Reader Assistant User Guide for the Mercury5e Module Family

Transcription

1 RevA Reader Assistant User Guide for the Mercury5e Module Family v1.0.14

2 Revision Table Date Version Description 2/15/08-01Rev A First release for version /23/08-02RevA First release for version o Added content for features o Added Table of command equivalents 11/12/08-03RevA Changed title bar to No content changes necessary. Reader Assistant User Guide For M5e Module Family 2

3 Government Limited Rights Notice: All documentation and manuals were developed at private expense and no part of it was developed using Government funds. The U.S. Government s rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose the technical data contained herein are restricted by paragraph (b)(3) of the Rights in Technical Data Noncommercial Items clause (DFARS (b)(3)), as amended from time-totime. Any reproduction of technical data or portions thereof marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings. Any person, other than the U.S. Government, who has been provided access to such data must promptly notify ThingMagic, Inc. ThingMagic, Mercury, and the ThingMagic logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ThingMagic, Inc. Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of ThingMagic, Inc. or other companies. Copyright ThingMagic, Inc. All Rights Reserved ThingMagic, Inc. One Broadway, 5th floor Cambridge, MA Revision A April, 2008

4 Contents Revision Table... 2 Introduction... 5 Using Reader Assistant... 7 Starting Reader Assistant... 7 Communication Settings... 8 Serial Communications Problem... 9 Menu Commands File menu Options menu Action menu Configuring the Reader Reading and Write Demonstration Advanced Settings Writing to a Tag Serial Log Loading Firmware / Using the Flash Area Status Functions Selective and Special Tag Functions Selective Operations Tab Special Operations Tab Debug Functions To create a script Regulatory Functions Serial Command Equivalents End User License and Warranty Agreement... 48

5 RevA Introduction Reader Assistant is a graphical user interface developed to allow you to communicate with a ThingMagic development kit containing Mercury embedded modules. Version has been designed to highlight new features of the firmware for Mercury5e (M5e) and M5e-Compact (M5e-C) modules, and will not work optimally with prior releases. If you have a previous release of firmware, please obtain the appropriate version of Reader Assistant to use with it, according to the following table. Firmware Version Reader Assistant Version (Mercury4e) (M5e only) (M5e-Compact only) (All M5e family) (All M5e family) Although settings are briefly described here, a full explanation of the settings and their use is contained in the Developers Guide for this release. Using Reader Assistant 5

6 From the Reader Assistant, you can perform the following tasks: Read tags Write to tags Configure the reader Update flash memory Load new firmware If you select Options > Show Advanced Features or press Ctrl+A, the Selective Operations, Special Operations, Debug, and Regulatory tabs appear. From these tabs, you can perform the following tasks: Write tag ids Read and Write tag data Kill and Lock tags Debug using scripts Set Power, Frequency, and update the Frequency Hop table Using Reader Assistant 6

7 RevA Using Reader Assistant Installing and Starting Reader Assistant Reader Assistant is distributed as a structured ZIP file which is self-contained and needs only to be unzipped, copied to a directory (preserving the relative file structure) and run. The following procedure explains how to install and activate Reader Assistant on your computer system from CD. The same procedure is used if the files are downloaded. To install and start Reader Assistant and set up the serial port: 1. Copy the ReaderAssistant folder from the CD to a computer that is used to connect to the embedded module or run the executable file from the CD. 2. Set up the computer to the embedded module as described in the Mercury Embedded Modules DevKit Set Up Sheet. 3. Double-click the executable file ReaderAssistant.exe. Reader Assistant Splash screen appears and then the Reader Assistant window appears. Using Reader Assistant 7

8 Communication Settings You use the Communication Settings screen to set the Com Port and the baud rate. It can also configure the baud rate used by the reader. The Communication Settings screen displays automatically the first time Reader Assistant is launched. The Communication Settings screen also displays if the application settings file application_settings.dat is absent (as when the user manually deletes it in order to return the module to its absolute default settings). Manually, you can access the screen using the following procedure. To access the Communication Settings screen: 1. Select Options > Communication Settings and the following dialog opens. Reader Assistant automatically detects the COM Ports that are on the computer system and displays them in the Com Port list. Note: If the Reader is attached to a different COM port, you have to choose the port from the list. 2. From the Baud Rate menu, choose a communication rate. The default is Click OK to close the Communications Settings screen. Using Reader Assistant 8

9 RevA Serial Communications Problem If the host computer and the reader lose communications with each other, an alert is displayed that warns you of the problem. The alert is displayed if the response message fails to arrive after a timeout period or if the response message contains an invalid CRC. Using Reader Assistant 9

10 Menu Commands The menu commands: File, Options, and Action provide additional actions that you can take in Reader Assistant. File menu The File menu has the following commands: Save Application Settings Ctrl+S Saves current configuration settings to a file named application_settings.dat. Whenever Reader Assistant is started or Reset Reader activated from the Action menu, these settings will be restored. To return Reader Assistant to its default start-up state, rename a copy of the file application_settings.dat.org to application_settings.dat.org and restart Reader Assistant. (These files are found in directory ReaderAssistant/SupportingFiles/) Save Serial Log - Saves the current serial log to a file. Please note the default name for the save file is always offered and no checks are made for overwriting an existing file. Quit Ctrl+Q Options menu The Options menu has the commands: Communication Settings Show Serial Log Ctrl+L Show Advanced Features Ctrl+A A check mark appears next to Show Serial Log if the log is being displayed. A check mark appears next to Show Advanced Features if the advanced tabs are being displayed. Action menu The Action menu has the following command: Reset Reader Selecting this action resets all module settings to their default values, reloads the last saved Application Settings, and loads these settings into the reader. Using Reader Assistant 10

