R F Technologies 30011534001 User Manual Hardware Overview

RF Technologies Inc Hardware Overview

Contents

Hardware Overview

PinPoint CorporationSystem Hardware Introduction
FCC REGULATIONSThis system complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject tothe following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference,and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interferencethat may cause undesired operation.WARNINGSChanges or modifications not expressely approved by PinPoint Corporationcould void the users authority to operate the equipment.
Contents
Section 1: Introduction to the SystemWELCOMEWelcome to the 3D-iD system. The 3D-iD system is an LPS (Local PositioningSystem) designed to take asset and personnel tracking to the next level. WhereGPS supplies global, outdoor, positioning data, the 3D-iD LPS system provideslocal, indoor and outdoor, positioning data. In addition, the system comes with avariety 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 previoustechnologies, due to their many limitations  cannot address. In manufacturigand distribution applications, the 3D-iD system can help shippers find containersin shipping yards. In healthcare, it can be used to insure that hospitals cankeep track of their valuable assets, decreasing lost equipment and increasingefficiency.The 3D-iD system relies on a combination of hardware and software. Beforeexamining the systems operation, well take a brief look at the components thatmake 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 informationabout 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 softwaresystem. The combination of the two systems allows tags to be located, trackedand secured throughout an installation site. The hardware side of the systemgenerates 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 andCell 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 connectionto a Cell Controller. Cell Controllers are the brains of the hardware side of the system. Theycoordinate the antennas and use the roundtrip time required for a radiosignal to travel from an antenna to a tag to calculate the distancebetween the Tags and Antennas. This is what we call TAD (Tag-AntennaDistance) data.Once TAD data has been generated, it is forwarded to a ViewPoint Server onthe software side of the system. Which then converts that data into Locationand Alert data and publishes it to client applications. Location (or LOC) data is data that indicates the Location (which are derivedfrom logical statements involving TAD variables) that a tag is in. A Location canbe a room, a wing or even an entire floor, depending on the configuration of thesystem.Alert (or ALR) data is data that is generated based on certain trigger events forsingle tags or pairs of tags. There are two basic groups of alert conditions. Thefirst group, alerts associated with a single tag, can be set when a tag enters orexits an area or when a tag remains within a certain location for a set period oftime. The second group, alerts associated with a pair of tags, can be triggeredwhen one tag enters an area without the other, when the two tags are near oneanother or when the two tags are far from one another.
Detailed information about the ViewPoint Server is available in the UsersManual. In brief, ViewPoints NT Services (which are programs that run in thebackground on the server, and require no user input) receive the TAD data.These services then use lookup tables created by the user when the softwaresystem is setup to convert the TAD data into Location (LOC) and Alert (ALR)data. The services then publish that data to various client applications whichend-users use to view specific data. The services can also publish data to aRecorder service, which saves data to a database.Combined, the hardware and software elements of the PinPoint system cangenerate 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 distancebetween 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 theirsignals. 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 beingon at once are very remote. With this in mind, we can examine the CellControllers operation. The Cell Controllers basic job is to record the amount oftime 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 asingle 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 radiosignal to travel between the Tag and the Antenna:1. The Cell Controller sends an antenna a spread spectrum radio signal tobroadcast to the tags at 2.442GHz.2. Whichever tag is on at that moment (assuming one is on and in range ofthe antenna):2.1. Receives the signal2.2. Converts it to 5.770GHz2.3. Modulates its unique serial number on the return signal2.4. Retransmits the signal3. The current antenna receives the signal and sends it back to the CellController.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 thereceived message and then uses that to calculate the distance betweenthe tag and the antenna.6. The newly created Tag Antenna Distance (TAD) data is then forwarded tothe 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 CellController to detect a tag during that single tags on time.
