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Magellan Reader Manager Guide Document Number : 40-01-006-DOC Last Changed : 14 September 2006 Version: 2.
Reference Documents Document Number Description 40-01-000-DOC Applications Programmer’s Guide Date Version 27 June 2006 For Version 3 Reader Server 45-00-001-SPC BT and ST Chip Logical Specification 30 June 2003 Ver 2 Document History Date Version 14 Dec 2005 1 Change Description Author Jeff Gray original document Jeff Gray 6 Sep. 06 2.00 Changed formatting, updated to show new tools. Daryl Dusheiko 14 Sep. 06 2.01 Added more instructions to the axis test section.
Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................... 1 2 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................ 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 3 INSTALLATION ..........................................................................................................................................
1 Introduction The ReaderManager is a graphical application for Windows and Unix. It provides a platform for reader setup, configuration, demonstrations, testing and application development. When it is run, the ReaderManager can connect to a single reader at one time. It can switch between multiple readers. Multiple copies of ReaderManager can be run, each of which can be connected to different readers.
2 Frequently asked Questions This section provides a list of commonly asked questions. 2.1 How do I install or upgrade ReaderManager? 1. Run the install program ReaderManager-Install.exe. This can be downloaded from the Magellan website www.magtech.com.au, or run from the CD supplied with your reader. 2. If you already have ReaderManager installed run the program ReaderManager-Upgrade.exe. 3. Follow the installation instructions given in section 3 Installation. 2.
6. From the Reader Configuration menu select ClearAll. 2.6 How do I restore the reader to its default settings? 1. Open the Reader Settings tool. 2. Click the Clear Saved Settings button. 3. Power the reader off then on. 2.7 How do I get the ReaderServer version of my Network based reader? • Open the Console tool. • Type Version() in the Command Entry area. • The ReaderServer and operating system will be shown in the Message Log area.
3 Installation This section describes how to install, upgrade and start ReaderManager and how to get ReaderManager updates. Installation instructions are only given for installation on a computer running Microsoft Windows, for installation on computers running Linux please contact Magellan Technology. 3.1 New Installation All that needs to be done is to run ReaderManager-Install.exe. This contains the Python interpreter, the PyQt and Twisted libraries and the application itself.
Figure 2 Like the -Install version, this installer will check the currently installed application versions and un-tick already installed components accordingly. The user can manually tick an application to force reinstallation. If the version of the Python, PyQt libraries or Twisted libraries is not present, is damaged or has changed, the installer will indicate that a full install is required. In this case it will be necessary to follow these steps: 1.
not matter where you save it. Just note which directory it is in. Click the Save button to complete this action. Installation files can be run from any directory, even directly off a CD-ROM.
4 The ReaderManager Desktop This section gives a brief overview of the main ReaderManager elements, such as the menu bar, desktop and status bar. The ReaderManager desktop is shown in Figure 3 and consists of several items: 1. The menu bar, providing the primary user interface to ReaderManager. 2. The main window, which can contain one or more tool windows open at any given time. 3. A status line at the bottom used to show connection information between ReaderManager and the reader. 1 2 3 Figure 3 4.
Sub Menu Description Preferences Opens a dialog box which allows the user to change the font, user level, language and upgrade directory. Print For tools which support this function, allows the user to print a text representation of the active tool. Print Preview For tools which support this function, allows the user to preview a text representation of the active tool which can be printed.
4.1.3 Tools Menu From the main ReaderManager menu click Tools. If ReaderManager is not connected to a reader only the Console tool is shown in this menu. When ReaderManager is connected to a reader there will be two sub menu items, Demonstrations and System. This document will only describe the System menu options. A detailed description of all System tools is given in section 6 Tools. The System tools menu is shown in Figure 5.
4.1.4 Reader Configuration From the main ReaderManager menu click Reader Configuration. This menu item provides access to all user defined scripts and commands. The menu also provides an item to open a form which is used to create and edit scripts. The default menu is shown in Figure 6: Figure 6 Sub Menu Description Edit Configurations Provides an interface to create and edit custom scripts and tag commands. Clear All Clears Interrogate and Immediate commands.