11 RevA Configuring the Reader The Config tab allows you to configure the reader settings. All the settings are displayed in the Serial Log. For information about each setting, see the Config Tab Settings. Note Be sure to set the antenna port and region before attempting to read tags. Otherwise, the reader cannot read tags. Using Reader Assistant 11

12 The following screen shows the Config tab with the Advanced settings. Note Be sure the Protocol is set to Gen2 before attempting to read tags. Otherwise, the reader cannot read tags. To save your configuration, press Ctrl+S. Using Reader Assistant 12

13 RevA The following table explains the reader Config tab settings: Option Antenna Port Region menu Read Power (dbm) Config Tab Settings Choices Select one of the following, depending on the antenna configuration: Monostatic, TX1/RX1 (Transmit and Receive on Port 1) Monostatic TX2/RX2 (Transmit and Receive on Port 2) Bistatic TX1/RX2 (Transmit Port 1, Receive Port 2) Note: If intending to run in multi-antenna mode (a monostatic antenna on each port) use this choice to select the primary antenna, which is the first one activated in a multi-antenna search. The region of the world where the reader resides. Select one of the following: Not set (Default) NA (North America) EU (European Union, EN v1.1.1) KR (Korea) P.R.C. (Mainland China) EU2 (European Union, EN ) EU3 (European Union, EN v1.2.1) Open (unconstrained by regional regulations) Note: The reader will not transmit until a non-default region is selected. Move the slider, click the up or down arrow on the spinbox, or manually enter a value to change the read power in percent textbox or dbm textbox. The default is 100% or 30. Note: Make sure that if you enter a numeric value, you use the separator (. or, that is appropriate for your OS localization). Click on Set Power button to apply setting. Click on Set Power button to apply the setting. Using Reader Assistant 13

14 Option Write Power (dbm) Choices Move the slider, click the up or down arrow on the spinbox, or manually enter a value to change the write power in percent textbox or dbm textbox. The default is 100% or 30. Note: Make sure that if you enter a numeric value, you use the separator (. or, that is appropriate for your OS localization). Click on Set Power button to apply setting. Click on Set Power button to apply the setting. Advanced Reader Settings Protocol Note: For most applications, keep the Write Power at the same level as the Read Power Select a protocol to use. None (Reader will not do tag-oriented operations in this mode) GEN2. User Mode Power Save Mode Note: The reader will not transmit until a protocol is selected. User mode automatically configures the optimum Gen2 parameter values for particular applications. (And, if changed or re-entered, will overwrite any previous manual settings for these parameters.). Choices are: Default Printer Portal Use Printer when a single tag is in the field and Portal when multiple tags are in the field. For performance testing, use Printer to measure the maximum tag read rate and Portal to read (at least once) the maximum number of tags from a large population. Allows you to set power saving modes: Full Power Mode No power savings in idle mode quickest response to commands Minimal Savings Mode Saves power without degrading system performance, 10 ms additional delay in responding to commands. Medium Savings Mode Shuts down analog section between serial commands and restarts when a command is issued, 50 ms delay in responding to commands. Deep Sleep/Maximum Savings Mode Shuts down board, only powers the processor, restarts when a command is issued, up to 200 ms additional delay. Using Reader Assistant 14

15 RevA Option Transmit Modes Choices Sets the transmit mode to use (applicable to M5e only). High Performance Maximum read range at all power levels; no reduction of DC power as RF transmit output power is reduced. Low Power Uses minimum DC power when transmitting, with some performance penalty. GPIO Settings GPIO Input #1 Gets The GPIO value GPIO Input #2 GPIO Output #1 GPIO Output #2 Sets the GPIO setting: Low High Gen2 Protocol Settings Max. EPC Length GEN2 session Sets the maximum size EPC that can be read When set to 96, tags with longer EPCs will be ignored. When set to 496, tags of any EPC length can be read. User Mode will automatically select the optimum Gen2 Session setting. If you would like to override this setting, change the Gen2 session to one of the following values: Session 0 (matches Printer Mode) Session 1 (matches Portal Mode) Session 2 Session 3 Using Reader Assistant 15

16 Option Q Selection Choices Q is a Gen2 protocol setting, with values from 0 to 15, which affects how efficiently the Gen2 protocol inventories populations of tags, based on the population size. Automatic Manual For most applications, leave this setting at Automatic. If familiar with the Gen2 protocol, the user may select a fixed value. Set the Q Selection value to Manual and use the spin-box to set the desired value (by pressing the up/down arrows or manually entering a value) Recommended Minimum Config settings: 1. Select the antenna port you are using from the Antenna Port menu. 2. Select your region from the Region menu. 3. Set read and write power by doing one of the following tasks: Moving the Read Power slider or Write Power slider Changing the power percentage by clicking the up or down arrows. 4. Select a protocol from the Protocol menu. For M5e/M5e-Compact, GEN2 is the only protocol supported. 5. Select a User Mode and a Power (saving) Mode Note Select User Mode 01=Printer (which sets Gen2 Session=0) for maximum read rate on individual tags. Other User modes (and session values) cause tags to delay their subsequent responses to allow weaker tags to have an opportunity to respond. Using Reader Assistant 16