8. By cycling constantly, the Cell Controller repeats the process for everytag within reach of its antennas.The 3D-iD tags are designed using L3RF technology. They are designed forLong range, Long battery life and Low cost. In an open environment, a tag canbe seen at more than 100 feet. This is a far greater distance than traditionalRFID tracking technologies can offer. In addition, a tags battery typically lastsover 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 spectrumtechnology allows for the operation of many devices within a single frequencyrange. This removes the impractical requirement that a frequency be set asidesoley for use of the 3D-iD system. Direct Sequence spread spectrum is usedbecause alternatives, such as frequency hopping spread spectrum, require sig-nificantly more complex hardware and far greater system synchronization. Thishardware would complicate Tag, Antenna and Cell Controller design, raise main-tenance costs, increase Tag weight and significantly increase the initial costs ofthe system. For more details, see the www.pinpointco.comDual Frequency Technology:The 3D-iD system also relies on a unique dual frequency architecture. TheAntennas send signals to the Tags at 2.442GHz. The Tags respond with a5.770GHz signal. The dual frequency approach is used to remove the complex-ities of separating modulated Tag responses from unmodulated radio reflectionswhen both lie within a single frequency. Take as an example a signal that isbroadcast by an antenna at one frequency when the antenna is listening at thatsame 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 similarversions of itself.
While the 3D-iD system benefits from the strenths of L3RF technology, it mustbe kept in mind that various factors can negatively influence the effectiveness ofthe system. Shorter chirp rates - the rates at which the tag announces itspresence - will result in shorter battery lives. In addition, microwave ovens,thick walls and metal surfaces - among other things - can significantly impact anAntennas effective range.
RULE SETSAbrief examination of rule sets is suggested before the installation overview isbegun. 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 anurse sitting at a desk. Far more useful would be some sort of data indicatedwhich room a wheelchair is in - or perhaps simply an alert if a wheelchair goessomeplace 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 otherforms of data.The first of these is Location (or LOC) data. Location data is data thatindicates 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 oreven an entire floor, depending on the configuration of the system.The second kind of data is Alert (or ALR) data. Alert data is generatedfrom Location data. Alert data is data that is generated based on certaintrigger events for single tags or pairs of tags. There are two basicgroups of alert conditions. The first group, alerts associated with a singletag, can be set when a tag enters or exits an area or when a tag remainswithin a certain location for a set period of time. The second group,alerts associated with a pair of tags, can be triggered when one tagenters an area without the other, when the two tags are near one anotheror 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 firstkind of Rule Set is called a Location Rule Set. A Location Rule Set works byreading 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 plainenglish, might read A tag is in this location if it is within 10 feet of Antenna 2 onCell 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 feetfrom a certain antenna, it can also be said to be in a location if it is closest to aparticular antenna. This can allow for a very simple definition of locations. Abasic closest to statement might read A tag is in this location if it is closest toAntenna 2 on Cell Controller 1. Please note, a tag is assigned to the locationassociated with the first statement in the list that is true. The Location Rule Set statements can make use of a standard array of booleanand functional operators. Without exploring the actual syntax, these statementsinclude and, or, not, parenthetical and closest to statements. All behave as theywould normally be expected to.Asyntax reference for Location Rule Sets is available in the ViewPoint UsersManual.ALERT DATAAn Alert Rule Set is used to convert Location Data to Alert Data. The ideabehind 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 beforeinstalling the system. Doing so might be counterproductive, as many of theAlerts depend on the assets the tags themselves are attached to. But, it isimportant to have a general idea about what kinds of alerts will be created. Thedetails 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 Typesand 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 particularlocation.Stationary: The Stationary Alert is triggered when the associated Tagremains in the indicated location for a set period of time.TimeOut: The Timeout alert is fired when a Tag was last heard from inthe indicated location, but has not been heard from in any location for aset period of time. Any subsequent chirp from this Tag in any locationclears this Alert.Paired Tag Alert TypesEscort: The Escort Alert is triggered when the tag selected first in thepair 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 particularlocation are separated by more than a set distance.Foe: The Foe Alert is triggered when two tags within a particular locationare nearer than a set distance from each other.
