4RF Aprisa SRi Radio User Guide
- June 6, 2024
- 4RF
Table of Contents
Aprisa SRi Radio
User Guide
Aprisa SRi Quick Start Guide 1.3.0 © 2021 4RF Limited. All rights reserved. This document is protected by copyright belonging to 4RF Limited and may not be reproduced or republished in whole or part in any form without the prior written permission of 4RF Limited. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this literature, 4RF Limited assumes no liability or errors and omissions, or from any damages resulting from use of this information. The contents and any product specifications within it are subject to revision due to ongoing product improvements and may change without notice. Aprisa and the 4RF logo are trademarks of 4RF Limited. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
Introduction
The 4RF Aprisa SRi is a Point-To-Multipoint (PMP) digital radio providing 915
MHz Industrial (unlicensed) License Free Spread Spectrum communications. The
radios carry a combination of serial data and Ethernet data between the base
station and remote radios. A single Aprisa SRi is configurable as a Point-To-
Multipoint base station or remote radio.
This guide provides a quick startup and basic installation instructions for
the Aprisa SRi radio shown in the next figure below. A more detailed User
Manual is also available. Refer to the User Manual for important warning,
cautions and notes and any detailed management relating to fault,
configuration, maintenance, performance monitoring, and security.
Front Panel Connections
All connections to the radio are made on the front panel. The functions of the connectors are (from left to right):
| Designator | Description |
|---|---|
| 10 – 30 VDC; 3A | +10 to +30 VDC (negative ground) DC power input using Molex 2 |
pin male screw fitting connector.
AC/DC and DC/DC power supplies are available as accessories.
ETHERNET 1 & 2| Integrated 10Base-T/100Base-TX layer-3 Ethernet switch using
RJ45 connectors. Used for Ethernet user traffic and product management.
SERIAL 1 & 2| Two ports of RS-232 serial using RJ45 connector. Used for RS-232
asynchronous user traffic.
| Host Port using a USB standard type A connector.
Used for software upgrade and diagnostic reporting and optional: lx RS-232
asynchronous port with USB to RS-232 converter.
ALARM| Alarm Port using a RJ45 connector.
Used for two alarm inputs and two alarm outputs.
MGMT| Management Port using a USB micro type B connector. Used to access the
radio Command Line Interface (CLI).
PROTECT| Protect port. Not used for the Sri.
ANT| TNC, 50 ohms, a female connector for connection of antenna feeder cable
for half-duplex RF operation.
LED Display Panel
The Aprisa Sri has an LED Display panel that provides on-site alarms/diagnostics without the need for PC.
The LEDs indicate the following conditions:
| OK| MODE| AUX| TX| RX
---|---|---|---|---|---
Flashing Red| | Radio has not registered| | |
Solid Red| Alarm present with severity Critical, Major
and Minor| | | TX path fails| RX path fails
Flashing Orange| | Diagnostics Function
function OTA software
distribution| Management traffic on the USB MGMT port| |
Solid Orange| Alarm present with Warning Severity| | The device detects on the
USB host port (momentary)| |
Flashing Green| Software Upgrade
Successful| | Tx / Rx Data on the USB host port| RF path TX Is active| RF path
RX is active
Solid Green| Power on and functions OK and no alarms| Processor Block is OK|
USB interface
OK| Tx path OK| Rx path OK
LED Colour| Severity
---|---
Green| No alarm – information only
Orange| Warning alarm
Red| Critical, major or minor alarm
Ethernet and RS-232 RJ-45 LED Indicators
| LED | Status | Ethernet Explanation | RS-232 Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | On | Ethernet signal received | RS-232 device connected |
| Orange | Flashing | Data traffic present on the interface | Data present on the |
interface
Installation
The Aprisa Sri is shipped to you in a box containing an Aprisa Sri radio
fitted with a power connector.
The following figure shows a typical installation of the unit. The following
sub-section describes the main requirements for installation.
Install the Aprisa SRi Radio and Connect the Protection Earth
The Aprisa Sri has four threaded holes (M4) in the base and two holes (for M5
screws) through the enclosure for mounting.
Mounting options include:
- DIN rail mounting with the Aprisa SRi Mounting Bracket (optional accessory part number ‘APSB-MBRK-DIN’)
- Wall and rack shelf mounting
- Outdoor enclosures
The Aprisa SRi mounting options are shown below:
The Aprisa SRi has an earth connection point on the top left and the top right
of the enclosure. Use the supplied M4 screws to earth the enclosure to protect
earth.
The antenna feeder cable should use grounding kits for lightning protection as
specified or supplied by the coaxial cable manufacturer to properly ground or
bond the cable outer.
Warning: If the Aprisa SRi is operated in an environment where the ambient temperature exceeds 50°C, the Aprisa SRi must be installed within a restricted access location to prevent human contact with the enclosure heatsink.
Connect the Antenna and Apply Power to the Aprisa SRi Radio
Connect the antenna to the antenna port TNC female connector. If the antenna
is not available, terminate the ‘TX / Ant’ port with a TNC male 50 ohm
terminator (10 Watts min).