17 Reading and Writing to Tags RevA Reading and Write Demonstration The Read/Write tab can be used to quickly read tags to verify that the reader is working correctly. Set up the reader and provide tags to read. See the Mercury Embedded Modules DevKit Set Up Sheet provided with the DevKit. When you are connected, the reader type shows in the top field. Using Reader Assistant 17

18 To read tags from the Read/Write tab: 1. Click Start Reading Tags. The reader reads the tags and starts to display the EPCs and the running total number of times each EPC has been read (Reads) in the Read/Write screen. A yellow background is displayed with the date and timestamp as each tag is read. The most recently read tags display white backgrounds. The background gets darker as the time from when the tags were last read gets longer. Note tag entries 7 and 12 in the screen capture below. Note: The reader will not transmit until a non-default region is selected. 2. To stop reading tags, click Stop Reading Tags. 3. When the demo is complete, click Clear Screen to remove the information displayed on the screen. Using Reader Assistant 18

19 RevA The columns are interpreted as follows: (Unlabeled): The tag number (relative to when it was detected since the last Clear Screen Reads: The number of times this tag has been read. It includes the number of times the tag was read per read cycle as well as the number of times the tag was read over successive read cycles. Ant: The antenna port on which the tag was read. RSSI: The relative receive level of the tag. Each increment is roughly a db, and the reader can successfully decode tags down to a level of 60 to 65 RSSI units, depending on the tag and read conditions. EPC: The electronic product code of the tag (in hexadecimal). If the maximum EPC length is set to 496 bits, tags with an EPC greater than the standard length of 96 bits can be read (otherwise they are ignored). Using Reader Assistant 19

20 Advanced Settings You can access additional functionality by clicking Advanced. The functions include setting the search time, changing the font size, and writing to tags. To use advanced features: 1. Click Advanced. Additional functions appear on the Read/Write screen. 2. Type a new value in the Search Time field to change the time in milliseconds. 3. Click the Font Size drop-down menu to change the size of the font in the screen. Using Reader Assistant 20

21 RevA 4. If you wish to read tags on both antennas automatically, select All Antennas. 5. Press Start Reading Tags 6. The following warning may appear: If it does appear, make sure there is an antenna or a terminator connected to all antenna ports before pressing Continue. Using Reader Assistant 21

22 Note: Tags are automatically detected on both antenna ports, as shown by the Ant column. If a tag is seen by both antennas, a duplicate EPC entry will appear in the table (as for entries number 8 and number 14 in the screen capture, above). Writing to a Tag To write to a tag, follow these steps: 1. Type a valid tag id in the Tag ID field. The Write Tag button activates when you enter the tag id. Note: A valid tag ID must be an integral number of words, which in hexadecimal format means integral multiples of four digits. Although this screen does not allow you to copy an EPC from the read results display, other screens (Selective Operations, Special Operations) will. Using Reader Assistant 22

23 RevA 2. Click Write Tag. A dialog opens to verify the tag id you want written. Note: The first tag to respond will be written to. Make sure, with a prior read, that there is only one tag in the field before writing to the tag, or the wrong tag may be written. (Use Write Data on the Selective Operations screen to write the EPC to a specific tag among many or to all tags in the field.) Caution: It is always best to have the Write transmit power at the same level or lower than the Read transmit power. It is a common mistake to turn down the Read transmit power to isolate a single tag in the field, forgetting that if the Write transmit power is still at its maximum setting, an entirely different tag may be written to. 3. Click OK to write the tag. A confirmation message appears. Using Reader Assistant 23

24 Serial Log You can open a panel in any screen to display the Serial Log. To access the Serial Log, select Options > Show Serial Log. The field can be annotated and values can be copied and pasted into other fields (such as the Debug Send a command field). The serial log can be stored as a text file by selecting File > Save Serial Log.

25 Loading FW and Using the Flash Area RevA Loading Firmware / Using the Flash Area The Firmware tab provides information about the module and its firmware. You can also load the latest firmware from this screen. With the Advanced settings, you can read and write to the user flash area. There are three main functional sections within this tab. System Configuration section displays version information from the reader. Application Image section loads the FW image in one step. User Flash Area allows the user to examine and change the user flash area of the reader. To access, press Advanced.. Note If you have selected the Bootloader radio button under User Flash Area, all other Reader Assistant tabs will be disabled. You must select the Application radio button to reenable the other tabs. Using Reader Assistant 25

26 The following table explains the Firmware tab settings: Firmware Tab Settings Name Bootloader Version Firmware Version Hardware Version Firmware Date Processor Silicon ID Bootloader Sector Size Application Sector Size User Data Sector Size Hardware Calibration Sector Size Firmware file field Update Firmware button Description The latest Bootloader installed. Gets the version number from the reader. The most recent installed firmware. Gets the version number from the reader The version of the hardware when it was built. Gets the version number from the reader. Date that the latest firmware was installed. Gets the date from the reader Gets the identification from the reader Gets the sector size from the reader Gets the sector size from the reader Gets the sector size from the reader Gets the sector size from the reader Do one of the following to load the file: Type a file name in the field. Click Browse to find the file on the system. Click to update the firmware shown in the Firmware file field. Advanced Settings User Flash Area: Bootloader radio button: Click to access the bootloader program. Application radio button: Click to return to the application. Read User Flash button Modify User Flash button Erase User Flash button Using Reader Assistant Click to display the user flash memory in the screen. Click a section of memory to select it, enter new byte values, and then click the button to change the user flash memory in the location selected. Click a section of memory to select it and then click the button to erase the user flash memory in the location selected. 26