Section 2: Installation PlanningCUSTOMER CONSULTATIONThe first step in setting up a 3D-iD Installation is the customer consultation. Acustomers needs must be assessed before any hardware placement work canbegin. There is a series of questions that must be answered before work canproceed. 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 CoverageWhich is coverage of entrances and exitsZonal CoverageWhich is coverage of certain locations, or zonesTracking CoverageWhich is the fullest type of coverage allowing the tracking of real timemovement.Antennas can be placed much more sparingly if portal coverage is all thatis required. Greater antenna density will be required if broader coverageis necessary. WHERE IS COVERAGE REQUIRED?Once the type of coverage has been assessed, it is generally a good idea to layout where coverage is actually required. Working from a floorplan, requiredlocations can be drawn. For example, if laying out portal coverage, locationsshould be drawn around entrances and exits. The technicians carrying out thesite survey and antenna layout procedure can then use the Locations drawn onthe 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 timerequired to track them. In a situation where there are 500 tags, each reportingevery second, and all within the domain of a single cell controller, the CellController will have a difficult time tracking the tags quickly. If, however, those500 tags are reporting in every 3 seconds the Cell Controller will be able to seeall 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, fasterreporting will probably be required. If an asset does not need to be closelymonitored, the Cell Controller will have an easier time tracking tags if the tagreporting time is larger. The tag reporting time is technically referred to as itschirp time. More detailed documentation on chirp times and how they affect CellController 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 describedin 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 itshould 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 SURVEYOnce the customers requirements have been examined, a site survey can becarried 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 practicedat 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 theareas where they must be tracked. Working from the customers coveragerequirements, 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 extensivelytesting various possible antenna positions to ensure that tags can be seen byantennas where coverage is required. In determining which antenna positionsto test many factors are taken into account. Among them,·The effects of metal surfaces such white boards or metal equipment onRF signals.·The effects of microwave ovens and other RF emitters.· The types of wall construction at a facility. Wall Construction can and willaffect the visibility of Tags by Antennas. Standard drywall constructionsdo not drastically affect Antenna performance. However, cinderblock,firewalls, hard plaster and many older style constructions will stop theAntenna signal. ·Holes in walls (such as doors or windows) that may more easily permitthe transit of RF signals.While the site survey is being carried out, the exact locations of every antennaand 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 areset for each antenna. When placing Cell Controllers and Antennas, care istaken to ensure that they are within cabling length of each other.Once the site survey is complete, the installer will have available a floorplandetailing the placement of every antenna, Cell Controller and Server (althoughthere is greater leeway in Server placement). With this information in hand, theactual installation of the 3D-iD elements can proceed.
PHYSICAL INSTALLATIONThe physical installation of the 3D-iD system involves the placement of 4 com-ponents. These include, as mentioned in the Installation Planning section, theAntennas, Cell Controllers and Servers. In addition, tags must be attached toassets. While extensive documentation on the actual installation of all of theseelements is available in the packaging for each element, a brief explanation ofthe 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. Antennas2. Cell Controllers3. Antenna/Cell Controller Cabling4. Tags5. 3D-iD Server6. ViewPoint (Client) Software InstallationsANTENNAS1. Attach the base of the antenna mount tothe wall where the antenna should beplaced. In situations where the antenna isto be mounted in other types of locations,such as under a drop ceiling, additionalmounting creativity might be required.2. Attach the antenna to the mount, andalign it in the manner determined by thetechnician during the site survey.3. The antenna must be installed so that there is at least a 6 inch gapbetween it and any possible contact with people. Failure to install it inthis fashion may invalidate the userslicense to operate this product.
CELL CONTROLLERS1. Place the Cell Controller in the locationdetermined earlier.2. Ensure that the Cell Controller has ade-quate ventilation.3. Attach the power and network cabling tothe Cell Controller.ANTENNA/CELL CONTROLLER CABLINGFor each Cell Controller/Antenna combination:1. String cable from the Cell Controller towards the Antenna. Leave 1-2 feetof cable at the Cell Controller. In order to avoid bends or kinks  whichwill cripple the accuracy of antenna readings - do not attach the cable tothe Cell Controller. 2. Coil the extra cabling near the antenna to allow for easier movement ofthe antenna should the need arise.3. Connect the cable to both the Cell Controller and the Antenna4. Label the cable at both ends for future ref-erence. A potential labeling scheme couldbe based on the Cell Controller Antennaport that the Antenna is connected to.TAGS1. PinPoint 3D-iD tags should be mountedsecurely and fixed to the asset. Since thetags antenna is not omni-directional, try to make certain it is always fac-ing the same way as the asset moves throughout the facility.2. Make certain that access to the removable battery cover plate on the tagis maintained. 3. Tags must always be mounted with THE BATTERY SIDE FACE DOWNAGAINST THE ASSET. The top of the tag contains the antenna struc-tures, and it is essential that this side stay facing up in order to ensurestrong broadcast and reception of RF signals.
