Advanced Configuration

Although you may change the advanced settings by hand, we strongly recommend that you use the advanced configuration wizard to suggest proper values. The wizard takes into account some subtle interactions between parameters.

Launch the advanced configuration wizard by clicking the upper-right icon on the advanced options panel.

The wizard will ask you a series of easy questions about the system you are creating. When the wizard completes, you can upload the new settings with the Upload New Settings button.

Specific settings:

Retry packets to insure reception

This checkbox enables the guaranteed-delivery mode when the radio is operating in transparent mode. When checked, packets will be transmitted repeatedly until an acknowledgement from the recipient is received by the transmitting radio. The number in the spin-box selects the maximum number of attempts that the radio should make to transmit the data (including the initial attempt).

Operate as a relay

This checkbox configures the radio as a relay. You can select the two groups to join below the checkbox.

Relay present in system

This checkbox causes the radio to send data at a slower pace. This throttling of data gives the relay time to retransmit packets before more is received.

Encrypt outgoing packets

This checkbox enables encryption. Make sure you have an encryption key uploaded if you check this box.

Accept unencrypted packets

This checkbox enables the radio to receive unencrypted packets even though encryption is turned on. Generally speaking, you will want to leave this box unchecked. Most users turn on encryption not just to keep their communication private, but to filter out transmissions from other users.

Keep packets in order

You can get a small performance boost by unchecking this box. Doing so will allow data packets to be sent in any order instead of in sequential order. For the sake of simplicity, we recommend you leave this control checked.

Jump table

This spin-box selects the jump table to use (see section 2.9). Only radios with the same jump table will be able to communicate reliably.

Preamble repeats

These three controls change the number of times that the packet preamble with be sent before various types of packets (standard, last attempt, and continuation/loyal/ack packets). Smaller numbers are faster, but they also increase the chance that the listener will miss the packet completely.

Post-transmit hold-off

This control sets the amount of time that a transmitter will wait before retrying a guaranteed-delivery packet.

Loyalty

This control sets the amount of time that a pair of radios will remain "loyal" to each other after they communicate. During this period, throughput between the radios gets boosted, but they will ignore packets from all other sources.

Stalemate detection

This control configures a watchdog timeout for the radio. Should the radio ever become unresponsive for this amount of time, it will automatically restart. This should not happen, so there is no need to adjust this setting.

Quiet time after transmit

The CDR XL radio family cannot receive and transmit at the same time. This control sets the minimum amount of time that the radio should listen after transmitting packets.

Acknowledgement timeout

After transmitting a guaranteed-delivery packet, the radio will listen for an acknowledgement packet from the recipient. During this minimum timeout, no other packets will be transmitted, even if the quiet time has been set to zero.

Retry max back-off

Collisions between two transmitters can prevent packet reception. Setting this control to a non-zero value will add some randomness into the retry period and decrease the chance that the next two attempts will happen simultaneously.

Sequence timeout

By default, the radios will only handle packets in order. However, it is possible in the retry process for packets to get un-ordered. This timer releases the order-enforcing restriction so that the radio code will not hang when a packet is missing.

Minimum CTS# de-assert

The CDR XL radio family uses the serial signal CTS# to keep the user from sending data to the radio faster than it can be processed. This signal could be de-asserted at any time to indicate that the radio is no longer ready to receive more data. Some serial interfaces (such as the PC's serial driver) can get confused if CTS# is de-asserted and then immediately re-asserted. This control sets the minimum de-assertion time for the CTS# signal.