dimensions: 10 x 7x 2

Environment: -20°C  40°C (operating range)

5% - 95% humidity, no condensation

See Cell Controller/Antenna Data Sheets for details

VIEWPOINT SERVERS

TheViewPoint Server is an active network peripheral which uses Microsofts

DHCP server services to assign IP addresses to PinPoint cell controllers,

receive tag / antenna / distance (TAD) information from the cell controllers and

deliver TAD and alert data to client connected to the local area network. The

server uses standard TCP / IP protocol, and, unless a router is installed, must

be on the same LAN segment as the cell controller. The server runs the full

suite of the ViewPoint 3D-iD software, and PinPoints proprietary services,

Location Service, Alert Service, Tracker Service, Tadder Service and Broker

Service. The server is also where location rules sets, alert information, tag infor-

mation, Cell Controller and antenna profiles are stored and distributed.

SERVER SYSTEM: MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:

Pentium 133 or better processor

Minimum of 128 MB of RAM

CD ROM drive

3.5 floppy disk drive

10 / 100 Ethernet adapter

500 MB of free HDD space

SERVER SYSTEM: MINIMUM SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:

Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

Service Pack 3 or higher

TCP / IP protocol

Microsoft Internet Information Server

Microsoft DCHP Server

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape Navigator 4.0

NT Option Pack 4

Microsoft Access(optional)

VIEWPOINT CLIENTS

The ViewPoint Clients are Microsoft Windows 95, 98, 2000 or NT machines

connected to the local area network via TCP / IP protocol, and running the

ViewPoint 3D-iD Client software. 3D-iD clients will be able to track, locate and

secure tagged assets and people by running any of the client application

installed on the machine, these include:

Location Viewer which allows the user to view Tag Locations by area.

Finder which allows the user to search for Tags by Serial Number, by

Resource, by Tag Group, and by Location.

Alert Viewer which allows the user to monitor Alert Conditions as they

arise.

Floorplan Viewer which serves as a unified viewer of Tag Antenna

Distance, Location, and Alert data.

Tracker which allows the user to access historical Tag Location and Alert

data.

3D-iD clients can reside anywhere on the network, provided they have access

to the subnet where the server resides.

CLIENT SYSTEM: MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:

Pentium 90 or better processor

Minimum of 32 MB RAM (64MB RAM for clients running NT Workstation 4.0)

CD ROM drive

3.5 floppy disk drive

10 / 100 Ethernet adapter

200 MB of free HDD space

CLIENT SYSTEM: MINIMUM SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:

Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or NT Workstation version 4.0 (Service Pack 3 or

higher)

TCP / IP protocol

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape Navigator 4.0

PinPoint Corporation

One Oak Park Bedford, MA 01730

http://www.pinpointco.com

phone: 781-687-9720

fax: 781-687-9730

R F Technologies 30011534001 User Manual Hardware Overview

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