Zennio ZRFMC868 KNX TP/RF Media Coupler User Manual
- June 6, 2024
- Zennio
Table of Contents
Zennio ZRFMC868 KNX TP/RF Media Coupler
INTRODUCTION
ZMCoup RF 868 / ZMCoup RF 915
ZMCoup RF is the solution from Zennio for the interconnection of KNX twisted-
pair lines and RF medium.
There are two different products for two different frequencies:
- ZMCoup RF 868 (ref. ZRFMC868) for 868 MHz.
- ZMCoup RF 915 (ref. ZRFMC915) for 915 MHz.
Hereafter this document will refer to ZMCoup RF generically for both devices. These are the most outstanding features of the device:
- Support for long messages (up to 254 bytes).
- High-capacity internal buffer for the reception of telegrams in installations with high busloads.
- No external power is required.
- Lighting indicator (LED): indicates programming mode (red permanent), secure mode (red blinking), and RF traffic (short green blink with every telegram received)
- Retransmitter function.
- Can be used as an area or line coupler with a TP line as mainline or main area line.
- Traffic filtering according to the project topology and to the built-in address table.
- Telegram blocking, group and device-configuration telegrams (telegrams destined to physical addresses).
INSTALLATION
- Programming button /Factory reset button
- Programming / RF traffic LED
- KNX connector
Figure 2 shows a scheme of the device, which does not require an external
power supply, it is powered through the KNX bus.
A short press on the programming button (1) will make the device enter the
programming mode. The Programming LED (2) will then light in red. On the
contrary, if this button is held while the device gets connected to the bus,
ZMCoup RF will enter the safe mode. In such case, the programming LED will
blink in red color If the device is already in safe mode and this button is
held for more than 10 seconds, a factory reset is performed, setting it back
to the factory default state, including the initial individual address
(15.15.0).
For detailed information about the technical features of the device, as well
as on security and installation procedures, please refer to the device
Datasheet, bundled within the original packaging of the device and also
available at http://www.zennio.com.
CONFIGURATION
ZMCoup RF is intended for the interconnection between a KNX bus and an RF network. This device can be used as a line coupler (for coupling both an RF line to a mainline) and as an RF retransmitter.
ZMCoup RF AS RF/TP COUPLER
ZMCoup RF can be used as a line coupler (for coupling both a line to a
mainline) or as an area coupler (for coupling a mainline to an area line, also
referred to as a backbone line). The operation in both cases is analogous –
being a line coupler or an area coupler only depends on the location of the
device within the topology.
Figure 3 shows a typical scenario where ZMCoup RF can be installed as any of
the nodes the nodes labeled as “AC” (area coupler) or “LC” (line coupler):
- Coupling an area line and a mainline requires an area coupler (AC). ZMCoup RF is intended for cases where the medium of the former is TP while the medium of the latter is RF.
- Coupling a mainline and a line requires a line coupler (LC). ZMCoup RF is intended for cases where the medium of the former is TP while the medium of the latter is RF.
It is important to consider that for RF lines or areas it is necessary to
identify each of them with a unique RF Domain, in order to isolate one from
each other. Every RF telegram has its domain and RF devices will only accept
telegram with the same domain. An example can be seen in Figure 4.
Whatever the location in the topology, ZMCoup RF offers an insulated coupling
interface with the possibility of filtering the traffic according to the
topology or to group-address dependent criteria. In other words, ZMCoup RF
will (or will not) let telegrams pass from one medium to the other according
to the parameterization.
Note: the individual address of a line coupler needs to be of the form
X.Y.0 or X.0.0 in case of working as a backbone coupler.
ZMCoup RF AS RETRANSMITTER
ZMCoup RF also provides the option of being used as a retransmitter in the RF
medium, by enabling this option in the Settings tab in ETS.
Retransmitter functionality allows to increase the range of the RF communication source device. That functionality is fully compatible and independent of the ZMCoup RF as an RF/TP coupler.
TELEGRAM FILTERING
ZMCoup RF provides two complementary filter types:
Group address filtering: ETS automatically generates a group address table for
the project loaded. This table is transferred to the line coupler during
complete ETS downloads over it.
The Filter Table will determine which group addresses will be routed. A Group
Address will be on the Filter Table when, at least, in both devices, one on
the lines under ZMCoup RF and the other in a different line, there is an
object that has such address linked. Given the previous condition, when a
telegram containing a group address in the “destination address” field
arrives, the line coupler will look up if such address exists in the group
table, and eventually transmit the telegram to the other side –if the address
is found– or drop (block) it –if it is not–. The Filter Table can be
previewed. By making a right-click on ZMCoup RF and selecting the option
“Preview Filter Table”:
Note: making further changes to a project (addresses, etc.) requires downloading the updated filter table to the line coupler.
