User Manual MAN_415U-C
Effective September 2022
415U Condor-long-range wireless I/O and gateway
Internal I/O
The internal supply voltage register locations shown in the following table can be monitored using the Diagnostics Web page within the module’s
Web-based configuration utility (see “IO diagnostics” on page 61 for details). The values can also be mapped to a register or an analog output on another module within the network.
Table 6. Internal supply voltage registers
Register Description
30005
30006
30007
30008
38005–38008
Local supply voltage (0–40 V scaling).
Local 24 V loop voltage (0–40 V scaling). Internally generated +24 V supply used for analog loop supply.
Maximum current limit is 100 mA.
Local battery voltage (0–40 V scaling).
115S supply voltage (0–40 V scaling).
Floating point registers that display the actual supply voltage, battery voltage, +24 V supply, and 115S supply.
Note that these are actual voltage values, whereas registers 30005–30008 display a number between 8192 and 49152 that represents the voltage scale 0–40 V.
To calculate the supply voltages from the register value use the following calculation:
Volts = (Register Value) – 8192
1024
High and low voltage alarm indication may be configured for each of these supply voltages. See “Analog inputs” on page 11 for details on how to configure these alarms.
Grounding
To provide maximum surge and lightning protection each module should be effectively earthed/grounded via a GND terminal on the module. This is to ensure that the surge protection circuits inside the module are effective.
The module should be connected to the same common ground point as the enclosure ground and the antenna mast ground.
The 415U and 415U-E have a dedicated earth/ground connection screw on the bottom end plate next to the supply terminals. All earth/ground wiring should be minimum 0.8 in 2 (2 mm 2 ground connection from the front terminal back to the common earth or ground point.
See Figure 8 .
), 14 AWG. If using the 415U with serial expansion I/O modules, all expansion modules must have a separate earth/
Figure 8. Grounding
6 ELPRO www.elprotech.com
Radio
The 415U condor radio uses narrowband radio transmission to transfer data over licensed radio channels. There are models to support frequencies in the range 340 MHz to 480 MHz, and to support narrow (12.5 kHz) and wide
(25 kHz) channels.
The 415U-2-C and 415U-E-C module support power levels from 10mW to
10W, and channel bandwidths of 6.25, 12.5 and 25 kHz.
The 415U-2-C and 415U-E-C transmit data using Quadrature Amplitude
Modulation (QAM), with two, four, or six bits per symbol, supporting data rates up to 96kb/s on a 25kHz channel. The 415U-2C and 415U-E-C also support FSK modulation for operation with Legacy 415U-2-H and 415U-2-L models. In Legacy mode, data is transmitted using direct frequency shift keying with either one or two bits per symbol (2FSK, 4FSK). This supports data rates of 9600 baud (2FSK) and 19,200 baud (4FSK) on a wide (25 kHz) channel, and 4800 baud (2FSK) and 9600 baud (4FSK) on a narrow (12.5 kHz) channel.
N ote: The previous 415U-2 model was available in high powered (415U-2-H 5W radio) and low powered (415U-2-L 500mW radio) configurations.
The radio protocol is based on the 802.11 protocol commonly used in 2.4
GHz and 5 GHz WiFi applications. If you are familiar with 802.11, many of the radio networking concepts used in the 415 will also be familiar to you.
The data rates achievable with the 415U are significantly lower than those for WiFi applications, so care must be taken to make the best use of the available channel bandwidth.
The 415U module is shipped from the factory without any radio configuration. The radio will not send any transmission until initial device provisioning has been completed. At power-up, the device will set its OK
LED to RED to indicate that this initial provisioning has not been completed.
To configure the device’s radio for the first time, you must configure the radio Locale and radio Quick Start to set the radio to meet regulations at its target location. Refer to “Radio” on page 6 for instructions on configuring the radio using the Configuration utility, and to “Configuring the locale” on page 47 and “Quick start—basic device configuration” on page
48 for instructions on how to configure the radio using the Web interface.
Antennas
Antennas can be either connected directly to the module’s RF connector or connected via 50-ohm coaxial cable (such as RG58 Cellfoil or RG213) terminated with a male SMA coaxial connector. The higher the antenna is mounted, the greater the transmission range, but as the length of coaxial cable increases so do cable losses.