Index Description The MAC address and IP address when the mouse is moved over a reader name in the dynamic connection menu. Shows connection status – Connecting -> Getting Settings -> Connected -> Disconnected. 2 Indicates reader manager is connected / disconnected to / from the Reader Server. 3 On AVR reader indicates if the reader server is connected to the reader. On all other readers shows the tag type. 4 On AVR readers shows the tag type.
5 Managing Connections This section details how to create static connection profiles, how to connect or disconnect ReaderManager from a reader. The ReaderManager is capable of connecting to a variety of readers. Each reader is distinguished by a number of parameters which give it a unique address. The set of all these parameters is referred to as a connection profile.
Index Description 1 Shows the names of already defined static connections. To edit an already defined connection, click on the name and change the required fields on the right hand side of the dialog. 2 Title is the text that will appear in the Connection menu and in the list of connections in this dialog. This can be any name that can act as a brief summary of the reader being connected to. For example, the reader type, network address shortcut or location can be used.
Select the connection profile you would like to connect to. Statically defined connection profiles are shown below the Close Current Connection item. The message on the right of the status bar will change to Connected in green if the ReaderManager successfully connected to the reader. For connections to a ReaderServer on the same computer, a status message will indicate that the server is being started automatically. This takes a little longer than a network connection because of this activity. 5.1.
6 Tools This section gives a more detailed explanation of the System tools available in the Tools menu. It is possible to open more than one tool at the same time. They are shown overlapped in the main window area. The Window menu contains options which allow the open windows to be cascaded or tiled. Also, any open tool can be selected, so it can be seen in the foreground. Some tools will issue commands to the reader to change its operating state.
6.1 Configuration System This tool is used to view the reader’s hardware module part numbers and version numbers. The tool is also used to set the networks settings and to change the name of the reader as seen on the network. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Configuration System. The configuration system tool consists of two tab items: 1. System configuration – shows part and version numbers of various components which make up a reader. 2.
Index Description 1 Click this tab to show the part numbers and version numbers of various components which make up a reader. 2 Click this tab to show the reader’s network settings. This field allows the user to give the reader a descriptive name. This name will appear on the dynamic connection list and will be the hostname of the reader on the network. 3 1. Click the field column opposite Customer ID. 2. Enter the name you would like assigned to the reader. 3. Press Enter.
6.2 Console The console dialog provides a command line interface to a reader. Reader commands are described in the Application Programmers Guide (40-01-000-DOC). The Command Entry area also accepts Python code. The console tool is shown in Figure 14. Table 8 describes the various elements of the Console tool. To access this tool select, Tools->System->Console. 1 2 3 Figure 13 Index Description 1 Message Log window shows all message received from the reader. 2 Window size adjustment bar.
• Show Commands Sent if ticked will enable the display of all commands sent from this application in any window to the reader. This is an excellent diagnostic tool if you are seeing error messages from the reader in response to a command or you just want to see how the various tools work by looking at what they send. • Show Messages enables the display of all other messages that the reader sends. This includes error messages, so normally it is advisable to never turn this option off. • Open Log File...
6.3 Grid of Tag Sight Counts This tool shows a graphical representation of tag sighted by the reader. To access this tool select, Tools->System->Grid of tag sight counts. This tool is shown in Figure 15. When a tag is placed on the reader the cells turn light blue and shows the specific ID. The tool can also be setup to show the number of times the tag has been sighted and show data read from the tag. Expired tags are shown as a grey cell.
6.4 Immediate Command This tool is useful to construct an Immediate command. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Immediate Command. Immediate commands are sent to tags after the initial interrogate cycle. These commands can be sent to specific tags or to groups of tags. A more detailed of description of immediate commands is given in the Application Programmer’s Guide (40-01-000-DOC). The tool is shown in Figure 16, the elements are described in Table 9.
Index Description Index Description 15 Enter the Group ID of tags you would like to be affected by the command. Only tags with a matching Group ID will respond to the command. Leaving this field blank means all tags will respond to the command. This field accepts a single word hexadecimal value. 16 Enter the Conditional ID used in the command. Only tags with a Conditional ID equal to or less than the value in this field will respond. Leaving this field blank means all tags will respond.