3D-ID SERVERThe 3D-iD Server is perhaps the most complex element to install. Detailedinformation is available on the ViewPoint installation process with the ViewPointdocumentation. The below is a greatly (perhaps too much so) simplified Serverinstallation process. Once you have located an appropriate PC for a primaryserver and it has been placed on the same subnet as the Cell Controllers:1. Both DHCP and IIS must be loaded and configured.2. The 3D-iD server software must be installed on the system.3. The Configurator application must be run  which involves such proce-dures as defining the rule sets.4. Afterwards, the ViewPoint Control Panel must be run on the system inorder to define and start the services that will be running on the server.5. Once the primary server is setup, start up the Cell Controllers that are onthe same subnet as the primary server. When you turn on each CellController you will be greeted by one of three beep patterns:-An ascending scale indicates that the Cell Controller is workingproperly.- A high-low (daa-dum) tone indicates that something is wrong withthe Cell Controllers network connection (is DHCP configured cor-rectly).- A Beethovens fifth (daa-dum-dum-dum) indicates that somethingis wrong with the Cell Controllers hardware.There can be additional servers beyond the primary server. These servers hostservices, but not the Configurator database. In most large scale installa-tions, these additional servers are suggested for load balancing reasons.It is also suggested, for network traffic reasons, that these additionalservers be running on the same subnet as the primary 3D-iD server. Seethe ViewPoint Users Manual for information on installing these servers.VIEWPOINT (CLIENT) APPLICATIONSTo load the client systems simply:1. Run the ViewPoint Setup program, install the end-user applications.2. Configure each of the end-user applications by specifying the servicesthey should connect to.
INSTALLATION VERIFICATIONThere are tools that can be used to test whether an installation is functioningcorrectly. The bulk of those tools are accessible through software. Detailedassistance with those tools is available in the software documentation.However, a summary follows below.Cell Controller Waveform Viewer  this Cell Controller based applet,accessible from the Configurator, displays waveform data from the CellControllers antennas. It can be used to verify that the antennas arehooked up and operating correctly. An X-Window viewer such as Xceedis required to use this utility.TADView  this application can be used to verify that the Cell Controlleris properly broadcasting TAD data. It can also be used to test TADderService broadcasts.Location Viewer  this application can be used to verify the functioningof Location Services.Alert Viewer  this application can be used to verify the correct function-ing of Alert Services.
