User manual . RipEX Radio modem & Router . version 1.3 5/31/2012 fw 1.1.4.0 RACOM s.r.o. • Mirova 1283 • 592 31 Nove Mesto na Morave • Czech Republic Tel.: +420 565 659 511 • Fax: +420 565 659 512 • E-mail: racom@racom.eu www.racom.
Table of Contents Getting started ..................................................................................................................................... 7 1. RipEX – Radio router ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 9 1.2. Key Features ...................................
RipEX Radio modem & Router 10. Safety, environment, licensing ................................................................................................... 120 10.1. Frequency ...................................................................................................................... 120 10.2. Safety distance ............................................................................................................... 120 10.3. High temperature ..............................................
RipEX Radio modem & Router 5.5. Status Menu ............................................................................................................................... 59 6.1. Flat lengthwise mounting to DIN rail – recommended ............................................................... 61 6.2. Flat widthwise mounting to DIN rail ............................................................................................ 61 6.3. Vertical widthwise mounting to DIN rail ................................
RipEX Radio modem & Router 10.2. Minimum Safety Distance 300–400 MHz ............................................................................... 122 6 RipEX Radio modem & Router – © RACOM s.r.o.
Getting started Getting started RipEX is a widely configurable compact radio modem, more precisely a radio IP router. All you have to do to put it into operation is to connect it to an antenna and a power supply and configure it using a PC and a web browser. Antenna Sleep Input Alarm Input - GND + Alarm Output + Supply +10 to +30 V - GND Indicator LEDs' ANT SI AI - + AO + - 10 – 30VDC ETH Default/Reset USB Ethernet COM 1 USB COM 2 COM1 RS232 COM2 RS232/485 Fig.
Getting started 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. Install antenna (Section 6.2, “Antenna mounting”). Install feed line (Section 6.3, “Antenna feed line”). Ensure proper grounding (Section 6.4, “Grounding”). Run cables and plug-in all connectors except from the SCADA equipment (Section 4.2, “Connectors”) 6. Apply power supply to RipEX 7. Test radio link quality (Section 5.5, “Functional test”). 8.
RipEX – Radio router 1. RipEX – Radio router 1.1. Introduction RipEX is a best-in-class radio modem, not only in terms of data transfer speed. This Software Defined Radio with Linux OS has been designed with attention to detail, performance and quality. All relevant state-of-the-art concepts have been carefully implemented.
RipEX – Radio router • Modbus, IEC101, DNP3, Comli, RP570, C24, DF1, Profibus, Modbus TCP, IEC104, DNP3 TCP etc.
RipEX – Radio router RS232 EIA-232-F RS485 EIA RS-485 IEC101 IEC 60870-5-101 IEC104 IEC 60870-5-104 DNP3 IEEE 1815-2010 Profibus DP-V0 IEC 61158 Type 3 © RACOM s.r.o.
RipEX in detail 2. RipEX in detail 2.1. Modes of operation Radio modem RipEX is best suited for transmission of a large number of short messages where a guaranteed delivery time is required, i.e. for mission critical applications. RipEX has the following basic uses: • Polling In poll-response networks a central master unit communicates with a number of remote radiomodems one at a time.
RipEX in detail All the messages received from user interfaces (ETH&COM's) are immediately transmitted to the radio channel. ETH - The whole network of RipEX radiomodems behaves as a standard ethernet network bridge. Each ETH interface automatically learns which devices (MAC addresses) are located in the local LAN and which devices are accessible over the radio channel. Consequently, only the ethernet frames addressed to remote devices are physically transmitted on the radio channel.
RipEX in detail Step 3 RipEX3 and RipEX1 send the received packet to their COM1 and COM2. Packet is addressed to RTU3, so only RTU3 responds. RipEX1 is set as a repeater, so it retransmits the packet on Radio channel. Packet is received by all RipEXes. Step 4 RipEX2 sends repeated packet to its COM1 and COM2. RTU2 doesn’t react, because the packet is addressed to RTU3.
