Common questions on Technology Solutions' products are listed below. If your question is not answered here then please contact us.

GPS Receivers

Multi ISO RFID Reader

SDIO IrDA card

Contact Smart Card Reader

GPS Receivers

How long does it take the GPS receiver to get a fix?

The length of time to first fix is dependant on whether the unit is acquiring satellites for the first time in a session (a cold start) or whether the unit has already been running in the previous two hours having acquired a fix (a warm start).  In addition to whether the start is a cold or warm start, the number of satellites visible and their associated received signal strength will also affect the time to first fix.  Outdoors, with good visibility of the open sky, a cold fix will generally take less than 45s and a warm fix generally less than 10s. Indoors a cold fix may never be obtained (see below).

Is it possible to get a fix indoors?

Yes it is under certain conditions. The GPS unit has class leading sensitivity (approx -159dBm) which can enable the unit to acquire satellites in locations where complete open sky visibility is not present.   In order to get an indoor fix, visibility of at least some of the sky is required – the amount of visibility required will vary with both latitude and the time of day.  A warm start is more likely to get a fix indoors than a cold start. This is because the GPS unit must have valid almanac and ephemeris data to calculate its position. In the warm start situation this data is valid. In a cold start situation the data must first be downloaded and this requires higher signal levels. Usually it will be found that if the unit has been outdoors with a valid fix for several minutes it will then maintain the fix indoors. If the unit is started from cold indoors it will take a long time to get a position fix, or may even fail to obtain one.

Other locations where the class leading sensitivity brings great advantages is in regions of dense foliage and built-up urban areas with high rise buildings. Here the GPS unit will maintain a fix where older units fail to.

What is the interface to the GPS receiver?

The receiver communicates with the MC70 using a serial com port of the host terminal (COM1 on the MC70).  By default the data output is NMEA0183 at 9600 baud. This can be changed to baud rates from 4800 to 115200 baud in NMEA or SiRF protocol.

Does the GPS unit have an internal battery?

The snap-on is powered by the switched 5V supply on the MC70.  In addition, the GPS snap-on has a supercap backup supply to provide a two hour backup of the almanac and ephemeris data in the GPS engine.  The backed up data is only valid for a maximum of two hours before the GPS engine would need to re-acquire the data to ensure a warm start condition.

What are SBAS, WAAS and EGNOS and what are they used for?

These systems provide correction data to enhance the accuracy of the GPS position.  The correction data covers variables such as:

• Long term errors of the satellite orbits
• Short term and Long term errors of the satellite clocks
• IONO correction grids (Ionospheric corrections)
• Integrity information

Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), Multi-Functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS) and European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) all provide similar correction data that is transmitted over two of the 20 channels of the GPS receiver.  The data is then used by the GPS engine to improve the accuracy of the fix.

Is the GPS capable of using Wide Area Augmentation Systems (WAAS) such as EGNOS?

Yes, the GPS engine is fully compatible with these systems.

What is the accuracy of the GPS device?

The GPS device can achieve a 2m positional accuracy – the overall accuracy is a statistically variable figure and is subject to the error sources detailed above.  The GPS engine provides class leading performance and when using the SBAS functionality of the device can provide accuracy approaching that of some Differential GPS (DGPS) systems.

Is any special software required to communicate with the GPS receiver?

The GPS unit is a serial device which conforms to both the NMEA0183 and SiRF protocols over a range of baud rates without the need for any custom software driver.  ISV’s would usually integrate the GPS data into the target application.  For demonstration, an application that enables satellite data and positional data to be viewed can be downloaded from our downloads page.

Can the GPS receiver be used with the high capacity battery fitted to the MC70?

Yes

Can an external antenna be used with the GPS receiver

No, the high sensitivity of the GPS receiver makes the external powered antenna that earlier solutions required for in-vehicle use unnecessary.

How can the current required by the GPS receiver be minimised?

The receiver supports SiRF standard Adaptive Trickle Power™. This gives reduced current consumption (up to seven times lower) at the expense of slightly slower update rate.

Which software applications can the GPS receiver be used with?

The receiver can be used with any application which accepts data in NMEA or SiRF formats. For a list of applications that have been tested see our downloads page.

Multi ISO RFID Reader

What frequency of transponders (tags) does the unit read?

The RFID reader operates at 13.56MHz and writes to almost all the tags available at this frequency.

What ISO standards is the reader compatible with?

ISO15693, ISO14443A and ISO14443B

Is the reader compatible with the Mifare family of tags?

Yes, the reader is fully compatible with the complete range of Mifare tags including

MIFARE® Standard, MIFARE® 4k, MIFARE® Pro X, MIFARE® Ultralight, MIFARE®DESFIRE

Which other tags will the reader operate with?

The reader is also able to communicate with the following HF tags:

Does the reader have a port for an external antenna?

No, the reader has an internal antenna only.

What is the typical read range for a credit card sized tag?

The typical read/write range for an ISO7816 sized tag is 5cm from the top surface of the reader and 4cm from the rear surface of the reader.