27 RevA To modify the user flash area: 1. Click the Bootloader radio button to access the bootloader program. The user flash area is only accessible from the bootloader. 2. Click Read User Flash to populate the table with the contents of the flash. 3. To modify the flash contents, follow these steps: a. Enter different byte values in the cells of the table. b. Click Modify User Flash to commit the modifications to the user flash area on the reader. 4. To erase the flash contents, follow these steps: a. Click in the table to select a section. b. Click Erase User Flash to delete the values in that section. Using Reader Assistant 27

28 Status Functions The status screen displays status and statistics for the module The fields are explained in the following table. Status Information Fields Field Antenna Port Termination Temperature Interpretation Checks for antennas or terminators on the antenna ports and displays the status. Note: Antennas must have a DC resistance of 10 kohms or less to be detected. The Laird antenna included in the Developers Kit does not, so will not be detected. Gets the current temperature of board components. Dangerous temperature levels are 105 for the M5e and 99 for the M5e-Compact. Note: These values are relative and do not represent ambient temperature Using Reader Assistant 28

29 RevA On time The total time, since the counter was last reset, that the module was actively transmitting. (Can be used by applications that keep track of total time since reset to calculate the proportion of time the module has been transmitting.) Using Reader Assistant 29

30 Selective and Special Tag Functions Both the Selective Operations and Special Operations screens allow you perform various tag operations. The Selective Operations screen demonstrates the most capable and flexible commands for reading, writing, locking or killing tags selectively or across all tags in the field. The Special Operations screen demonstrates read, write, erase, and tag-dependent commands that are performed on the first tag to respond in a multi-tag population. Selective Operations Tab To access this tab, select Options > Show Advanced Features or press Ctrl+A and additional tabs become available. Using Reader Assistant 30

31 RevA Both the Selective Operations and Special Operations tabs allow you perform various tag operations. Selective Operations illustrates the most capable and flexible commands for reading, writing, locking or killing tags. All commands on this screen are embedded within Read Tag Multiple to provide the following capabilities: o Ability to select a subset of tags in the field based on a specified value in a specified memory location (the Select criteria ) o Ability to select a subset of tags in the field based on the tags not having the specified value in the specified memory location. o Ability to perform the operation (read EPC, read data, write data, lock, kill) on any tag which responds (or meets the select criteria) o Ability to perform a multi-antenna search to look for all tags (or all tags that meet the select criteria) o Ability to display response, action success and action failure statistics for the command. o Ability to provide the EPC for all tags which meet the Select criteria o Ability to provide tag metadata for all tags which meet the Select criteria. There are capabilities of these commands that are not represented in this screen, but are supported in the command structure: o Read Data, Write Data, Lock, and Kill can be used without embedding them under Read Tag Multiple but, when used in this simpler form, do not offer multi-antenna search capability or the ability to act on all tags that respond nor provide responding tag EPCs and metadata for all tags that respond. o The command structure allows the user to specify exactly which tag metadata information should be returned. Reader Assistant either returns no tag metadata or all tag metadata, depending on the user choices. The common settings at the top of the screen apply to any of the actions in the lower section (Read Data, Write Data, Lock Tag, Kill Tag, Read Multiple). These are: o Timeout: The timeout for the complete command, including multi-antenna search and performing actions on individual tags. o All Antennas: Check this box if you want to automatically search for tags on both antennas. Using Reader Assistant 31

32 Caution, unlike the Read/Write screen, no antenna detection is done before the multi-antenna search is initiated. Make sure there is an antenna or a terminator connected to all ports or damage to the module might result. o Response Options: The user has the choice to have Reader Assistant only return the summary information provided as a response to the command, to provide the EPC of all tags which meet the Select criteria in addition to the summary information or to provide this information plus all metadata for these tags. o Select Mem Bank: User has the choice of having all tags respond, supplying an EPC, or truncated EPC which must be matched for tags to respond, or to respond only if a specified value is in a specified memory location. Note EPC as a memory location is offered to provide the ability to Select based on the PC word fields (which define the length of the EPC and other information) or to Select based on a portion of the EPC that does not include the first part of the EPC. o Address: Enter the number of bits offset from the start of the memory location which contains the value to be compared. This field is not used for No Select(0) or EPC(1) Mem Bank choices since, in the first case, the query is non-selective and in the second case, the comparison always starts at the beginning of the EPC (not the beginning of EPC memory). o Length: Enter the number of bits from the address offset which are to be compared. Note that the EPC/Data value can be longer than this length, but only the portion of the EPC/Data represented by the length will be compared. o EPC/Data: Enter the value in hexadecimal characters (0-9, A-F) which is to be compared with the information contained in the tag. If the value of Mem Bank is EPC(1), then the value in this field must contain an integral number words (a word is 2 bytes, 4 hex characters). o Select tags that do not meet Select Criteria: If this box is checked, tag will respond if they do not meet the criteria specified in the previous fields. The fields which are applicable to individual commands are provided in the bottom section, grouped with the command they support. The interpretation of these fields is as follows: Using Reader Assistant 32