RipEX in detail 2.2.3. Configuration examples You can see an example of IP addresses of the SCADA equipment and RipEX's ETH interfaces in the picture below. In Bridge mode, the IP address of the ETH interface of RipEX is not relevant for user data communication. However it is strongly recommended to assign a unique IP address to each RipEXs' ETH interface, since it allows for easy local as well as remote service access.
RipEX in detail Where two or more repeaters are used, collisions resulting from simultaneous reception of a repeated packet must be eliminated. Collisions happen because repeaters repeat packets immediately after reception, i.e. if two repeaters receive a packet from the centre, they both relay it at the same time. If there is a radiomodem which is within the range of both repeaters, it receives both repeated packets at the same time rendering them unreadable. Examples: 1.
RipEX in detail 2. Parallel repeaters 1 2 Remote2 Improperly designed network: WRONG Repeater2 REM2 2 1 CEN RPT2 1 Centre 2 1 RPT1 2 2 REM1 X Repeater1 - RipEX REM1 is within the range of two repeaters (RPT1 and RPT2). The repeaters receive a packet (1) from the centre (CEN) and repeat it at the same time (2) causing a collision at REM1.
RipEX in detail 2.3.2. Functionality example In the following example, there are two independent SCADA devices connected to RipEX's two COM ports. One is designated RTU (Remote Telemetry Unit) and is assumed to be polled from the centre by the FEP (Front End Processor). The other is labelled PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and is assumed to communicate spontaneously with arbitrary chosen peer PLCs. Step 1 FEP sends a request packet for RTU1 through COM2 to its connected RipEX.
RipEX in detail Step 5 FEP receives the response from RTU1 and polling cycle continues… However any PLC or RTU can spontaneously send a packet to any destination anytime. 2.3.3. Configuration examples As it was mentioned above, RipEX radiomodem works as a standard IP router with two independent interfaces: radio and ETH. Each interface has got its own MAC address, IP address and mask. The IP router operating principles stipulate that every unit can serve as a repeater..
RipEX in detail 10.10.10.3/24 Routing table RipEX3: 192.168.50.0/24 è 10.10.10.50 192.168.1.0/24 è 10.10.10.50 192.168.2.0/24 è 10.10.10.50 192.168.3.1/24 3 192.168.3.2/24 Radio IP 10.10.10.50/24 Routing table RipEX2: 192.168.1.0/24 è 10.10.10.1 192.168.50.0/24 è 10.10.10.1 192.168.3.0/24 è 10.10.10.1 10.10.10.2/24 Routing table RipEX50: 192.168.1.0/24 è 10.10.10.1 192.168.2.0/24 è 10.10.10.1 192.168.3.0/24 è 10.10.10.3 Default GW 192.168.50.2 192.168.2.1/24 2 192.168.2.2/24 ETH IP 192.168.50.
RipEX in detail 2.3.4. Addressing hints In large and complex networks with numerous repeaters, individual routing tables may become long and difficult to comprehend. To keep the routing tables simple, the addressing scheme should follow the layout of the radio network.
RipEX in detail 2.4. Serial SCADA protocols Even when the SCADA devices are connected via serial port, communication remains secured and address-based in all directions (centre-RTU, RTU-centre, RTU-RTU). In router mode, RipEX utilises a unique implementation of various SCADA protocols (Modbus, IEC101, DNP3, Comli, RP570, C24, DF1, Profibus). In this implementation SCADA protocol addresses are mapped to RipEX addresses and individual packets are transmitted as acknowledged unicasts.
RipEX in detail 2.5. Combination of IP and serial communication RipEX enables combination of IP and serial protocols within a single application. Five independent terminal servers are available in RipEX. A terminal server is a virtual substitute for devices used as serial-to-TCP(UDP) converters. It encapsulates serial protocol to TCP(UDP) and vice versa eliminating the transfer of TCP overhead over the radio channel.