For example: if the line coupler has been parameterized to filter group
addresses from both lines when it receives a telegram from the mainline
destined to a group address (e.g., 2/5/13) it will check that there is a
device in the second line with objects that have been assigned such group
address (or that such address has at least been marked in ETS to pass through
the line coupler; see Figure 7). If so, then the line coupler will let it
pass. Otherwise, it won’t be transferred to the secondary line. The same would
also apply to the inverse case (a telegram originating in the second
line).
Physical address filtering: when the device receives a telegram where the destination address is a physical/individual address (for example, during downloads), it will compare such address with its own physical address (no particular filter table is required for physical address filtering, but a simple comparison). The physical address of the line coupler determines the line it belongs to, which then, and according to the parameterisation, determines if the telegram will be routed or eventually dropped (blocked). This can be parameterized separately for the mainline and for the line.
Example: in the example shown in Figure 3, if the coupler with address 3.2.0 reads a telegram on the mainline destined to a device with individual address 3.1.2, it will compare both addresses and conclude that 3.1.2 does not belong to the secondary line, and therefore not transmit it.
Notes
- The device that sends a telegram needs to have been assigned a physical address that really corresponds to its line. In Figure 3, if the device with address 3.1.1 (a KNX programmer, for instance) changes its address to 7.7.255, it will not be able to send telegrams to, for example, the device with address 4.0.1.
- As device programming consists in sending telegrams destined to a physical address, in order to perform downloads to a device in a certain line (for example, the device with address 4.1.1 in Figure 3) from a programmer not in that line, it is necessary that the line coupler is configured to let pass all physical addresses from the mainline.
TRAFFIC RF LED
ZMCoup RF has an indicator light that will flash green every time the coupler receives an RF message and this message is accepted. The message will be accepted when:
- Is intended for the coupler itself.
- Is intended for the TP medium and is not filtered by the coupler Is retransmitted to the RF medium
ETS PARAMETERISATION
After importing the corresponding database in ETS and adding the device into
the topology of the desired project, the configuration process begins by
entering the Parameters tab of the device. Please note that, depending on
where the device is placed, the lower levels of the topology need to be
configured as RF as well as the RF domain:
Note: This application program does not have any communication object available.
TP
This screen permits parameterizing the behavior of ZMCoup RF regarding the
telegrams received from the mainline (medium TP).
Routing
- Physical Telegrams [Filter (Normal) / Route All / Block All]: sets the behavior of the coupler regarding physical address telegrams.
- “Filter (Normal)”: enables the physical addresses filtering. If this option is chosen, only RF devices coupled under ZMCoup RF could be configured.
- “Route All”: enables the routing of all the physical addresses.
- “Block All”: disables the routing of all the physical addresses.
- Group Telegrams [Filter (Normal) / Route All / Block All]: sets the behavior of the device regarding telegrams destined to group addresses.
- “Filter (Normal)”: only the telegrams on the filter table will be routed. See section 2.3 for more information.
- “Route All”: every group telegram received will be routed.
- “Block All”: none of the group telegrams received will be routed.
- Broadcast Telegrams: [Route All (Normal) / Block All]: sets the desired action for telegrams intended for address 0/0/0.
- Confirmation: sets when the line coupler should confirm (by sending an immediate ACK message) the reception of telegrams:
- Group Telegrams [If Routed (Normal) / Always].
- Physical Telegrams [If Routed or Addressed (Normal) / Always].
Note: Transmitting all telegrams (option “Routed All”) is intended for diagnostic purposes and may cause risks or conflicts or generate a large amount of traffic in the KNX installation if permanently activated. However, this option is required to be able to perform downloads to devices in a different line than the programmer.
RF
This screen permits parameterizing the behavior of ZMCoup RF regarding the
telegrams received from the RF line.
- Routing. The parameters available for routing telegrams from the RF medium are completely analogous to those described in the “TP” tab. See section 3.1 for a detailed description.
The following parameters are specific for the RF line:
- Transmission Power [Maximum / Medium / Minimum]: three levels for the adjustment according to the needs of the installation.
- Configuration Via [TP and RF / Only TP]: enables performing ETS downloads over the ZMCoup RF from the TP and RF medium or, exclusively, via TP.
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