33 RevA The following table explains the Selective Operations tab settings: Selective Operations Screen Settings Function Controls Password: Enter 4 byte password of necessary to read data from this memory location, otherwise leave at 0 Word Count: Number of words of data to return Read Data Address: Memory location offset in words (2 bytes) expressed in hex. 0 means start at beginning. Mem Bank: Select the memory bank to be read. Note that the EPC starts at word 4 of the EPC memory bank. Read Data button: Click to read tag data based on Read Data fields from the first tag to respond (and optionally display EPCs of all tags that respond) Password: Enter 4 byte password if necessary to write data to this memory location otherwise leave at 0 Tag Data: Bytes to be written into memory (length is calculated automatically, partial byte entry is not allowed) Write Data Address: Memory location offset in words (2 bytes), expressed in hex. 0 means start at beginning. Mem Bank: Select the memory bank to be read. Note that the EPC starts at word 4 of the EPC memory bank. Write Data button: Click to write tag data based on Write Data fields to a tag or tags. Using Reader Assistant 33

34 Function Lock Tag Controls Password: Type a 4-byte access password, if the lock tag password is set, or if needed to access memory or EPC specified in the Select Criteria. Mask Bits: 1. Causes the corresponding bit in the Action field to be applied. 0. Ignores the corresponding bit in the Action field. Action Bits: 1. Asserts lock (read, read/write, or permanent) memory location based on bit location. 0. De-asserts lock. See Lock Tag (25h) in the Development Guide for further information. Lock Tag button: Click to lock the tag or tags. Kill Tag Access Password: Type the 4-byte access password if necessary to access Select or EPC fields, otherwise leave at 0. Kill Password: Type the 4-byte kill password. Kill Tag button: Click to kill the tag (or tags) Read Multiple Read Multiple button: Click to count tags, read the EPCs, or read EPCs and return metadata of all tags in the field which meet the Select Criteria. When the button to activate the function is pressed, the text box at the bottom of the screen shows the results of the command or commands sent to the module. For a more detailed view of what is being sent and received from the module, activate the Serial Log, which will appear under the results textbox. Information from both these fields can be cut and pasted into the Data fields for use in subsequent commands. Special Operations Tab To access this tab, select Options > Show Advanced Features or press Ctrl+A and additional tabs become available. Using Reader Assistant 34

35 RevA Both the Selective Operations and Special Operations tabs lets you perform various tag operations. Special Operations includes all tag operations that cannot be embedded under Read Tag Multiple, including: o Write Tag EPC: Writes the tag EPC and automatically alters the PC word in EPC memory to indicate the entered length. The EPC entry must contain an integral number of words (a word is 2 bytes which is represented by 4 hex characters). Only the first tag to respond will have the EPC value written to it. o Read Tag EPCs: Returns the EPC of the first tag to respond and, optionally, the metadata collected during the read process. Note: Reader Assistant does not implement tag selectivity for this command, although the serial interface supports it. o Alien Higgs Tags: Simultaneously writes EPC, access password, kill password, lock bits and PC word to the first Alien Higgs that that responds. (The lock bit field is unique to Alien Higgs tags) o Erase Block Tag: Implements the optional Gen2 block erase command (as of this writing, only supported by ST Micro RFID ICs). Using Reader Assistant 35

36 o NXP G2X Tags: Also a variation of Write Tag Specific. Implements NXP custom commands (supported on G2XM and G2XL tags) for disabling reading of any memory (Set ReadProtect, Reset ReadProtect), controlling the EAS alarm function (Control EAS, Initiate EAS Alarm) and initiating the Calibrate function (to force tags to reply with continuous data to make measurements easier). The individual fields are used as follows: Function (shared by all) Write Tag EPC Read Tag EPCs Controls Timeout: This value applies to any command on the page. Enter the timeout in msec. Tag EPC: Enter the EPC to write to the tag. It must contain an integral number words (a word is 2 bytes, 4 hex characters) Write button: Write EPC to the first tag to respond (and change PC bits to indicate new length of EPC). If not activated, the EPC as entered is not a supported length. Retrieve metadata: Activate this control if you want all tag metadata returned with the tag EPC Read Single button: Click to return the EPC and (if activated) metadata of the first tag to respond. Tag ID: Enter the EPC to write to the tag. It must be an number of words (2 bytes, 4 hex digits) Access Password: Enter the 4-byte Access Password to write to the tag. (Note: Do not confuse this with the password field in other commands whose purpose is to allow access to locked tags.) Kill Password: Enter the 4-byte Kill Password to write to the tag. Alien Higgs Tags Include Lock Bits and PC Word: Check this box if the lock bits and PC Word are to be written to the tag as well. Lock Bits: Enter the Higgs TID Bank configuration bits (see the Developers Guide for a detailed explanation of this option). PC Word: Enter the desired value for the PC Word. Caution: The value of the PC word must correspond to the desired EPC (Tag ID) length or the tag may respond in unexpected ways. Write Data button: Click to write information to the first tag to respond (must be based on Alien Higgs IC). This button is active whenever a valid EPC is in the Tag ID field. Using Reader Assistant 36

