What's New on the TRAKKER Antares Terminals
With version 8.01.01, the TRAKKER Antares family of terminals:
802.11DS Radio Drivers
a) Change the RC (Get 802.11 Statistics) reader command to return
the CommsQuality values. This change is required to support
diagnostics applications that display such statistics as radio
signal strength and noise levels.
b) Add reentrancy protection to the hardware initialization
routines in order to prevent multiple execution threads from
resetting the hardware at the same time.
c) Change country code 708 to use channels 1 through 13.
d) Upgrade Agere Radio firmware to version 8.75 in order to
improve roaming.
e) Enhance support for third party certificates by increasing the
maximum size root certificate from 1.5K to 3K. An oversized
certificate will now generate error 037F in the error logger.
f) Filter inbound broadcast messages to prevent a burst of
broadcast messages from interfering with normal network
traffic.
g) Add a configuration command to provide user authentication as
an option to applications. TE-2000 has an option for prompting
for user name and password for use in 802.1x authentication.
This option was added in version 6.72. With TE user
authentication enabled, a terminal will be logged out as TE-
2000 starts and will remain unauthenticated until a value
username and password are entered in response to prompts issued
by the application. The reader command used by TE-2000 to
perform this process is 802.1x Login/Logout:
LR"","" -- Logs a terminal (i.e., an 802.1x
deauthentication occurs)
LR"username","password" -- logs a terminal in (i.e., an
802.1x authentication occurs
using the supplied username
and password)
Note that once the LR command is used, in either form, machine
authentication is no longer in effect. You would have to
reboot with machine authentication set via the LW command to
return to using the Machine Authentication credentials to
authenticate.
h) Add the ability to select an authentication style in effect
after each reboot. The default is to use machine
authentication. With machine authentication the username and
password stored in flash are used to perform 802.1x
authentication as required. Machine authentication is required
in order to use the Avalanche enabler. With User
Authentication selected as the authentication style a device
will remain locked out from network use until an application
such as TE-2000 prompts for and supplies a valid username and
password pair.
Set Authentication Style:
LW0 - Sets Authentication Style to Machine Authentication
(default)
LW1 - Sets Authentication Style to User Authentication
LEAP support
Correctly manage rotation of broadcast WEP keys.
TTLS support:
a) Modify the authentication code to work with the new Avalanche
enabler.
b) TTLS authentication now works with the Steel Belted Radius
server.
c) Applications must be large enough in order to be compatible
with TTLS authentication. The minimum size required is reduced
to 144K, down from 192K.
Avalanche Enabler:
New with this release is support for the Wavelink Avalanche device
Management system. The Avalanche enabler is included with any
UDPPLUS or TCP/IP enabled Antares. This enabler communicates with
an Avalanche agent to provide remote device management (including
firmware updates) of your Antares terminals. Each time you reboot
your Antares the enabler is the first application that runs. Its
job is to do three things:
a) Run a CHKDSK style procedure to check for and correct any file
system corruption issues that might be present.
b) Process network profile and reader command files.
c) Synchronize software packages with the Avalanche agent.
After performing these tasks it will return to the system manager,
which will then run your configured application.
The CHKDSK procedure checks for a number of different types errors
in the file system and takes corrective action should such any
errors be found:
a) Delete any erroneous directory entries.
b) Clean up any trash in directory entry names, such as bogus
characters after the terminating NULL.
c) Match the file size for any file with the number of sectors
allocated to that file.
d) Free up any clusters that are not allocated to a file.
e) Delete cross-linked files.
Network profiles are defined by the Avalanche console and sent to
each terminal as a special software package.
Reader command files can also be sent to Antares terminals using
special configurable packages. The content of a reader command
file includes basic reader commands, configuration commands, and
comments. Any line that starts with either a semicolon (;) or a
pound sign (#) will be treated as a comment. Command Processing
configuration commands should be avoided with this release of the
enabler. In the future it will be possible via a special
configurable package to configure which commands are enabled or
disabled.
The synchronization process can be disabled if Avalanche support
is not required. Refer to the RCP subsystem section below for
details.
Beeper:
Remove allowance for 0 as valid parameter in BD reader command
setting. The allowed range is 2-7999 milliseconds.
CSP:
Now forces a COM port to be specified in the following reader
commands:
YZ for EOM chars
YY for SOM char
YU for protocol choice
YT for input command scan mode
YR for poll char
YN for multidrop address
YL for port flow control
YK for interface
YJ for AFF char
YI for databits
YF for LRC enable
YE for timeout delay
YC for stop bits
YB for parity
YA for baud rate
Makes a 247x behave as a 245x when configuring COM4 as scanner or
serial port .
Diagnostics:
a) Make the Code Verify test compatible with recent changes to
radio drivers.
b) Cause an error when COM2 is selected and is not present in your
hardware configuration.
c) Add COM3 to be tested if it is present in your hardware
configuration.
d) Remove the Serial Loopback test from the Hardware Diagnostics
Main board menu.
e) Serial Diagnostics can be run using the Serial Port Test under
System Diagnostics.
