Rain Bird Gold LINK 900 Owner's Manual
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Rain Bird Gold LINK 900 Owner's Manual

Rain Bird Gold LINK 900 Owner's Manual

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Golf LINK900
OWNERS
MANUAL
Rev 1.0
September 2015

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Summary of Contents for Rain Bird Gold LINK 900

  • Page 1 Golf LINK900 OWNERS MANUAL Rev 1.0 September 2015...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Contents Introduction ................................2 Components ................................3 Radio Basics ................................4 Antennas: ................................4 Antenna Field Patterns: ............................. 5 Antenna Cables: ..............................6 Antenna Cable Connectors ..........................6 Adapters: ................................7 Surge Protection: ..............................7 Component Setup ..............................8 MIM-LINK / TWI-LINK Interface Connection to Central Control ..............8 Direct Connect ..............................

  • Page 3: Introduction

    1. Introduction ® Congratulations on purchasing a Rain Bird irrigation system with LINK900 advanced wireless communication technology. LINK900 advanced wireless communication technology will provide you with ® robust communication between your Rain Bird Golf Central Control MIM-LINK or TWI-LINK interface and field controllers for many years.

  • Page 4: Components

    2. Components ® Here are the main components needed for a Rain Bird irrigation system with LINK900 wireless communications: Central Control computer: Interface(s): ® MAXI Interface Module (MIM-LINK) or Two-Wire Interface (TWI-LINK) LINK900 radios: PAR+ES (LINK) controllers: Standalone Repeater (optional):...

  • Page 5: Radio Basics

    Omnidirectional and Directional (also known as Yagi). Omni-directional: ® This is the most common antenna used. Each Rain Bird Golf LINK900 radio/modem/antenna kit (H49008 & H49004) comes with this type of antenna. Different types of Omni-directional antennas can be used on a LINK900 system.

  • Page 6: B) Antenna Field Patterns

    Directional Antenna (Yagi): The Yagi antenna is typically used to focus the signal towards a single point and to minimize interference to and from other radios. Yagi Antenna, 6dB (GSP-YAGI-6) Antenna Field Patterns: Each type of antenna has a defined field pattern. This indicates how the radio waves are transmitted from and received by the antenna.

  • Page 7: C) Antenna Cables

    Antenna Cables: Cable selection is very important as too much signal loss can affect the overall communication performance. In general, lower loss cables tend to be larger in diameter and less flexible. LMR type cables are more weather resistant than RG type cables, but RG type cables tend to be much more flexible.

  • Page 8: E) Adapters

    LINK900 radio/modem/antenna kits (H49008 & H49004) is used. Where used, the surge protection MUST be rated for 900MHz operation and MUST be grounded with a bare copper wire and a ground rod or plate. Rain Bird ® recommends the Rain Bird Polyphaser (HA1100) for surge protection of external antenna installations in LINK900 systems.

  • Page 9: Component Setup

    Proper installation of all components is key to having a robust system. This section will cover in detail all the ® steps needed to properly setup LINK900 wireless communication for your Rain Bird Golf irrigation system. MIM-LINK / TWI-LINK Interface Connection to Central Control There are two options for connecting the central control interface (MIM-Link or TWI-Link) to the ®...
  • Page 10 Programming: The LINK900 radios supplied with H49001, H49004, and H49008 are identical and interchangeable. However, the programming in them will vary depending on the function of the radio. The LINK900 radio located at the MIM / TWI will always be programmed as the Master (M) radio.
  • Page 11 Device Type Serial Settings COM Port Connect to LINK900 Radio Upon successful connection to the LINK900 radio, the General Information will populate with the radio’s Serial Number, Network Address, Firmware Revision Level and other details. This information may be updated at any time by clicking on the Refresh icon. September 2015...
  • Page 12 For the Master radio at the MIM-LINK / TWI-LINK, the settings should be as follows: September 2015...

  • Page 13: C) Link900 Radio For Field Controllers Installation & Programming

    *Please note that the “Network Address” shown in the Configuration Settings/Network needs to be the same in all the radios that will be used by the field controllers. That “Network Address” is a user definable 4-digit number. Using the last 4 digits of the serial number of the Master radio is recommended.
  • Page 14 switch #1 and #2. It is recommended to never leave the Group at “0” in the System Information menu. Wire Group set by dip switches on LINK IFB: Group 1 1 on, 2 off Group 2 1 off, 2 on Group 3 1 on, 2 on Group 4...
  • Page 15 For Remote radios at satellite locations, the settings should be as follows: September 2015...
  • Page 16 Set the baud rate for the LINK900 radio in the Command Line Mode under the Utilities menu. Type “BAUD 600 8N1” and Enter. Confirm the baud rate is set to 600 8N1 by typing “BAUD” and hitting Enter. Confirm the Port is set to TTL by typing PORT and hitting Enter. PORT TTL should be displayed. If RS232 or RS485 is displayed, the radio is not a LINK900 radio.
  • Page 17 Programming Extension (X) radios: Remote radios are programmed with the GE MDS Element Manager utility. Follow the same steps as programming the Remote radio, but use the settings below: September 2015...
  • Page 18 Set the baud rate for the LINK900 radio in the Command Line Mode under the Utilities menu. Type “BAUD 600 8N1” and Enter. Confirm the baud rate is set to 600 8N1 by typing “BAUD” and hitting Enter. Confirm the Port is set to TTL by typing PORT and hitting Enter. PORT TTL should be displayed. If RS232 or RS485 is displayed, the radio is not a LINK900 radio.