37 RevA Function Controls Address: Enter the word offset for the starting address in hex of the memory to be erased in words. (Enter 0 if erase is to begin at the start of the memory bank.) Erase Block Tag Mem bank: Select the memory bank to be erased. Word Count: Select the number of words, beginning at the start address, to be erased. Erase Data button: Click this button when memory location and length have been specified in fields. First tag to respond will have the specified memory location erased. Password: Enter the 4-byte access password matching that already written to the tag using Write Data. Neither ReadProtect nor EAS alarm can be activated unless the tag is secured by an access password (once the EAS Alarm is activated, no password is needed to activate it.) NXP G2X Tags Set ReadProtect button: No fields of this tag can be read once ReadProtect is set. Reset ReadProtect button: Restores normal operation Set EAS button: Enables the EAS function Reset EAS button: Disables the EAS function EAS Alarm button: If EAS is set, tag will respond with an 8-byte alarm code if EAS Alarm command is received when EAS is enabled. Calibrate button: Causes tag to echo 512 bits of user memory. Using Reader Assistant 37

38 Debug Functions The Debug tab sends serial commands to the reader using hexadecimal format. You can also add scripts containing sequences of commands to the Script Contents panel. Note Write the scripts in a text editor and then add them to the New Command Scripts list. If you do not see the Debug tab, press Ctrl+A. Using Reader Assistant 38

39 RevA Debug Tab Settings Function Send a Hexadecimal Command to Reader Control (command text box): Enter the command you want to send in hex format, without SOF or CRC fields Send Command button: Click to send the command. (list box): Lists the scripts that you added to the screen. Hex Command Scripts + button: Opens a dialog box to select the saved scripts you created to add to the list. - button: Removes a script from the list. Left-click a script button: Run script assigned to button Script Quick-run buttons Right-click a script button: Select a script file and assign it to button Note: If you are running three scripts frequently, this is a quick way of selecting the two scripts to run. Script Contents: Text box for entering an annotated list of commands. Script Contents New Script button: Click to create a script in the Script Contents panel. Modify button: Click to edit a stored script. Save button: Click to save a script Using the Reader Assistant 39

40 To create a script 1. Click New Script and the following is displayed in the Scripts Contents panel. 2. Type the script within the panel and click Save. Using Reader Assistant 40

41 RevA A Save as dialog opens and you can save your script. 3. To change the script, click Modify. 4. To run the script, right click a Script Quick-run button to associate the script to the button. 5. Click the Script Quick-run button to run the script. Using the Reader Assistant 41

42 After the script is finished running, the following dialog appears. 6. Click OK and the results appear in the Serial Log panel. Using Reader Assistant 42

43 RevA Regulatory Functions The Regulatory tab provides access to functions that you can use for regulatory testing for FCC, ETSI, MIC, and so forth. The screen allows you to change the frequency and power levels while the reader is generating a continuous wave (CW). You can also change the frequency hop table of the reader. Using the Reader Assistant 43

44 Regulatory Tab Settings Function Power Level Control Move the slider, click the up or down arrow on the spinbox, or manually enter a value to change the read power in percent textbox or dbm textbox. The default is 100% or 30. (This is the Read TX Power setting from the Config screen). Note: Make sure that if you enter a numeric value, you use the separator (. or, that is appropriate for your OS localization). Frequency: Type an operating frequency. Frequency Note: Specified in MHz, using a decimal point or comma (whichever is appropriate for your OS). Set Frequency button: Click to set the frequency. CW (Continuous Wave) CW On button: Click to activate continuous transmission of unmodulated signal at frequency and level specified. CW Off button: Click to cease transmission (table of text boxes) Click on any text box and enter the desired frequency in khz (without a decimal point) Frequency Hop Table Note: Actual Frequency transmitted will depend on channelization of configured region. Use Open region to transmit at frequencies as close as possible to value entered. Set Hop Table button: Click to apply hop table to reader Using Reader Assistant 44

45 RevA Function Control Timeout: Enter transmission time in msec Pseudo Random Bit Sequence Using Reader Assistant Transmit PRBS button: Click to transmit modulated signal for configured time at frequency and level specified 45

46 Serial Command Equivalents Except for the Read/Write screen (which uses many commands in combination), virtually all other UI elements correspond to individual elements in the embedded module serial command structure. The following table provides the relevant commands so that the user can obtain more information in the Embedded Module Developers Guide if they wish further information. R.A. Screen Reader Assistant Setting Main Reader Type Config Antenna Port Config Region Config Read Power Config Write Power Config Protocol Config User Mode Config Power Save Mode Config Transmit mode Config Max EPC Length Config Gen2 Session Config Q Selection, Static Q Config Config Status Status Status GPIO Inputs GPIO Outputs Antenna Port Termination Temperature Sensor Time Statistics Firmware Version/Date info Using Reader Assistant Relevant Serial Command Get Bootloader/Firmware Version (03h) Set Antenna Port (91h) Get Antenna Configuration (61h) Set Current Region (97h) Get Current Region (67h) Set Read TX Power (92h) Get Read TX Power (62h) Set Write TX Power (94h) Get Write TX Power (64h) Set Current Tag Protocol (93h) Get Current Tag Protocol (63h) Set User Mode (99h) Get User Mode (69h) Set Power Mode (98h) Set Reader Configuration (9Ah) Get Reader Configuration (6Ah) Set Reader Configuration (9Ah) Get Reader Configuration (6Ah) Set Protocol Configuration (9Bh) Get Protocol Configuration (6Bh) Set Protocol Configuration (9Bh) Get Protocol Configuration (6Bh) Get User GPIO Inputs (66h) Set User GPIO Outputs (96h) Get Antenna Configuration (61h) Get Current Temperature (72h) Get Reader Statistics (6Ch) Get Bootloader/Firmware Version (03h) Get Processor Silicon ID (0Bh) Get Sector Size (0Eh) 46