Warning: Do not directly connect the radio antenna port without
attenuation of at least 40 dB. The receiver can be damaged if signals greater
than +10 dBm are applied to the antenna port.
The Aprisa SRi is operated from a DC source of voltage between +10 VDC and +30
VDC (negative earth) and consumes up to 20 Watts. External power supplies are
available from 4RF as accessories (see the Aprisa Sri User Manual).
The power connector (Molex 2 pin female) is supplied fitted to the radio. Wire
your power source to the power connector (- / +) and plug the connector into
the radio. The connector screws should be fastened to secure the connector.
Note: The radio fuses will blow if the connected power supply is over-
voltage or the polarity is reversed.
Two spare fuses are located inside the enclosure (see the ‘Spare Fuses’
section of the Aprisa SRi User Manual).
Turn your power source on. The radio LEDs will flash orange for one second and
then the OK, MODE, AUX LEDs will light solid green and the TX and RX LEDs
will flash red. This is because the factory default Terminal Operating Mode
for all Aprisa SRi radios is set to Remote Station.
When the radio has been configured and has registered with the network, the TX
and RX LEDs will be solid or flash green if the network is operating
correctly.
The Aprisa SRi radio is ready to operate.
Warning: On link operation, RF energy is radiated from the antenna. Do
not stand in front of the antenna.
Connect to the Aprisa SRi Radio (via SuperVisor or CLI)
The Aprisa SRi has a factory default IP address of 169.254.50.10 with a subnet
mask of 255.255.0.0.
Each radio in the Aprisa SRi network must be setup with a unique IP address on
the same subnet.
If the IP address of the radio is known or is the default IP address, it can
be changed via the Ethernet port:
-
Setup your PC for a compatible IP address e.g. 169.254.50.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0.
-
Connect your PC network port to one of the Aprisa SRi Ethernet ports.
-
Open a browser and enter https://169.254.50.10.
Note: The Aprisa SRi has a Self Signed security certificate which may cause the browser to prompt a certificate warning. It is safe to ignore the warning and continue. The valid certificate is ‘Issued By: 4RF-APRISA’ which can be viewed in the browser. -
Login to the radio with the default login ‘admin’ and password ‘admin’.
-
Change the IP address, Subnet mask and Gateway to network compatible IP addresses.
If the IP address of the radio is unknown, it can be changed via the Command Line Interface on the radio MGMT USB port:
-
Connect your PC USB port to the Aprisa SRi MGMT USB port. USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers are required to connect the radio USB port to your PC. You can download and install the relevant driver from https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers. Set the PC serial
port to 38,400 baud, 8 data bits, no parity and 1 stop bit, with no hardware flow control. -
Login to the radio with the default login ‘admin’ and password ‘admin’.
-
At the command prompt >> type ‘cd APRISASR-MIB-4RF’ and enter.
– type ‘set termEthController1IpAddress xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx’ and enter.
– type ‘set termEthController1SubnetMask 255.255.0.0’ and enter.
– type ‘set termEthController1Gateway xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx’ and enter.
Setup the Aprisa SRi Radio
The Aprisa SRi has a factory default ‘Terminal Operating Mode’ of Remote
Station.
One radio in the Aprisa SRi network must be setup as a Base Station.
The other radios in the Aprisa SRi network are setup as
Remote Stations.
Set the required ‘Ethernet Operating Mode’.
Set the unique radio ‘Base Station ID’ to be the same in your entire network.
Every base station and it’s attached remote radios (i.e. base station network)
shall have a unique ‘Base station ID’ in case of close proximity or close
coverage between two or more base station networks.
Set the Aprisa SRi TX Power and Channel Size to comply
with your site license.
Setup the Aprisa SRi Zones / Channels.
Specific channels within the selected zone hop can be disabled if there is a
known transmission within the channel that may cause interference to the
operation of this network. The minimum number of enabled channels is 50.
If a channel is selected in a zone that is disabled, the zone will be enabled
when the channel selection is saved. The default is all zones enabled.
The zone frequencies are pre-defined in the Aprisa SRi for the zone number.
The zone frequencies are spaced at the hop frequency of 62.5 kHz.
You can now configure the remaining terminal and network parameters and settings. Please refer to the Aprisa SRi User Manual for detailed instructions, such as the radio security settings and more.
Monitoring and Troubleshooting the Aprisa SRi Radio
Monitor the Aprisa SRi Radio Signal Strength
When the network is installed, the radio signal strength can be monitored on
remote stations by setting the radio to Test Mode.
To enter Test Mode, press and hold the TEST button on the radio LED panel
until all the LEDs flash green (about 3 – 5 seconds).
In Test Mode, the LED Display panel presents a real time visual display of the
RSSI.
This can be used to adjust the antenna for optimum signal strength.
Note: The response time is variable and can be up to 5 seconds.
To exit Test Mode, press and hold the TEST button until all the LEDs flash red
(about 3 – 5 seconds).
