Perytons Frequently Asked Question |
| Last updated
May 2010. |
Commercial |
| How can I tell which product is best for my needs? |
| The system I am analyzing doesn’t use diversity. Do I still benefit by using the diversity option of the Perytons™ analyzer? |
| My free evaluation period has expired. What are my options? |
| What are the differences between the free evaluation version and licensed version? |
| We are currently installing a system in an indoor environment and need to optimize the deployment of our network. Should I also buy the Monitoring package? |
| We develop our own Application layer over 802.15.4 and would like to purchase the Perytons SDK module. Would the standard Perytons toolset be supported after we implement our protocol customization into the SW environment? |
| I would like to include additional
open source rules that will be available for all our company's personnel using the analyzer, however I can't create new rules with the Peryton-S, SG, D and M4 that we have. What should I do? |
| Is the Peryton analyzer software sold together with the needed hardware (802.15.4 Transceivers)? |
| Does a bought license allow for perpetual usage on a single machine? Or is the license key only valid during the period of service and support (12 months)? |
| I just downloaded the Perytons Free Evaluation
setup. Do I need to activate it in order to run it? |
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Technical |
| What kind of 802.15.4 hardware is the analyzer compatible with? |
| I am pressing the Beacon icon in the Time View window but see no beacon gridlines? |
Why is the number of dongles shown in the Data Capture form smaller than the number of dongles
I actually have? |
| How do I share captured scenario with others? |
| Does the Perytons Analyzer support upper layers protocol such as ZigBee, JenNet, MiWi? |
| We are in a phase of setting color convention to the different messages type of our protocol. Is there a way to define the colors in the different views of the analyzer? |
| Do the Perytons analyzer support the latest ZigBee 2009 released protocol changes? |
| What are the monitoring open source rules used for? |
| While running the analyzer on a specific workspace, is there a way to tell which was the pre-captured data file (ext .anl) used with it without deleting the current data I'm viewing? |
| While attempting to install the software under vista 32, I have unblocked the file, however when I try to install the application it returns the Windows Installer error:
"The system administrator has set policies to prevent this installation." - Do you have a checklist of things that I should verify to determine why it doesn't install? |
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Commercial |
Q: How can I tell which product is best for my needs?
A: |
- If you do not need capture capability, but need to analyze data already captured by others in the field or lab, then the Peryton-V will meet your needs.
- If you need to capture and analyze a single network with a known channel, or if 'active scan' or 'passive scan' are sufficient to provide channel information, and if you can bear some packet loss due to RF interference, the you can use the Peryton-S/SG.
If you are working in the SubGhz band (868Mhz, 902-928Mhz) you should use the
Peryton-SG which is similar to the Peryton-S except for the RF front-end.
- If you need to analyze a single network, but want high reliability, or if you work in a tough RF environment, then the Peryton-D is your best choice.
- If you need to analyze a complex environment with multiple networks, or need to make sure a device under testing doesn’t transmit out of range, or don't want to use active scan to detect the channel chosen by the network, then you need the high-end Peryton-M product.
Peryton-M4 is best for analyzing RF4CE network with its 3 possible channels.
Peryton-M7 is best to analyze RF4CE in high interference enviroment environment
using 3 channels with full diversity.
- If you have your proprietary protocol on top of the 802.15.4 PHY and MAC layers or ZigBee NWL and APS layers, then you need the Peryton-C. Contact Perytons for possible customization services.
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| The Perytons team will be happy to assist you in understanding your exact need, and finding which of the product suits you best. Back.... |
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Q: The system I am analyzing doesn’t use diversity. Do I still benefit by using the diversity
option of the Perytons™ analyzer? |
| A: 802.15.4 networks will rarely use antenna diversity since this increases the system cost and
power consumption. Instead, a typical application will use retransmission to compensate for
packet loss due to RF interference and multi-path propagation conditions.
For best analysis capability, you want to capture all messages transmitted by the system
under test. The use of antenna diversity by the analyzer allows a significant decrease in the
number of packets missed by the analyzer due to interference. In an indoor environment this
improvement may reduce packet loss from 2-5% in a single antenna analyzer down to 0.1%! Back.... |
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| Q: My free evaluation period has expired. What are my options? |
A: The Perytons analyzer free evaluation is for a period of 30 days. After this period expires, you should purchase a licensed version of the product from Perytons. Alternatively, you may request a 30-day extension of the free evaluation. Such an extension request will typically be approved one time.