Section 3. Equipment Descriptions and SpecificationsTAGSThe tag is one of three key elements in the PinPoint 3D-iD hardware system.PinPoint 3D-iD Tags are radio frequencytags that are mounted onto assets orpeople that are to be tracked. Each tagcontains a 2-structure antenna in theopposite configuration of the PinPoint3D-iD Antenna, but at 500 milliwatts ofpower. The tags 5.8 GHz broadcast pro-vides the Cell Controller with a distancemeasurement from a given antenna, andallows 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 mountingkits. Tags are available in asset design or as personnel tags.TAG DETECTIONTime to See Specific tag0.05.010.015.020.025.030.035.040.0050100150200250300350400450500Tags in Range of Cell ControllerSecondsAverage90.0%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 onlybe detected by an antennaonly while it is chirping.Tags chirp asynchronously,meaning they are not syn-chronized to the reader orto each other. To preventtwo Tags from continuouslychirping in synchronization,the chirping intervalincludes a randomized off-set, utilizing a function thatincorporates the Tags ID.The combination of the off-set and the very short 2.3 millisecond Tag signals minimize the number of Tagcollisions. 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 defaultchirp 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 withend-user requirements.Faster chirp rates meanTags will be detected morerapidly. On the other hand,Tags with faster chirp rateshave shorter battery lives.Generally, chirp intervalsare set lower for criticalhardware and higher for forlarger, less mobile or lesscritical assets such asdesks.Time to See All Tags0.010.020.030.040.050.060.0050100150200250300350400450500Tags in Range of Cell ControllerSecondsAverage90.0%99.0%99.9%Time to See Specific Tag (99%)0.05.010.015.020.025.030.035.040.0075150225300375450Tags in Range of Cell ControllerSeconds1 sec tag3 sec tag
System performance depends on the number of Tags in range of individual cellcontrollers, 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 thedefault rate of 3 seconds, there is a 99% chance of seeing a specific tag within5 seconds, and a 99% chance of seeing all Tags within 8 seconds. With 100Tags, 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 graphsassume 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 theTags divided among them. For example, if an installation has 750 Tags equallydivided among 10 Cell Controllers, system performance can be estimated basedon 75 Tags per cell controller. Increasing the number of Cell Controllers, ordecreasing the number of chirps per tag can increase system capacity.With populations of 100 tags or fewer, performance can be substantiallyimproved by configuring tags to chirp more frequently. The third chart showsperformance of a tag that chirps once per second, compared with the default of3 seconds. Note that 3-second tags perform better with tag populations of 300or more, while 1-second tags are better at lower overall tag populations.T20 BATTERY LIFEThe battery life of a T20 tag is over a year (1.2 years) with a tag that chirpsonce every three seconds, which is the default. Configuring tags to chirp morefrequently then every three seconds reduces battery life roughly proportionally.For example, a tag that chirps twice as frequently will have approximately halfthe 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. Thebattery 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 idealconditions. This specification provides margin for the Tag to be read in a widevariety of typical indoor conditions, such as through walls. Specifically, the Tagis designed to be powerful enough to be read through sheet rock walls, butlacks the power to be read through concrete and metal typically found in floorconstruction. 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 greatprecision 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 rotationaround the radial axis.The T20 Tag is normally attached to assets or worn as a badge. Therefore, toconserve power the Tags antenna is designed to emit power from the front ofthe Tag only. The HPBW (Half Power Beam Width) is approximately 80 degreeson 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 CellControllers antenna.TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONThis device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to thefollowing two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference,and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interferencethat may cause undesired operation.Tag Size: 2.5 x 3.5 x 0.75Transmission Frequency: 5.774GHzReception Frequency: 2.884GHzSurvivable 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 AntennaAccuracy/Resolution:System will locate tag within 10 of actual location 99% of the time.Radiation Pattern: 180° radiation pattern from outer (Antenna) surfaceDefault Duty Cycle: 5 secBattery Life: 12 months at 5 second duty cycle
CELL CONTROLLERSThe Cell Controller acts as the brains for the PinPoint hardware system. ThePinPoint Cell Controller is anactive network peripheral, whichtransmits and receives a radiofrequency signal through attachedantennas. This signal is returnedfrom a 3D-iD tag and translatedby the Cell Controller into TagAntenna Distance information(TAD data). The translated TADdata is then sent from the CellController to a server via stan-dard TCP / IP over an EthernetLAN. Each PinPoint CellController can support up to 16antennas and comes with a sin-gle 10 / 100 BT network interface. The PinPoint Cell Controller acts as a DCHPclient; therefore receiving its networking addressing information from a DHCPserver across the LAN.The Cell Controller is a Linux based system running proprietary software devel-oped by PinPoint. The hardwareis a Pentium system with customPinPoint developed boards pro-viding customized processing andcommunications capabilities.The Cell Controllers transmit andreceive signal strengths - as wellas other settings, can be alteredvia the Cell Controller Interface,which is in turn available throughthe Configurator application. Foradditional assistance, see theConfigurator application and itsaccompanying documentation.