The OK, MODE and AUX LEDs will be solid green and the TX and RX LEDs will be
solid or flash green if the network is operating correctly.
The RSSI result is displayed on the LED display panel as a combination of LED
states.
For more information, please refer to the Aprisa SRi User Manual available
from the 4RF website https://www.4rf.com/secure
(login required).
Fault Management and Troubleshooting
The Aprisa SRi support extensive alarms for every section and building block
of the device including the interfaces. SuperVisor allows user to view the
main summary alarm at the top of the SuperVisor page which mimic the device
LEDs and in addition all the detailed alarms of the device (see SuperVisor >
Events > Alarm Summary). In addition, SuperVisor allows user to troubleshoot
any alarm issue by using the event history log page for more information about
the alarm (see SuperVisor > Events > Event History). For more information see
the Aprisa SRi user manual.
Performance Monitoring (RF and Data Traffic)
The Aprisa SRi support extensive performance monitoring statistics and
diagnostic per the device and per data ports. The Aprisa SRi Terminal, Serial,
Ethernet, Radio and User Selected Monitored Parameter results have history log
views for both Quarter Hourly and Daily. SuperVisor allows user to view trends
of the performance monitoring parameters in graph or tabular format (see
SuperVisor > Monitoring). For more information see the Aprisa SRi user manual.
Compliance Considerations
The Aprisa SRi is a professional radio product and as such must be installed
by a suitably trained and qualified installer who is aware of the local
regulatory requirements existing at the time of installation and is capable of
ensuring that the regulations are adhered to.
The maximum Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) permitted from the
Aprisa SRi is regulated and must not exceed the limits provided in the
following table. To meet this regulatory requirement; knowledge of the antenna
gain and feeder cable loss must be known before setting the transmitter output
power.
Regulatory Requirement| Frequency Range| Maximum EIRP’| SRi
Equivalent Maximum Average Power (Ream)
---|---|---|---
USA, FCC Part 15.247| 902 MHz to 928 MHz| +36 dBm PEP| +32 dBm
Canada, ISED RSS-247| 902 MHz to 928 MHz| +36 dBm PEP| +32 dBm
Australia, ACMA AS/NZS 4268| 915 MHz to 928 MHz| +30 dBm| +30 dBm
New Zealand, General User Radio Licence for Short Range Devices| 915 MHz to
928 MHz| +30 dBm| +30 dBm
New Zealand, General User Radio Licence for Short Range Devices| 920 MHz to
928 MHz| +36 dBm| +36 dBm
Brazil, Act No. 14.448, of December 4, 2017| 902 MHz to 907.5 MHz Et 915 MHz
to 928 MHz| +36 dBm PEP| +30 dBm
Mexico, NOM-208-SCFI-2016| 902 MHz to 928 MHz| +36 dBm PEP| +30 dBm
Peru| 915 MHz to 928 MHz| +30 dBm| +30 dBm
The Aprisa SRi has a maximum mean output power of +26 dBm into a 50 ohm antenna which equates to a maximum peak power of +30 dBm PEP. To determine the maximum power to be set on the Aprisa SRi, the following installation parameters must be known:
- Aprisa SRi equivalent average power for maximum permitted EIRP (specified in dBm) RdBm
- Antenna isotropic gain (specified in dBi) GdBi
- Feeder coax loss between Aprisa SRi and antenna (specified in dB/m) LdB/m
- Length of feeder coax between Aprisa SRi and antenna (specified in metres) dm
From these the above information, the power setting of the Aprisa SRi (PdBm) can be calculated to ensure operation within the regulatory requirements using the formula:
= + ( × /) −
Antenna gain information can be obtained from the Antenna manufacturer and is
either expressed in terms of dBi, referenced to an isotropic radiator, or dBd,
referenced to a dipole.
If the gain is expressed in dBd, it can be converted to dBi by adding 2.15 dB
to the gain value.
The following is an example of transmitter power calculations:
Antenna Type and Gain| Feeder Coax Length and Loss| Regulatory Limit| Maximum
SRi Power Setting
---|---|---|---
Yagi, 11 dBi| 10 m of V2″ Heliax @ 0.11 dB/m gives 1.1 dB loss| +36 dBm PEP|
22 dBm
Panel, 12 dBi| 33 m of RG214 @ 0.22 dB/m gives 7.3 dB loss| +30 dBm| 25 dBm
Dipole, 3.5 dBi| 3 m of RG214 @ 0.22 dB/m gives 0.66 dB loss| +30 dBm| 26 dBm
Grid, 18 dBi| 15 m of 1/2″ Heliax @ 0.11 dB/m gives 1.65 dB loss| +30 dBm| 13
dBm
These are correct at the time of printing. The installer must ensure that the
installation complies with the regulatory requirements at the time of
installation.
Canada
This radio transmitter Aprisa SRi ISED: 6772A-SI902M160 has been approved by
Industry Canada to operate with the antenna types listed below with the
maximum permissible gain indicated. Antenna types not included in this list,
having a gain greater than the maximum gain indicated for that type, are
strictly prohibited for use with this device.
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