6.5 Interrogate Command This tool used to set the Interrogation command. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Interrogate Command This tool is shown in Figure 17. This is the command that is sent continuously in an effort to identify new tags entering the reader. If you do not want to specify a read address and length, then put an address of 10 (for example) and a length of 0 (zero). Once the settings are made, press Send to transmit the command to the reader.
6.6 Memory Map This tool allows the entire memory of tags to be examined and changed. It also supports creation of tag configurations that define a series of writes that can be applied to any tag. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Memory Map Whenever a tag is clicked once, the memory panes will be updated to reflect that tag. This tool is shown in Figure 18, its elements are described in Table 10.
Index Description Shows system tag memory: 4 5 • The Lock column shows the position of the lock pointer. If the check box is ticked the address is locked. Once changed the Lock pointer can’t be undone. • To change the data at a system memory address, edit the number in the Value column. • To change the Configuration word, select the configuration from drop down list in the details column at address 6.
6.7 Reader Settings This tool provides controls for the user to change operating parameters on the reader. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Reader Settings The tool has two tabs User Settings and System Settings. The user settings form is shown in Figure 20 and the various controls described in Table 10. The system settings form is shown in Figure 21 and the various controls described in Table 11.
6.7.1 User Settings 1 4 2 3 5 6 14 15 16 17 18 10 11 12 13 7 8 9 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 36 28 29 30 33 31 32 37 34 35 38 Figure 19 Index Description / Command 1 When multiple groups have been defined this drop down list can be used to display the settings for a specific group. 2 3 Index Description / Command ShowExpired() 20 Tick this to enable tag expired message to be sent from the reader.
Index Description / Command Index AxisPeriod()1 ToggleReaderID() 6 Tick this enable the reader to change the Reader ID periodically. 25 TimeStamp() 7 Change the TimeStamp sent to the reader. Set the number of small power breaks to send to the reader when operating in stack mode. Set the number Interrogate Commands per break to unmute tags during the unmute phase of an ID cycle. 27 Change the ReaderID sent to the reader in an interrogate command. Only valid when Toggle Reader ID is disabled.
Index Description / Command Index Refresh the displayed settings WithTime() 17 If ticked the time and date will be added to the tags reply. 36 FastReplyDecode() 18 If ticked the reader will decode all tag replies as soon as they are received. In most cases this should be left un-ticked. 37 To add a reply mode: Click the mode you would like to add from the left list. 2. Click the right pointing arrow. Clear the settings on the reader which are loaded when the reader is powered.
6.7.2 System Settings 1 6 7 8 9 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 Figure 21 These settings should be left at their default values. Index 1 Description / Command Index IndependentAxis() PostBreakDelay() Tick this to make all axes in a group behave as separate antennas. If not ticked, antennas in the same group are treated as one antenna – tags will not expire when moved between them. Sets the delay between a small power break in the command sent to a tag.
Index Description / Command Index CommandCycleEnabled() 4 When ticked the reader will send tag commands. This should always be ticked. SpecificPhaseMax() 11 AxisBreak()1 5 When ticked the reader will power off periodically and switch axes. The setting should always be ticked. This is the fixed delay after an axis start before the command is sent.
6.8 Reader Setup This tool provides a wizard which is used to: • Create, edit and delete axis groups • Configure axis groups • Select the antennas which are connected to each axis port. • Configure each axis. • Tune each antenna. • Test each antenna. • Report the antenna configuration. Readers can not be used reliably without correct antenna setup. It is vital for correct operation that this tool is used to setup a reader and the setup is saved to the reader.
This setup flow chart makes the following assumptions: 1. The settings in the reader are set to the factory default. 2. Only one axis group is required. 3. ReaderManager is connected to the reader. Before starting the setup procedure ensure you have the following: 1. DC voltmeter able to measure 100mV to 12V. 2. Tuning block. 3. Trim tool. 4.
The reader setup tool is designed to take the user through a sequence of steps to setup a reader. Each step must be completed for all axes / antennas before the next step is started. When a setup stage is complete a green tick is shown next to the setup stage description in the Reader setup progress frame. Ensure the Use Wizard check box is ticked, then click Go. 6.8.