Display/Menu:
a) Add a new 12x12 font to achieve 26 character columns by 16 rows
on 247x, 248x displays.
b) Make use of the 12x12 font to achieve 16 rows by 20 columns to
approximate appearance of handhelds with this display
selection. (CRISPS 1244 & 1182 are thus both supported).
Ethernet NE2000:
Add support for the "Radio Mac Address" (RI) configuration
command. Note however that the MAC address returned is that of
the Ethernet card, not a radio. This support was added so that
Ethernet devices could take advantage of the Avalanche enabler.
File System:
When calculating the free space for a drive, factor in the fact
that files always use a non-zero multiple of sectors. Previously
the free space reported would be over stated whenever there were
one or more files with a size that wasn't an exact multiple of a
sector size.
Add support for such valid filenames as a file with a one-
character extension. Without this change it was impossible to
create some files with perfectly valid filenames.
Keypad:
57 key alpha-numeric programmable and International keytable's
usage of '=' and '_' now mirrors that of the 57 key TE. The 57
key International alpha_numeric retains duplicate '=' and '_' to
remain backwards compatible.
Add back-slash "\" as character to 39-key 243x programmable
keytable. Use <fn-rt><5> for the backslash (previously not a
valid key combination).
Menu:
a) Create a new menu for device management. Refer to RCP
subsystem for details.
b) Add GTIN Enable/Disable to UPC Configuration page.
c) Sort filenames within the menu system file manager to display
all BIN files first, followed by all DAT files, followed by all
CTL files.
d) The about screen now shows a DHCP assigned IP for UDPPLUS (as
needed) and fixes a bug where if the 9th digit of a DHCP
assigned IP was zero the about screen would incorrectly show
that no IP was assigned.
e) Display text messages sent by the Avalanche console. The
maximum length message is eighty characters. Long messages
will wrap onto multiple display lines.
f) Change example text in the network help from 127.0.0.1 to
10.20.1.166. The old IP address is not an allowed value for
Antares.
g) Add Authentication Style to TTLS and LEAP configurations of
the 802.11DS radio menus.
h) Add Terminal Port to the TCP/IP network configuration menu.
RCP subsystem:
A few new configuration commands are introduced to go with the new
Avalanche support:
a) Enable/Disable Device Management
Device management is enabled or disabled using the new UD
configuration command. When disabled, the enabler will still
run, it simply will not synchronize with an Avalanche agent. By
default device management is enabled. This new configuration
command is available via the Device Management menu that has
been added to the configuration menus.
UD0 -- disables device management
UD1 -- enables device management (default)
b) Set the initial management IP
When your Avalanche agent is on the same subnet that your
terminals connect to, it will be found automatically by the
Antares Avalanche enabler. When the agent is on a different
subnet you will need to specific the IP address for the agent
before the enabler can locate it. This can be done using a new
configuration command that is also available via the new Device
Management menu. Note that once a terminal has connected to an
agent and has downloaded a network profile, any management IP
specified in that network profile will take precedence over the
value defined by this new configuration command.
UE0.0.0.0 -- The default management IP is all zeros.
With this setting the enabler will
broadcast on the local subnet to locate
looking an agent.
UE192.168.1.1 -- Set the agent IP to 192.168.1.1. With a
non-zero agent IP the enabler can locate
the agent via a network route. Your default
router IP and subnet mask must also be
properly defined either via DHCP or
manually.
c) Set time zone
The Avalanche agent sends a time update to all enablers as they
synchronize with the agent. Antares terminals will perform this
synchronization each time you reboot with device management
enabled. The agent uses universal time for the update message.
As such, even if the agent is in a different time zone the
correct time can be set, so long as each agent knows what time
zone value to use. The default time zone is PST, which is eight
hours earlier than universal time. Mountain time is seven hours
earlier. Central time is six hours earlier, and so on. Any time
zone value from zero through twenty-three is permitted.
DZ8 -- Sets the time zone to PST, the default.
DZ5 -- Sets the time zone to EST.
This new configuration command is not available through the menu
subsystem.
d) When processing the "%%" command, units no longer lock up, when
given incorrect parameters. If the command is followed by five
or fewer characters, they are ignored, and passed through as
data. E.g.: "%%12" is read as data "%%12".
Scanner/Label/Decodes:
a) Add support for 1022 CCD engines with a modified straight
through ribbon cable (Scan module 19). The modified ribbon
cable is necessary for turning scan beam off when scanner is
disabled while remaining compatible with existing engines.
b) Fix a COM1 bug where terminals fail to communicate with
portable serials printers.
c) Fix a COM1 bug on for terminals with scanners other than 1022
integrated scanner w/ mod cable (SS_ID 19). Disabling this
scanner would cause COM1 to be disabled.
d) Allow DcBrowser application and terminals with integrated 1022
linear imagers to function with scan ahead disabled. The light
beam is now off when in a NOSCAN field.
e) The 1022 scanner now extends backlight only with a successful
scan.
f) The Scanner subsystem now turns off laser upon servicing each
end-of-scan interrupt. Turning the laser back on only occurs
if another scan is required.
g) Implement Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) format labels.
