3-5
Data Received Was
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Enter Data?
Where aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa is the data received by the Base Station (and
transmitted to the Host Computer if connected). You can exit One-Way
Mode simply by pressing the F1 key on the RF Terminal keypad.
In One-Way Mode, the RF Terminal transmits its Terminal ID to the Base
Station but it does not pass it on to the Host Computer. If your application
on the Host Computer needs to know which RF Terminal data came from,
use the Preamble setup parameter to enter unique identifying information.
Data is also transmitted without a Terminator Character (like a CR or TAB
that is transmitted after the data); so if you need one, use the Postamble
setup parameter to add the appropriate character(s) after your data. For
more information on Preambles and Postambles see Chapter 2; RF System
Setup for details.
How Site Testing works The RF Terminal uses Site Test mode to: 1) test the radios at short range,
(50 ft.) as an acid test for correct operation, and 2) to evaluate a specific site
for effective coverage. Because each operating environment is different, it
is almost impossible to predict the range without Site Testing.
Before you permanently install any hardware, you should perform a Site
Test to fully evaluate your planned area of operation. During the test the RF
Terminal is transmitting messages and waiting for acknowledgement from
the Base Station. (Since this US Terminal hops over 25 different
frequencies, the Site Test goes across all frequencies to make comparisons
valid; this takes about 10 seconds.) The Site Test evaluates the percentage
of successful transmissions. The higher the percentage, the more successful
your communications will be from that area. Site Testing does not require
your Base Station be attached to your Host Computer. All you need is your
Base Station, 5v power supply and RF Terminal. For detailed information
on how to perform a Site Test and use the results to determine the best
location for your Base Station, go to Chapter 4; Performance Issues.