2. Click Load settings. 3. Acknowledge the configuration has been loaded when the message box is shown. 4. Click Edit groups. 6.8.2 Create axis groups This form provides an interface for users to create or delete axis groups and to move antennas between groups. Groups are used to define different behaviours for groups of antennas. The concept of grouping antennas is described in more detail in the Programmers Guide (40-00-000-DOC). In most cases one group containing all antennas is sufficient.
Typical the sequence of events when using this form is (when more than one group is needed): 1. Click Add Active Group. 2. Move antennas from group 0 into the new group. 3. Click Configure groups. 6.8.3 Configure axis groups This form is used to configure reader settings for the groups created in the previous step. The following group parameters are setup using this form. • Independent axis – ticked if the antennas in the group do not operate as one axis.
Index 5 Description Select the Group priority or disable all axis selections for axes in this group. Set the reply mode for all axes in this group. To add a reply mode: 1. Click the mode you would like to add from the left list. 2. Click the right pointing arrow. To remove a reply mode: 6 1. Click the mode you would like to remove from the right list. 2. Click the left pointing arrow. To change the order of the active reply mode parameters: 1.
1 2 3 4 6 5 7 8 9 10 Figure 26 Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Configure axis groups as being complete. 2 Current axis indicator. 3 Enter the label for this axis. 4 Drop down list showing antennas which are compatible for the reader being configured. The version number indicated the minimum version which is compatible. 5 Selected antenna details shows: the part number, description and version. 6 Go back to the Configure axis group form.
No configuration is written to the reader until this point. If you click Save Configuration to save the configuration as a file on the hard disk, you must also click Save to Reader to write the configuration to the reader. If you do not click Save to Reader the reader will remain in an un-configured state. This form is shown in Figure 28 and the elements are described in Table 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Figure 27 Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Setup axis as being complete.
4. Click Tune Axis. 6.8.6 Setup axis tuning This form provides instructions for tuning the antenna connected to each axis port. The Setup axis tuning form is shown in Figure 29 and its elements are detailed in Table 16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Figure 29 Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Save configuration as being complete. 2 Current axis indicator. 3 Tuning instructions for the current axis / antenna. 4 Enter the voltage measured on the tuning block.
5. Click Test Axis. 6.8.7 Test axis This form shows how well each axis / antenna pair is working. The test sends 10 tag commands and expects all commands to be received on each receiver stream. Readers such as the Mars-24 and Mars-8 have eight receiver streams; the axis test expects to receive replies on all eight streams. The form shown in Figure 30 shows the results of a successful antenna test for an eight stream reader.
1 2 3 4 5 8 9 6 10 7 11 Figure 30 Figure 31 Reader Manager Guide Page 42 of 62 40-10-006-DOC 15/09/2006
Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Setup axis tuning as being complete. 2 Current axis indicator. 3 The table shows the number of replies received per channel. Each cell shows how commands have been received on that channel. All cells should be green and should show 10 replies received. The column on the right shows the total percent received for all channels. 4 Click this button to start or stop a test. 5 Select the number of test iterations.
1 2 3 Figure 32 Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Test axis as being complete. 2 Show group and axis setup details. 3 Click this to go back to Test axis. Table 18 This form can be printed by selecting print from the file menu on the main reader manager menu.
6.9 Simple Tag Test This tool is provided to test a number of tags. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Simple Tag Test The test writes a checker board pattern from address 10 to 31 to each tag sighted by the reader. All data is read and verified. All tests must be read and written to and verified within 20 seconds for the test to pass.
6.10 Table of Tag Messages Shows the tag messages that come from the reader in a table. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Table of tag messages The columns in the table depend on the message received by the reader. Figure 34 shows a typical response to an InterrogateAction command which reads two words from address. InterrogateAction(readAddress=10, readLength=2) A tag reply field will be placed under the corresponding table label and a column number.
6.11 Tag Test The tag test tool can be used to test the reliability of tags. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Tag Test This is of use to tag manufacturers only. All tags in the field will have already been through this process. Each tag is sent 10 read commands and the number of replies is counted. If the tag passes a threshold, then a write command is sent. There are also optional additional write commands to configure the tag's behaviour.