  • Page 19: Programming The Par+Es Controller

    Programming the PAR+ES Controller The PAR+ES controller must also be configured for communication with the central computer via the LINK900 radio. A properly programmed PAR+ES controller will: • Receive control information from the MIM-LINK in the form of START and STOP commands.
  • Page 20 The MAXI® Interface Board (ESPMIBL) in the ESP-SATL controller is a circuit board mounted on top of the output board. ESPMIBL Output Board LINK900 Radio The LINK900 radio is connected to the ESPMIBL via a 9-Pin serial cable. The LINK900 Radio Kit for Small Pedestals (H49004) includes an antenna and cable with NMO style mount suitable for mounting to the top of the controller cabinet.
  • Page 21 On the back side of the ESP-SATL faceplate, there is a small compartment. Make sure that the “Maxicom / Stand Alone” switch is set to “Maxicom”. The Channel ID is set using the programming dial on the front of the faceplate. From the “Time / Calendar / Channel”...
  • Page 22 Each ESP-SATL controller can have up to two sensors connected. Both sensors will use the first channel ID configured on the ESP-SAT-LINK. In the central control software, the sensors will be identified as A or B. Below is an example using a Rain Can connected to the Sensor input #1 (A) of the ESP-Sat-Link.

  • Page 23: Operation

    5. Operation The following provides a brief overview of the operation of the proprietary LINK communication protocol: Communication protocol: 1. All LINK communication is a two-way polled Master/Slave type a. The MIM-LINK / TWI-LINK is the Master b. Satellite Controllers are Slaves 2.
  • Page 24 Example: If three 48 station controllers and one 72 station controller make up a complete system, the following Channel ID configuration for these controllers would comply with this recommendation: Controller #1 (48 stations): Channel ID 1 and 2 Controller #2 (48 stations): Channel ID 3 and 4 Controller #3 (72 stations): Channel ID 5, 6 and 7 Controller #4 (48 stations): Channel ID 8 and 9 It is not recommended to skip a channel ID on the same controller, or between controllers.

  • Page 25: Troubleshooting

    Complicated issues might require a call to your ® Rain Bird distributor. Most failures are first noticed as shortened or zero runtimes in the logs at the central. The following steps can help in identifying the cause of these issues.

  • Page 26: Basic Troubleshooting

    Responses from Sat: Indicates the number of responses the MIM/TWI heard back from the channel after being called. A low number or a zero indicates that either the controller is not responding or the MIM/TWI is not hearing the response. Total Calls Heard: This number indicates the total number of calls the channel heard from the MIM/TWI.

  • Page 27: Mim / Twi Troubleshooting

    If only a single controller is showing issues (note that the diagnostics could be showing issues with multiple channels as a PAR+ES can use up to 3 channels), look at the Link Diagnostic and try to determine if it is a receiving or transmitting issue. Have site conditions changed (New trees, lightning occurred, etc.)? If there are multiple channels using the same radio (ex.: PAR+ES with 3 channels) and the lower channel number has poor...
  • Page 28 At the faulty controller: • Make sure that the Group and Channel ID are correctly defined in the “System Information” of the faceplate • ® Verify the status of the “MAXI Mode LED” on the faceplate ON – Locked to the MIM/TWI via the LINK900 radio ®...
  • Page 29 Either the channels in this controller were not polled during this sequence, OR The controller did not receive the poll message. • Check the Group and Channel from the faceplate to insure the controller is properly programmed. September 2015...

  • Page 30: Appendix

    7. Appendix Sensors on the LINK900 system Sensors can play a very important role when using a Golf Central Control. Here are some examples of sensors and reasons to use them: 1) Flow Sensors: Allows the user to monitor flow at a pump station, monitor transfer pumps, etc.
  • Page 31 Pulse Sensors: These sensors deliver a pulse output. The rate of the pulses will change based upon varying conditions. Here are some examples: Tipping bucket rain gauge Paddle wheel flow meters Using Static Sensors on a LINK900 communication system with an ESP-Sat-LINK controller All static sensors are wired directly into the ESP-SATL, MAXI®...
  • Page 32 Using Pulse Sensors on a LINK900 communication system with an ESP- SATL controller Sensors with less than 100 pulses per minute: When using a Pulse sensor, the method to ® connect it to the ESP-SATL, MAXI Interface Board (ESPMIBL) will vary depending on the maximum rate of pulses output by the sensor.
  • Page 33 Wiring diagram when using the PT-3002: Wiring diagram when using the PT-322: September 2015...

  • Page 34: B) Changing The Com Port Used By A Usb-To-Serial Adapter

    Changing the COM port used by a USB-to-Serial Adapter When a USB-to-Serial adapter is initially connected, Windows will assign a COM port to it. To find out what COM port has been assigned, go to Device Manager (type “device” in the Start Menu search field, then click on Device Manager).

  • Page 35: September

    Click the “COM Port Number” drop down menu and choose the desired COM port number (e.g. COM1). Click OK twice to confirm your choice and close Device Manager. September 2015...

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