The net gain of an antenna and cable configuration is the gain of the antenna (in dBi) less the loss in the coaxial cable (in dB). Maximum net gain for the 415U will depend on the licensing regulation for the country of operation and the operating frequency.
Typical antennas gains and losses are:
Table 1. Typical antennas gains and losses
Antenna Gain (dBi)
Dipole
Collinear
Directional (Yagi)
Cable type
2 dBi
5 or 8 dBi
6–15 dBi
Loss (dB)
RG58 cellfoil cable kits (3 m,10 m, 20 m) –1 dB, –2.5 dB, –4.8 dB
RG213 per 10 m (33 ft) –1.8 dB
LDF4-50 per 10 m (33 ft) –0.5 dB
The net gain of the antenna and cable configuration is determined by adding the antenna gain and the cable loss. For example, an 8 dBi antenna with 10 meters of Cellfoil (–2.5 dB) has a net gain of 5.5 dB (8 dB – 2.5 dB).
Dipole and Collinear antennas
Dipole and collinear antennas transmit the same amount of radio power in all directions, and are easy to install and use because they do not need
415U Condor-long-range wireless I/O and gateway
User Manual MAN_415U-C
Effective September 2022 to be aligned to the destination. The dipole antenna does not require any additional coaxial cable. However, a cable must be added if using any of the other collinear or directional antennas. In order to obtain the maximum range, collinear and dipole antennas should be mounted vertically, preferably at least one wavelength away (see Figure 9 for distances) from a wall or mast and at least 3 ft (1 m) from the radio module.
instructions, with the parabolic grid at the back and the radiating element pointing in the direction of the transmission.
Ensure that the antenna mounting bracket is well connected to ground.
Wavelength:
400MHz = 30” (75cm)
480MHz = 25” (63cm)
Antenna * 1 Wavelength
(minimum)
Connect Coax to building earth in accordance with
6.2 g) and 6.2 i) of
IEC60728-11:2005
Stress
Relief
Loop
Weatherproof
Connections
(recommended:
3M™ 23 selfbonding tape) Surge Arrestor
(recommended)
Coaxial Cable
Figure 10. Directional antenna
415U-2
GND Mast
GND at least 11 AWG (4 mm2)
Earth Stake
Earth Conductor at least 5 AWG
(16 mm2)
* For maximum range, install above local obstructions.
Provide good ground connection to mast, module, and surge arrestor.
If ground conditions are poor, use more than one stake.
Figure 9. Antennas installation—Collinear/Dipole
Installation tips
Connections between the antenna and the coaxial cable should be carefully taped to prevent ingress of moisture. Moisture ingress in the coaxial cable is a common cause for problems with radio systems because it greatly increases the radio losses. We recommend that the connection be taped—first with a layer of PVC tape, next with vulcanizing tape (such as
3M™ 23 tape), and finally with another layer of PVC UV-stabilized insulating tape. The first layer of tape allows the joint to be easily inspected when troubleshooting because the vulcanizing seal can be easily removed (see
Figure 10 ).
Where antennas are mounted on elevated masts, the masts should be effectively grounded to avoid lightning surges. For high lightning risk areas, approved ELPRO surge suppression devices, such as the CSD-SMA-2500 or CSD-N-6000, should be fitted between the module and the antenna. If using non-ELPRO surge suppression devices, the devices must have a “turn on” voltage of less than 90 V. If the antenna is not already shielded from lightning strike by an adjacent grounded structure, a lightning rod may be installed above the antenna to provide shielding.
Directional antennas
A directional antenna provides high gain in the forward direction, but lower gain in other directions. This type of antenna may be used to compensate for coaxial cable loss for installations with marginal radio path. Directional antennas can be any of the following:
•
•
Yagi antenna with a main beam and orthogonal elements
Directional radome, which is cylindrical in shape
•
Parabolic antenna
Yagi antennas should be installed with the main beam horizontal, pointing in the forward direction. If the Yagi antenna is transmitting to a vertically mounted omni-directional antenna, the Yagi elements should be vertical.
If the Yagi is transmitting to another Yagi, the elements at each end of the wireless link need to be in the same plane (horizontal or vertical).
Directional radomes should be installed with the central beam horizontal, and must be pointed exactly in the direction of transmission to benefit from the gain of the antenna.
Parabolic antennas should be mounted according to the manufacturer’s
Figure 10. Vulcanizing tape
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