GTIN requires UPC-A, UPC_E with expanded zeros, EAN8, EAN13 and
UCC128 with AI=01 to return 14 digits by either padding with
leading zeros or in the case of UCC128 removing FNC101 from the
label.
When GTIN is enabled the UPC symbologies will be configured
with no supplementals allowed and to retain the check, number
system and leading zero digits.
GTIN is enabled with the reader command $+CO01.
$+CO0 disables GTIN.
h) Allow pulse mode of 1022 linear imagers and PDF scanners to be
updated on configuration change without requiring a reboot.
i) Force 1022 linear imagers to display UPC supplementals when
they are required.
j) Put back writing of initial settings necessary for
communicating to integrated Linear Imagers and integrated PDF
scanners.
k) Fix suspend and reanimation of application when "initializing"
scanner.
Network Stacks:
All three network stacks have been modified, with some of the
changes specific to one or two of the network stacks.
a) The Network Gauges configuration command now returns network
statistics.
b) Buffer management has been improved to insure cooperative
handling between the various tasks and interrupt procedures
that work with buffers.
Both TCP/IP & UDPPLUS:
a) An Avalanche hook has been added to service three Avalanche
console operations:
Ping Client
a special message from the Avalanche console that just requires a
response.
Send Text Message
a message that gets displayed on the Antares terminal via the
menu subsystem.
Update Now
a command that instructs the Antares terminal to reboot in order
to run the enabler again.
b) DHCP has also been modified to request most recent expired lease
whenever a lease has expired and a new discovery is required.
c) One can now start the network without first defining a valid host
or controller IP address. It is still highly advisable to configure
the host or controller IP as soon as possible, possibly by
downloading a package that contains the address via Avalanche. When
UDPPLUS is used the controller IP will be automatically configured
if the controller is on the same subnet as the terminal.
d) Sockets are not allowed to be opened until the network stack is
enabled. Furthermore, when DHCP is used, the open will wait for a
source IP to be obtained. If DHCP is not working, a sixty second
timeout may occur prior to failing to open the socket.
e) The network stack will default to enabled, permitting a device to
instantly connect to an Avalanche agent should the terminal succeed
in connecting to the network using only default parameters.
f) When DHCP is used to obtain an IP address, no TCP, ICMP, or ARP
response frames will be sent before an IP is obtained.
g) TFTP timeout values have been increased in order to improve
TFTP success rates. For uploads, the timeout will be a minimum
1 second. For downloads, the timeout will be a minimum of 4
seconds.
h) DHCP is now run as a separate network task. As such it is more
responsive.
TCP/IP:
a) Add the network stack version to the ICMP "ping" messages that
are sent every 30 seconds.
b) Add a unique identifier to ping messages and increment the
sequence number each time a ping packet is sent.
c) Add network gauges to ping packets.
d) There is a new reader command that will set the terminal port
used to open your default TCP/IP connection. The new command
is Terminal Port (NT):
NT0 (default) sets the terminal port value to
zero, which implies that a random value be
used. This is compatible with previous
releases.
NT2000 sets the terminal port value to 2000.
Using a fixed source port improves communications with hosts in
that should you reset your terminal the old session with your host
will be closed down as the terminal reboots. Normally this reset
operation is performed prior to the reboot itself. However there
are ways to prevent that including a cold boot of the terminal.
When using this new command you should be careful to avoid port
numbers that are reserved for other uses, including:
1 through 999 Are reserved for well defined services
(e.g., 7=echo, 23=Telnet)
1778 Is reserved for WaveLink/Avalanche
6000 Is reserved for the Antares Network
e) Related to the new NT command, the TCP/IP protocol now sends
a set of RST messages upon boot up whenever a fixed terminal
port is defined.
f) The NCM subsystem is also a separate task. One impact of this
is that the network stack will run more smoothly while TFTP is
in progress.
UDP+ Network Stack:
a) DHCP has been added to the UDP+ network stack, specifically to
enable the Avalanche Enabler to communicate with an agent to
obtain a static IP from an IP pool.
b) Controller DHCP has been fixed. The DHCP (Controller) command
defines when controller DHCP is enabled. If controller DHCP
is enabled, or if the current controller IP address is still
all zeros, the terminal will broadcast looking for a controller.
A controller can be located both on the same subnet and on a
remote subnet using this mechanism. In order to locate a
controller on a remote subnet a router must be acting as a DHCP
relay agent with the controller IP listed as the DHCP server.
WTP
Fixed an SmlogErr issue where an undocumented value was used to
log errors.
In addition to the changes described above Label, Keypad, and Xmodem
have been relocated in order to redistribute the unused memory
between those three modules.
Otherwise, all functions of Antares 7.15 are carried forward.
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.