RipEX in detail 2.6.1. Logs There are ‘Neighbours’ and Statistic logs in RipEX. For both logs there is a history of 20 log files available, so the total history of saved values is 20 days (assuming the default value of 1440 min. is used as the Log save period). Neighbours The ‘Neighbours’ log provides information about neighbouring units (RipEX’s which can be accessed directly over the radio channel, i.e. without a repeater).
RipEX in detail overall load, the resulting throughput, BER, PER and specific data about the quality of the radio transmission, RSS and DQ for the weakest radio link on the route. See chapter Adv. Conf., Ping for details. 2.6.5. Monitoring TMonitoring is an advanced on-line diagnostic tool, which enables a detailed analysis of communication over any of the interfaces of a RipEX router. In addition to all the physical interfaces (RADIO, ETH, COM1, COM2), some internal interfaces between software modules (e.
RipEX in detail grow. This protects the investment into the hardware. Thanks to SDR-based hardware design of RipEX no physical replacement is necessary – the user simply buys a key and activates the feature. Software keys are always tied to a specific RipEX production code. When purchasing a software key, this production code must be given. See chapter Adv. Conf., SW feature keys for more. 26 RipEX Radio modem & Router – © RACOM s.r.o.
Network planning 3. Network planning The significance of planning for even a small radio network is often neglected. A typical scenario in such cases goes as follows – there's not enough time (sometimes money) to do proper planning, so the network construction is started right away while decisions on antennas etc. are based mainly on budget restrictions. When the deadline comes, the network is ready but its performance does not meet the expectations.
Network planning dummy antenna RTU Centre config. PC RTU Fig. 3.1: Application bench test 3.2. Frequency Often the frequency is simply given. If there is a choice, using the optimum frequency range can make a significant difference. Let us make a brief comparison of the most used UHF frequency bands. 160 MHz The best choice when you have to cover a hilly region and repeaters are not an option.
Network planning most reliable links. The price you pay (compared to lower frequency bands) is really the price – more repeaters and higher towers increase the initial cost. Long term reliable performance is the reward. The three frequency bands discussed illustrate the simple basic rules – the higher the frequency, the closer to LOS the signal has to travel.
Network planning Antenna gains and directivity diagrams have to be supplied by the antenna manufacturer. Note that antenna gains against isotropic radiator (dBi) are used in the calculation. The figures of feeder cable loss per meter should be also known. Note that coaxial cable parameters may change considerably with time, especially when exposed to an outdoor environment. It is recommended to add a 50-100 % margin for ageing to the calculated feeder loss. 3.3.1.
Network planning TX antenna Fig. 3.3: Multipath propagation What makes things worse is that the path length changes over time. Since half the wavelength – e.g. 0.3 m at 450 MHz - makes all the difference between summation and cancellation, a 0.001% change of a path length (10 cm per 10 km) is often significant. And a small change of air temperature gradient can do that. Well, that is why we have to have a proper fade margin.
Network planning • • ping test displays the mean deviation of RSS greater than 6 dB DQ value keeps "jumping" abnormally from frame to frame Quite often all the symptoms mentioned can be observed at a site simultaneously. The typical "beginner" mistake would be to chase the spot with the best RSS with an omnidirectional antenna and installing it there. Such a spot may work for several minutes (good luck), sometimes for several weeks (bad luck, since the network may be in full use by then).
Network planning correctly combiner incorrectly Fig. 3.5: Main lobe 3.5. Network layout Certainly the network layout is mostly (sometimes completely) defined by the application. When the terrain allows for direct radio communication among all sites in the network, the designer can do neither too good nor too bad a job. Fortunately for RF network designers, the real world is seldom that simple. The conditions every single radio hop has to meet were discussed in previous paragraphs.