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| Q: What are the differences between the free evaluation version and licensed version? |
| A: Some of the Perytons analyzer features are disabled or limited in the free evaluation version,
such as: |
- The free evaluation is limited to 30 days
- The maximum number of messages that can be viewed / analyzed is limited to 500
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| Q: We are currently installing a system in an indoor environment and need to optimize the deployment of our network. Should I install the Monitoring package additionally or is it enough to buy the license and activate it? |
A: Well, it depends on the deployment need. In a simple deployment you will typically use one of the basic Peryton analyzer models (preferably one that supports diversity since you are deploying the network in an indoor environment). This will allow you to make sure that the devices in the network communicate with each other and identify problems.
If the installation is complicated, and you face problems appearing once a while, or if this is mission critical system where you want to make sure, over longer period of time, what are the system performance and that there are no critical problems, then you better use the Perytons Monitoring solution. In this case you will typically leave a working analyzer with the network, and set the open source rules and statistics for reporting message status, performance, and generating alerts on scenarios you define as important.
Note that if you buy one of the basic Peryton models, and with to add the Monitoring solution in later stage, you will not have to install different software – only to buy the Monitoring add-on license and your analyzers are ready to go. Back.... |
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| Q: We develop our own Application layer over 802.15.4 and would like to purchase the Perytons SDK module. Would the standard Perytons Toolset be supported after we implement our protocol customization into the SW environment? |
| A: Yes. When you use the SDK to add your own protocol into the Perytons Analyzer, the code generated with the SDK is added to the Perytons analyzer code.
The analyzer core now sees both as a singe code, gaining all the futures supported by the analyzer such as GUI, search, monitoring rules, statistics, message compare, data export etc. Back.... |
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| Q: I would like
to include additional open source rules that will be available for all our company's
personnel using the analyzer, however I can't create new rules with the
Peryton-S, SG, D and M4 that we have. What should I do? |
A:
The standard Perytons analyzers include some
example open source rules that you can use with the standard products.
In order to be able to write additional open source rules you need the Peryton Monitoring
add-on package.
With the Monitoring pack you can write your own rules, compile them and validate
them so they can be used within the other existing analyzers in the company. The
monitoring add on is only needed to create or modify rules. These rules can be
used by any Perytons analyzer version.
If customization of your own protocol layers on top of the 802.15.4, you might
consider purchasing the Perytons SDK add-on package c. Back.... |
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| Q: Is the Peryton analyzer software sold together with the needed hardware (802.15.4 Transceivers)? |
| A:
The different Peryton analyzers models include the capturing front-end (USB dongles type: DAUB1-2400 IEEE802.15.4/ZigBee USB dongle, manufactured by Silicon Labs and USB dongles' hub if relevant).Back.... |
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| Q: Does a bought license allow for perpetual usage on a single machine? Or is the license key only valid during the period of service and support (12 months)? |
| A:
The SW license is perpetual and not time limited (for a single machine). The support is for 12 months from the purchase date (that entitles for upgrades, new releases, etc.). For pricing on support for any additional year please contact Perytons sales sales@perytons.com. Back.... |
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| Q: I just downloaded the Perytons Free Evaluation
setup. Do I need to activate it in order to run it? |
A:
When installing the Perytons analyzer on a PC for the first time, you get a free evaluation version of Peryton-M4 for a period of 30 days (and with some limited features). There is no need to activate the product to run the free-evaluation license.
Product activation is only needed in order to get a perpetual license suitable for the product you bought. To activate the product you need to send Perytons your product key (found under help/Activate Product, or by pressing the ‘Get Activation Code From Perytons’).
If you already purchased the analyzer, please note your PO number in the activation request e-mail. If not, please consult our sales team for the best product suitable for your needs.
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Technical |
| Q: What kind of 802.15.4 hardware is the analyzer compatible with? |
| A:The Perytons analyzer is capable of capture any standard 802.15.4 / ZigBee/ 6LoWPAN traffic in the 2.4Ghz band, regardless the hardware used in the monitored network. For data capture the Perytons analyzer uses DAUB1-2400 IEEE802.15.4/ZigBee USB dongles (provided with the analyzer), ST Microelectronics STM32W-SK module, or Adaptive Network Solutions AT-ANY 900 USB for Sub GHz capture. For customers that need the analyzer to use their specific hardware, Perytons proposes customization services to the specific hardware.
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| Q: I am pressing the Beacon icon in the Time View window but see no beacon gridlines? |
| A: This can happen for one of three reasons: |
- The captured data doesn’t include any valid beacon information. You can verify that by searching for messages with MacBcn field “Exists”. Note that only messages with good FCS are used for drawing beacon gridlines.
- The captured data includes beacon information, but from a wrong coordinator ID. Use Tools/Settings, and make sure the selection for beacon gridlines is either “All” or “First”.
- Compress time option in the Time View menu is chosen. In this case, all time gaps between messages are squeezed and beacon gridlines are not displayed.