HARDWARE/SOFTWARE:APinPoint 3D-iD Cell Controller (code named C20) includes:4 x 4 switching antenna cardsa 10 / 100 BT network interface carda power cordand PinPoint 3D-iD Cell Controller Software version 1.0 or higherTECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONThis device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to thefollowing two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference,and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interferencethat may cause undesired operation.Dimensions: 18 x 9 x 6Range: 3 to 125 feetPerformance: Detect 1 tag in a population of:100 4.6ms tags within 10 seconds 99% of the time500 4.6ms tags within 30 seconds 99% of the timeNumber of Antennas: Between 1 and 16Required Antenna Cable Length: All cables must be exactly 100 longOperational Temperatures: 10°C (50°F) - 35°C (95°F)Survivable Temperatures: -40°C (-38°F) - 65°C (149°F)
ANTENNASThe antenna actually broadcasts messages to the tags and receives the tagsresponses. The antennas are designed to work exclusively with the PinPoint3D-iD Cell Controller. The antenna is composed of 2 structures, one designed totransmit and one to receive. The transmitstructure broadcasts a 2.4 GHz radio fre-quency signal at 1 watt of power generat-ed from the Cell Controller. When thissignal is picked up by a 3D-iD tag, thetag responds with a 5.8 GHz signalwhich is picked up by the receive struc-ture on the antenna. Each antenna isconnected to the Cell Controller by adedicated piece of plenum or riser ratedcoaxial cable. The coaxial also suppliesthe AC needed to power the antenna.The coaxial cable is connected to a dedicated port on one of the CellController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 SPECIFICATIONThis device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to thefollowing two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference,and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interferencethat may cause undesired operation.Frequency: Tx: 2442 + 83.5 MHzRx: 5800 + 150 MHzPower: 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 condensationSee Cell Controller/Antenna Data Sheets for details
VIEWPOINT SERVERSTheViewPoint Server is an active network peripheral which uses MicrosoftsDHCP server services to assign IP addresses to PinPoint cell controllers,receive tag / antenna / distance (TAD) information from the cell controllers anddeliver TAD and alert data to client connected to the local area network. Theserver uses standard TCP / IP protocol, and, unless a router is installed, mustbe on the same LAN segment as the cell controller. The server runs the fullsuite of the ViewPoint 3D-iD software, and PinPoints proprietary services,Location Service, Alert Service, Tracker Service, Tadder Service and BrokerService. 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 processorMinimum of 128 MB of RAMCD ROM drive3.5 floppy disk drive10 / 100 Ethernet adapter500 MB of free HDD spaceSERVER SYSTEM: MINIMUM SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0Service Pack 3 or higherTCP / IP protocol Microsoft Internet Information ServerMicrosoft DCHP ServerMicrosoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape Navigator 4.0NT Option Pack 4Microsoft Access(optional)
VIEWPOINT CLIENTSThe ViewPoint Clients are Microsoft Windows 95, 98, 2000 or NT machinesconnected to the local area network via TCP / IP protocol, and running theViewPoint 3D-iD Client software. 3D-iD clients will be able to track, locate andsecure tagged assets and people by running any of the client applicationinstalled 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, byResource, by Tag Group, and by Location. Alert Viewer which allows the user to monitor Alert Conditions as theyarise. Floorplan Viewer which serves as a unified viewer of Tag AntennaDistance, Location, and Alert data. Tracker which allows the user to access historical Tag Location and Alertdata.3D-iD clients can reside anywhere on the network, provided they have accessto the subnet where the server resides.CLIENT SYSTEM: MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:Pentium 90 or better processorMinimum of 32 MB RAM (64MB RAM for clients running NT Workstation 4.0)CD ROM drive3.5 floppy disk drive10 / 100 Ethernet adapter200 MB of free HDD spaceCLIENT SYSTEM: MINIMUM SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or NT Workstation version 4.0 (Service Pack 3 orhigher)TCP / IP protocol Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape Navigator 4.0
PinPoint CorporationOne Oak Park Bedford, MA 01730http://www.pinpointco.comphone: 781-687-9720fax: 781-687-9730

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