47 RevA R.A. Screen Reader Assistant Setting Firmware Program Firmware Firmware Firmware Read User Flash Modify User Flash Erase User Flash Firmware Update Firmware Selective Operations Selective Operations Selective Operations Selective Operations Selective Operations Selective Operations Selective Operations Special Operations Special Operations Special Operations Special Operations Special Operations Common Settings (Timeout, Multi-search, Select Criteria) Return Tag EPCs, Return Tag EPCs and Metadata Regulatory Power Level Regulatory Regulatory Regulatory Frequency CW On/off PRBS timeout, Transmit Regulatory Set Hop Table Read Data Write Data Lock Tag Kill Tag Relevant Serial Command Start Bootloader (09h) Boot Firmware (04h) Get Current Program (0Ch) Flash Read (02h) Modify Flash Sector (0Fh) Erase Flash (07h) Start Bootloader (09h) Set Baud Rate (06h) Erase Flash (07h) Write Flash Sector (0Dh) Verify Image CRC (08h) Boot Firmware (04h) Read Tag Multiple (22h) Get Tag Buffer (29h) Clear Tag Buffer (2Ah) Read Tag Multiple (22h) Read Tag Data (28h) Read Tag Multiple (22h) Write Tag Data (24h) Read Tag Multiple (22h) Lock Tag (25h) Read Tag Multiple (22h) Kill Tag (26h) Read Multiple Read Tag Multiple (22h) Write Tag EPC Write Tag EPC (23h) Read Tag EPCs Read Tag Single (21h) Alien Higgs Tags Gen2 Tag Specific (2Dh) Erase Block Tags Erase Block Tag Specific (2Eh) NXP G2X Tags Gen2 Tag Specific (2Dh) Using Reader Assistant Set Read TX Power (92h) Get Read TX Power (62h) Set Operating Frequency (C1h) Transmit CW Signal (C3h) Transmit CW Signal (C3h) Set Frequency Hop Table (95h) Get Frequency Hop Table (65h) 47

48 End User License and Warranty Agreement YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS THINGMAGIC END USER LICENSE AND WARRANTY AGREEMENT ( AGREEMENT ) BEFORE USING THE PRODUCTS WHICH ARE ENCLOSED OR OTHERWISE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AGREEMENT. USE OF THE PRODUCTS MEANS THAT YOU ARE BINDING YOU AND THE COMPANY YOU REPRESENT TO THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO USE OR OPERATE THE PRODUCTS AND YOU SHOULD PROMPTLY RETURN THE PRODUCTS, ENCLOSURES AND ALL PACKAGING. The following terms govern use of the Products unless (i) there is a separate signed agreement between you and ThingMagic, in which case the terms and conditions of such agreement will prevail, or (ii) if you received an End User License and Warranty Agreement from an authorized reseller (Reseller EULA), in which case, the terms and conditions of such Reseller EULA shall prevail and you should contact the reseller directly for Support Services and Warranty matters. 1. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. Any and all intellectual property rights in and to the Products shall remain in ThingMagic, Inc. (ThingMagic) or its licensors. The Firmware is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. The Firmware is licensed, not sold. Your use of any service accessible using the Firmware is not covered by this Agreement and may be governed by separate terms of use, conditions or notices. 2. GRANT OF LICENSE. Subject to compliance with the terms of this Agreement and payment of the applicable fees, ThingMagic hereby grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Products for your internal business purposes, in any market other than the Transportation Market, according to the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement. This License grants you the following rights: 3. a. Firmware. You may use, access, display, run, or otherwise interact with ( Run ) the Firmware in connection with operating the Products. The primary user of the Products may make a second copy of the Firmware for his or her exclusive use for backup purposes. b. Storage/Network Use. You may also store or install a copy of the Firmware on a storage device, such as a network server, used only to Run the Firmware on your other Products over an internal network; however, you must acquire and dedicate a license for each separate Product on which the Firmware is Run from the storage device. A license for the Firmware may not be shared or used concurrently on different Products. c. Reservation of Rights. All rights not expressly granted are reserved by ThingMagic. RESTRICTIONS. a. Copyright Notices: You must maintain all copyright and other proprietary notices on all copies of the Firmware. Using Reader Assistant 48