Index Description 9 Resets the test success counter. 10 The Save To Log button opens a dialog to save the messages displayed to a log file 11 When Turn off power between tests is ticked, click this to start the test.
7 Reader Configurations This section describes ReaderManager’s script building tool. It is provided for users to create custom scripts and commands which are accessed from the main ReaderManager menu. A reader configuration is a collection of a combination of the following items: • A script which is run immediately. This is a number of any valid API commands and Python syntax. • A number of tag commands, which may be applied to interrogation, specific or immediate actions.
The Scripts tab shows a list of titles of all of the Python scripts that have been defined for this configuration. Click on a title to view it. Right click and Edit... to change the script contents. The scripts used may contain optional markers of the form %(Parameter)s indicating the location of a parameter to be substituted. The user will be asked to provide parameter values when running the script. This is done through a dialog which has a list of parameter name and value pairs.
8 Upgrading Reader software Upgrading AVR type readers is described in section 13.1 Upgrading An AVR Series Reader. 8.1 Upgrading ARM and x86 Readers This form is used to update the reader server or operating system on network based readers. The Upgrade form is accessed from the File menu item on the main reader manager menu. From the main reader manager menu, select File->Upgrade->Upgrade AReaderManager or x86 Readers. The upgrade form is shown in Figure 36. The form elements are shown in Table 21.
1 2 5 3 4 7 6 Figure 36 Index Description 1 This frame shows all x86 and ARM based readers detected on the network. If ReaderManager is connected to a reader, this reader will be shown as the first item in the list and will be highlighted in red. ReaderManager does not need to be connected to a reader to use this dialog, multiple readers can be upgraded at the same time. 2 Tick this to reset the reader after the upgrade package is copied to the reader.
9 Troubleshooting 9.1 Can’t see my reader on the dynamic connection list • The computer IP address on the computer running ReaderManager must be in the same subnet as the reader. • The reader must be running ReaderServer 3.xx or better. • AVR readers can not be discovered on the network. 9.2 My reader is behaving strangely or tags are timing out. • Have you setup the reader to use the antenna you are using? Use the Reader Setup tool.
10 Reporting a Problem If you are having a problem with the ReaderManager, you will need to send a report describing your problem. To make diagnosis easier, please try and supply this information with any problem report. • Have you tried connecting to the reader with a different PC? • Have you successfully installed the ReaderManager application? • In the ReaderManager, select the Help/About ReaderManager menu item and record what version numbers are shown in the window that appears.
11 Minimum System Requirements This section defines the minimum computer system recommended to run ReaderManager. Computer / Processor 133 MHz or higher Pentium-compatible CPU. Memory At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM Hard Disk 50 MB. Optical Drive Required for installation only. Display 1024 x 768 resolution or better. Keyboard Required Mouse Required Ethernet 10/100 Mbps USB 1.10 Operating System Windows 2000 SP4, or Windows XP professional with SP2.
12 Getting more information If you require any further information about a reader or associated software, please contact Magellan, or the supplier of the equipment. Magellan’s contact details are: Magellan Technology Pty Limited 65 Johnston Street Annandale Sydney NSW 2038 AUSTRALIA Phone: ............+61 2 9562 9800 Fax: ................+61 2 9518 7620 Email: ............info@magtech.com.au Website:.........www.magtech.com.
13 Appendix A – AVR Options 13.1 Upgrading An AVR Series Reader To upgrade the firmware in the reader, follow this sequence of steps: • Make sure that the ReaderServer is NOT running. In most environments, just disconnect and the server will be shut down. If you have selected Start server when computer boots in the Connection settings or manually started it, closing the connection will not close the ReaderServer.
This command line execution must always be run in the directory where the ReaderManager.py file resides, which on Windows is \Lib\ReaderManager\. The connection names given in this example must exactly match the name that appears in the Connection menu, including case. If the connection name contains spaces, it must be surrounded by quotes as shown. 13.
Notes: Reader Manager Guide Page 59 of 62 40-10-006-DOC 15/09/2006