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Q: Why is the number of dongles shown in the Data Capture form smaller than the number of
dongles I actually have? |
| A: Press the “Refresh dongles” button, and wait for few seconds. If the number of dongles displayed is still smaller than the number of actual dongles, take out the dongles, insert them again, wait for few seconds, and press the “Refresh dongles" again. Note that in case multiple dongles are connected to the computer using a USB hub, disconnecting the USB cable is not sufficient because the dongles get their power from the hub. Take out the USB cable, then disconnect the USB hub power. Then connect the power again, and then reconnect the USB cable. Back.... |
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| Q: How do I share a captured scenario with others? |
| A: If you just want to let someone analyze the same data, send him the data capture file (with extension .anl). If you don’t remember the file name or location, go to Settings in the Tools menu. Using a file compressor may significantly reduce the file size. If you want to share an interesting scenario with others, make the relevant scenario visible on your screen (e.g. open the relevant messages in Message View, expand the relevant parts, add meaningful bookmarks to the Time View, set the right Time View zoom, etc.). Then choose “Save” or “Save As…” from the File menu (or use the save icon). The current workspace will be saved with a .wrk extension. Send your colleague both the .wrk and .anl files. In order to view the captured data, the recipient must have a licensed version of the Perytons analyzer. Alternatively, a free evaluation version can be used to view and analyze small files with up to 15 messages. Back.... |
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| Q: Does the Perytons Analyzer support upper layers protocols such as JenNet and MiWi? |
| A: The current version of the Perytons analyzer supports the 802.15.4 PHY and MAC layers, as well as ZigBee NWL or APS network and application support layers. Additional protocols may be added in future versions. The Peryton-C allows customers to build their own protocol into the Peryton analyzer, so customers may add the protocols mentioned above, or any other protocol. Back.... |
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| Q: We are in a phase of setting color convention to the different messages type of our protocol. Is there a way to define the colors in the different views of the analyzer? |
| A: Starting from Version 2.5, the analyzers include the 'User Preferences' option that introduces user controllable flexibility.
Within the User Preferences tab, the user can modify the colors used by the analyzer basic convention (e.g. beacon, error, warning etc.) and can also define additional parameters like cycle length for cycle data capturing, etc.
With the Monitoring Rules you can define the color of each message according to its content (e.g. address, type, value of specific field). Rules can also be used to modify the icons used for each device in the Network View according to its properties. Back.... |
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| Q: Do the Perytons analyzer support the latest ZigBee 2009 released protocol changes? |
A:
The Perytons development
team is constantly on the look for implementing the latest released versions of
the supported protocols within its products. Specifically the changes related to
the latest publications on the ZigBee protocol are already implemented and
included in our latest analyzer versions.
The flexible nature of the Perytons analyzers allows us to include additional
changes in a relatively short time, a fact that is key especially when a market
of evolving protocols is concerned . Back.... |
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| Q: what are the monitoring rules used for? |
A:
Monitoring rules are actually a piece of code that can be run by the analyzer while capturing data or while analyzing previously captured data.
The rule code gets the received message after protocol processing (so field values and meanings are known, as well as device properties, connections, message status etc.).
It can then change things in the message (like name, color), set the visible fields, change the device icon that will be displayed in the Network View, collect data for user defined charts and more. Being based on C
sharp code, the flexibility of the rule is remarkable. Rules can also generate e-mail alerts, send events (or even part of some of the received messages) over UDP, TCP serial port, and more.
Rules can be written by the user who got the Peryton-Monitor add-on, or by Perytons support and incorporated into any of the licensed Peryton analyzer products. Back.... |
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| Q: While running the analyzer on a specific workspace, is there a way to tell which was the pre-captured data file (ext .anl) used with it without deleting the current data I'm viewing? |
A:
The data files included in the workspace environment are shown in the "Workspace Settings" form under the 'Tools', 'Workspace Settings' menu.
This form can be shown at any given time (also when a specific WorkSpace is used for analyzing data) and includes information about the Data Capture file (.anl), Device file (.anv) - if relevant – and the floor plan image (.jpg) to use for placing the Network View on top of - if relevant.
The form also includes the protocol (drop-down list) to use for analyzing the data as well as message range and user defined Open Source Rules to invoke during the analysis process.
After opening the form you can edit the fields (choose the required files to include in the workspace)
or just learn which ones are currently included and leave them unchanged (by pressing the 'Cancel' button).
Back.... |
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| Q: While attempting to install the software under vista 32, I have unblocked the file, however when I try to install the application it returns the Windows Installer error:
"The system administrator has set policies to prevent this installation." - Do you have a checklist of things that I should verify to determine why it doesn't install? |
| A:
The Perytons analyzer must be installed from the administrator account. If you installed it from a different user account it may not run. In this case un install the analyzer, log in as administrator, and re-install the analyzer.
Also note that the product activation must be also done from the administratr
account.
Back.... |
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