FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

CONNECTIONS

- Can you tell me the operating temperature range for your RFID reader modules ?

Absolute max range is -20C to 65C.  The reading distance may change at the limits.

- Do you sell a RS232 to USB converter so that I may be able to put together a demo application that runs on a Windows Vista 32-bit laptop?

We do not sell USB - serial converters. However most will work just fine as long as it can be installed on your machine.

- I will try to make my own 9 pin RS232 cable. How?

You only need to use pins 2,3,5 on DB9. Solder 2-2, 3-3 5-5. There are 2 sets of 8 pins on the board; I assume the unit labeled "Rev04" is dedicated for the serial cable-to-PC connection. The other set of 8-pins is kind of confusing however: Only 4 of the pins are used by users. GND, RC, TX, 5v. See PDF Data Sheet for details.

- Can you recommend a store-brand housing unit that the ASPX-210 would fit nicely into?

http://www.hammondmfg.com/dwg2bp.htm

- I will be mounting the reader in a stainless steel enclosure with a cut out for your board. A lexan cover plate will be over your board. Will this reduce the reading range by much?

This will need to be tested; however in most cases it only reduces the range slightly.

- What kind of wall adapter?

If you haven’t purchased our wall adapter, then make sure yours is center positive and 6V.

- I can't find which polarity is the central pin on C-100 converter DC input.

Inside positive.

- I need to order simple durable pre-written tags that truck drivers will use. I need minimum 20 bytes. What would you suggest?

Most of the ISO15693 tags we use have 256bytes. These should be good enough, but any ISO15693 tag would work fine.

- Could you explain the tag memory map?

Each block has 4 bytes in the Texas Instruments tags. Most TI tags have 256 bytes of read/write memory. If you need more info on this you can go to their TI website and search for their 15693 tags. ISO15693 is the standard. You can also try to find this ISO for more info.

- If we try to connect more than one RFID readers to one PC, how would PC identify each hardware? Is there a unique addressing mechanism built within the devices?

There is no addressing mechanism on these. You can use separate serial ports for each. In an Ethernet environment, we can create up to 256 virtual ports so this is not an issue. In a local environment our clients use USB-serial converters to run multiple devices.

- Do you have a unit available with an external antenna?

We currently don't. They are usually needed for extended range applications. For small distances and spaces, onboard antenna makes more sense.