Network planning of repeaters which serve the respective areas is crucial. They should be isolated from each other whenever possible. incorrectly Repeater M Centre Fig. 3.6: Dominant repeater M Centre Fig. 3.7: Isolated branches • 34 in report-by-exception networks the load of hops connecting the centre to major repeaters forms the bottle-neck of total network capacity.
Network planning 3.6. Hybrid networks If an extensive area needs to be covered and multiple retranslation would be uneconomical or unsuitable, RipEX’s can be interconnected via any IP network (WLAN, Internet, 3G, etc.). This is quite simple because RipEX is a standard IP router with an ethernet interface. Consequently interconnecting two or more RipEX's over a nested IP network is a standard routing issue and the concrete solution depends on that network. 3.7.
Network planning incorectly correctly Power supply RTU Fig. 3.8: Antenna mounting • Do not underestimate ageing of coaxial cables, especially at higher frequencies. Designing a 900 MHz site with 30 m long antenna cable run outdoors would certainly result in trouble two years later. • We recommend to use vertical polarization for all radio modem networks. 36 RipEX Radio modem & Router – © RACOM s.r.o.
Product 4. Product RipEX is built into a rugged die-cast aluminium casing that allows for multiple installation possibilities, see Section 6.1, “Mounting”. 4.1. Dimensions 150 58 50 118 DIN Rail Clip 134 DIN 35 Rail Fig. 4.1: RipEX dimensions, see more 133 122 60 124 2×o4,5 / 4×M3 Flat - bracket 8 L - bracket 70 122 95 175 Fig. 4.2: L-bracket and Flat-bracket, see more © RACOM s.r.o.
Product 4.2. Connectors All connectors are located on the front panel. The upper side features an LED panel. The RESET button is located in an opening in the bottom side. + + 10 – 30VDC ETH +– ALARM OUT. ALARM INPUT SLEEP - WAKE UP ANTENNA COM1 ETH/USB ADAPTER COM2 data equipment, RTU ETH data equipment, RTU LAN, control PC Fig. 4.3: Connectors 4.2.1. Antenna An antenna can connect to RipEX via TNC female 50Ω connector.
Product Fig. 4.5: Separated Rx and TX antennas Warning: RipEX radio modem may be damaged when operated without an antenna or a dummy load. 4.2.2. Power and Control This rugged connector connects to a power supply and it contains control signals. A Plug with screwterminals and retaining screws for power and control connector is supplied with each RipEX. It is Tyco 7 pin terminal block plug, part No. 1776192-7, contact pitch 3.81 mm. The connector is designed for 2 electric wires with a cross section of 0.
Product Lead Binding Screws (7) SI AI - + A0 + - 10–30VDC Pin No.: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fig. 4.6: Supply connector Wire Ports (7) Retaining Screws (2) Fig. 4.7: Power and Control - cable plug SLEEP IN Sleep Input SLEEP IN is the digital input for activating the Sleep mode. When this pin is grounded (for example when connected to pin 3), the RipEX switches into the Sleep mode. Using Power management (Advanced Config.), the Entering the Sleep mode can be delayed by a set time.
Product 4.2.3. ETH Standard RJ45 connector for ethernet connection. RipEX has 10/100 BaseT Auto MDI/MDIX interface so it can connect to 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps ethernet network. The speed can be selected manually or recognised automatically by RipEX. RipEX is provided with Auto MDI/MDIX function which allows it to connect over both standard and cross cables, adapting itself automatically. Pin assignement Tab. 4.
Product 4.2.5. USB RipEX uses USB 1.1, Host A interface. USB interface is wired as standard: Tab. 4.4: USB pin description USB pin signal wire 1 +5 V red 2 Data(−) white 3 Data (+) green 4 GND black 1 2 3 4 Fig. 4.10: Serial connector The USB interface is designed for the connection to the "X5" – external ETH/USB adapter. The "X5" is an optional accessory to RipEX, for more see Section 5.3, “Connecting RipEX to a programming PC”.
Product 4.3. Indication LEDs Tab. 4.
