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nRF24AP2-USB Product Specification

Table 3. ANT channel ID

The channel configuration parameters are static system parameters that must match in the master and

slave, and the channel ID is included in all transmissions identifying the two nodes for each other. For in-

depth details on each parameter please refer to ANT Message Protocol and Usage.

Network

In addition to setting the content of the channel ID, which is the primary ID of an ANT node, ANT nodes

can limit their connectivity to a selection of other ANT nodes by defining a network for each ANT channel.

The limited access to certain networks is managed through unique network keys

The defined ANT networks are:

1.

Public networks: These are open ANT networks with no limitation on connectivity. All ANT

nodes sharing the same channel configuration (by design or by accident) will be able to connect.

This is the default setting in nRF24AP2.

2.

Managed networks: These are ANT networks managed by special interest groups or alliances.

An example is the ANT+ alliance for sport and wellness products. To join the ANT+ alliance,

device profiles set by the alliance, you achieve two goals:

Limited connectivity: Only other ANT+ compliant devices can connect on this channel.

Interoperability: Your node can connect to ANT+ compliant products from other vendors.

3.

Private networks: Your own protected networks, and no other devices, will be able to connect to

your ANT nodes unless you share the network key with someone outside the network. Please

Since the network parameter can be chosen independently for each ANT channel, one ANT node can

have up to eight ANT channels, operating on different networks at the same time.

Note: The network parameter has no impact on the network topologies you can build. It is merely a

tool to protect your ANT network and prevent accidental or deliberate access from other ANT

nodes.

Parameter

Comment

Channel configuration

Channel period

Time interval between data exchanges on this

channel (5.2 ms - 2 s)

RF frequencies

Which of the 78 available RF frequencies is used

by this channel

Channel type

Bi-directional slave, bi-directional master, shared

bi-directional slave, Slave Receive only

Network type

Decides if this ANT channel is going to be gener-

ally accessible (public) to all ANT nodes, or if it

shall limit its connectivity to devices belonging to a

managed or private network

Channel ID

Transmission type

1 byte – Identifying characteristics of the transmis-

sion, can for instance contain codes on how pay-

load is to be interpreted

Device type

1 byte - ID to identify the device type of the chan-

nel master (Ex: heartrate belt, temperature sensor

etc.)

Device number

2 byte - Unique ID for this channel