49 RevA b. Limitations on Modification: You may not copy, modify, adapt, or translate the Firmware, or create derivative works based on the Firmware. c. Limitations on Reverse Engineering, Decompilation and Disassembly: You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Products, except and only to the extent that such activity is permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation. d. Assignment and Resale: You may not transfer or assign this Agreement (by operation of law or otherwise) without the advance, written approval of ThingMagic which approval may be withheld for any reason. You agree not to resell, lease, distribute or otherwise transfer the Products to any third party at any time. If you are a potential reseller of the Products, you may demonstrate the Products to your customers solely for evaluation purposes, provided that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, (i) any such use will be AS IS with no warranty whatsoever, as more fully set forth in Section 1 0 below, and (ii) may only be done in countries where ThingMagic has received the necessary regulatory certifications (for a list of countries, please support@thingmagic.com. You may not, however, resell, lease, distribute or otherwise transfer the Products to your customers until you have signed ThingMagic s Reseller Agreement. e. Additional Restrictions Applicable to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). If you purchased embedded Products under this Agreement, you may only use such Products for testing and evaluation purposes, provided that any such use will be AS IS with not warranty whatsoever, as more fully set forth in Section 10 below. Prior to incorporating the embedded Products into production units which you will deliver to your customers, you must sign ThingMagic s OEM Agreement. 4. SUPPORT SERVICES: ThingMagic provides support to authorized resellers of its Products. ThingMagic may provide you with direct support services related to the Products ( Support Services ), in its sole discretion. Use of Support Services, if any, is governed by the ThingMagic policies and programs described in the Documentation, and/or other ThingMagic provided materials. 5. TERMINATION: Without prejudice to any other rights, ThingMagic may terminate this Agreement if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this Agreement The provisions of this Agreement, other than your license to use the Firmware, shall survive the termination of this Agreement. Upon termination, your right to use the Products shall cease. Depending on your location, there may be rules or regulations regarding the disposal of the Products. Please contact ThingMagic for further information. 6. U. S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS: Distribution and use of the Products and derivative works thereof to and by the United States Government will be subject to the RESTRICTED RIGHTS as set forth in the Federal Acquisitions Regulations Systems (FAR) at 48 CFR , as amended from time to time.. Any licensed Firmware described or referenced in this Agreement is a commercial computer software program developed at private expense. Use, duplication or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in FAR 48 CFR (c) where applicable or the applicable provisions of the DOD FAR 48 CFR , as amended from time-to-time. 7. EXPORT RESTRICTIONS: The Products are subject to regulation by agencies of the U.S. Government, including without limitation the Department of Commerce, which prohibit or restrict export or diversion of certain technical products and technical data to certain countries and may be subject to export or import regulations in other countries. You shall comply with such laws and regulations governing use, import, export, reexport, and transfer of the Products and acknowledge your responsibility to obtain such licenses as may be required after delivery to you. 8. LIMITED WARRANTY: Subject to the conditions in the following paragraph, ThingMagic warrants for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of original shipment the Products will be free from defects in material and workmanship and will operate in substantial conformance with applicable specifications and End User License and Warranty Agreement 49

50 drawings set forth in the Documentation. If the Products fail to meet this warranty, ThingMagic (at its sole option) will either replace or repair the nonconforming Product. If neither of those can be done on a commercially reasonable basis, ThingMagic may, at its sole option, pay you an amount based on depreciation of the Product over a three (3) year useful life. In the event of repair pursuant to the foregoing warranty, the validity of the foregoing warranty will be twelve (1 2) months from the date of shipment of the repaired Product less the period of time between the date of original shipment and the date on which ThingMagic received return of the Product for repair. The foregoing is your sole and exclusive remedy if a Product fails to meet the limited warranty above WARRANTY CONDITIONS: In order for the warranty to apply, you must first obtain a written return authorization from ThingMagic. Returned Products must be shipped, transportation prepaid, by the most practical method of shipment. Shipping costs will be credited to you for all Products found to be subject to warranty adjustment. Excessive transportation costs will not be allowed. This warranty shall not apply to any custom work performed by ThingMagic. This warranty shall also not apply to defects or substantial non-conformance with the Specifications which result from: (l) improper installation, use, storage, care or maintenance by the buyer; (2) wear resulting from normal use of parts subject to wear; (3) modification, alteration or retiming of a product, or combination with another product; (4) use with products (including supplies) or software not furnished by ThingMagic; or (5) accident, neglect, misuse or abuse or where the trademark has been defaced or obliterated. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES: THINGMAGIC AND ITS SUPPLIERS PROVIDE THE PRODUCTS AS IS AND WITH ALL FAULTS, AND HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL OTHER WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS, EITHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, LACK OF VIRUSES, AND LACK OF NEGLIGENCE OR LACK OF WORKMANLIKE EFFORT. ALSO, THERE IS NO WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, OR NONINFRINGEMENT FOR THE PRODUCTS. THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE PRODUCTS IS WITH YOU. THINGMAGIC DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE OPERATION OF THE FIRMWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE. LIABILITY DISCLAIMER: TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THINGMAGIC OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR OTHER DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCTS, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF THINGMAGIC OR ANY SUPPLIER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THIS EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES SHALL BE EFFECTIVE EVEN IF ANY REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. 12. GOVERNING LAW: The laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall govern this Agreement and the parties hereby irrevocably agree that they submit themselves to the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of Massachusetts for purposes of resolving any and all disputes arising under or related to these terms and conditions. The parties agree that the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods shall not govern this Agreement. 13. DEFINITIONS. a. Documentation means any written information pertaining to the Products including but not limited to user manuals, technical documentation, and training guides, whether in paper or electronic format. b. Electronic Toll and Traffic Management means the market for equipment and services which allow for toll collection and traffic monitoring utilizing vehicles equipped with RFID transponders, wireless communication, in road / roadside sensors, and a computerized system (hardware and software) to uniquely identify each vehicle, electronically collect the toll, and provide general vehicle / traffic monitoring and data collection. End User License and Warranty Agreement 50