Can the reader communicate with a number of tags in close proximity to each other?

Yes, the reader implements all aspects of anti-collision functionality where this is supported by the target transponder.

Does the reader support a SAM module?

Yes, the SAM socket is positioned immediately under the top cover of the reader

Can the reader be used with the high capacity battery fitted to the MC75?

Yes

How does software on the MC75 communicate with the RFID reader?

The reader uses com1 on the MC75 for all communication. The reader can be configured to work from 9600baud to 115200baud. The reader supports a basic ASCII command and response protocol for rapid application development and a binary protocol for more advanced applications. The Explorer Kit includes an SDK which provides a basic API to manage the serial port and data packet construction is available along with full command documentation and a demonstration application with source code.

How is the power consumption of the RFID reader managed?

The reader supports a standby mode which turns off the RF section. However for best power saving the com port should be closed whenever the reader is not in use. This turns off the switched 5V supply from the MC75.

SDIO IrDA card

Can the card be used for IrDA printing as well as file transfer?

The card can be used for both IrDA printing to IrDA equipped printers and for IrDA file transfer (Object Exchange - OBEX).

Which printers will the SDIO IrDA card work with?

A list of printers that have been tested with the SDIO IrDA card is available on request.

Will the SDIO IrDA card work with the Motorola Printer utility for the MC70?

Yes, the card should work with all the printers listed in the Motorola Utility.

What is the maximum speed of the IR communication?

The card is SIR compatible and therefore has a maximum speed of 115200 baud.

Does the card require a special driver?

Installation of the SDIO IrDA card requires a driver onto the MC70.

Does the card change the IP specification of the MC70?

When the SDIO card is installed the original cover plate for the SDIO slot is removed and then replaced with a new IR transmissive cover plate which is retained using the original fixing screws. When the new cover plate is attached correctly the IP specification of the MC70 terminal remains unchanged.

Does the SDIO card impact on the battery life of the MC70?

The SDIO card consumes a small amount of energy but is unlikely to impact greatly on the runtime of the MC70.  More influential factors on battery life are likely to the sustained operation of the wireless radio (s) or the brightness setting of the MC70 display.

What APIs are available, how do I use the IrDA functionality?

The IrDA dongle integrates into the Microsoft IrDA stack present on the device. There are two main ways of utilising the IrDA functionality:

A virtual comm port is provided on COM3: for IrCOMM applications that support this protocol (serial port emulation over IrDA).

Microsoft’s IrDA extensions to the Winsock API allow lower level access to setup custom connections. These are accessible through the System.Net.Sockets namespace for managed code.

Does the SDIO IrDA card provide a raw IR mode?

Due to the limited number of available COM handles on the device, Raw IR is not provided by default. However the IrDA stack may be disabled and the SDIO card accessed directly or alternative drivers can be provided with support Raw IR mode only.

Can the SDIO IrDA card be used with devices other than the MC70?

Several customers have used the SDIO IrDA card successfully with other devices. However, Technology Solutions cannot guarantee that the card will operate correctly and we may only be able to provide limited support with any problems that occur.

Contact Smart Card Reader

Where can I find out more about Smart Cards?

Microsoft provide an introduction to Smart Cards; Introducing Smart Card Concepts.

What type of cards can the Smart Card Reader work with?

The reader supports T=1 and T=0 protocols and supports all ISO7816 Class A and AB smartcards.

Does the reader support Memory Cards?

Memory Card support is provided through the MCard API and is capable of reading a number of basic memory cards and PIN enabled cards. Supported cards include:

Infineon (and compatibles) SLE4406, SLE4406E, SLE4406S, SLE4406SE, SLE4418, SLE4428, SLE4432, SLE4436, SLE4436E, SLE4442 SLE5536, SLE5536E, SLE4404

Schlumberger Primflex Store8K, Primeflex Store2K

ATMEL (and compatibles) AT24SC01ASC, AT24C02SC, AT24C04SC, AT24C08SC, AT24C16SC, AT24C32SC, AT24C64SC, AT24C128SC, AT24C256SC, AT24C512SC, AT88SC153, AT88SC1608

Is the reader compatible with the Microsoft Smart Card Resource Manager in windows mobile 5 and 6 or CE .NET 4.2?

Yes. Further information is provided by Microsoft; Welcome to the MSDN Library - Smart Card Resource Manager for Windows Mobile 5/6 and Welcome to the MSDN Library - Smart Card Resource Manager for CE .NET 4.2.

Which platforms can the Contact Smart Card Reader be used with?

Windows CE .NET 4.2, Pocket PC 2003 SE, Windows CE 5.0, windows mobile 5 or 6. Drivers and additional components are supplied by Technology Solutions as appropriate for these platforms.

Can the Smart Card Reader be used for payment and loyalty applications?

Yes, the core of the Smart Card Reader is ready for EMV1 certification.

Can the Smart Card Reader be used for Chip and PIN transactions?

No.

Can the reader be used with the high capacity battery fitted to the MC75?

Yes