Datalogic Android mobile devices enable fine-tuning of advanced Wi-Fi radio parameters, allowing for the best possible management of connectivity within enterprise networks.
The coverage and signal quality of Wi-Fi networks, can suffer from a wide variety of disturbances that result in wide variations in the behavior of the connected devices.
The presence of obstacles, signal reflections, the materials with which buildings are constructed, the presence of furnishings that can absorb signals, channel crowding, overlap with communications from other networks, and interference with other sources of electromagnetic waves (including radar, digital satellites, perimeter sensors, and security systems) can significantly degrade overall performance of a network, the stability of connections, and the ability for devices to roam with ease between the different the access points that make up the network.
The fine-tuning capabilities of configuration offered by Datalogic mobile devices help overcome these difficulties, resulting in the best Wi-Fi network performance. The choice of Datalogic devices then becomes a key advantage in deploying one’s mobile device estate.
We publish below a brief memorandum for a better understanding of the advanced Wi-Fi parameters, made available by the Datalogic Android Devices.
Wi-Fi Advanced Settings
1. Wi-Fi scan:
These Scan parameters controls how the device scans the Wi-Fi spectrum to discover new networks (BSSIDs) and new access points.
Parameters:
Scan interval (Disconnected): Defines the base (starting) interval, expressed in seconds, for periodic scanning of Wi-Fi networks (BSSIDs), when the device has the screen on, and it is not connected to any Wi-Fi network, to provide an always updated list of available networks.
Scan interval MAX (Disconnected): Define the maximum interval, expressed in seconds, for periodic scanning of Wi-Fi networks (BSSIDs), when the device has the screen on, and it is not connected to any Wi-Fi network, to provide an always updated list of available networks.
Scan interval (Connected): Define the base (starting), expressed in seconds, for periodic scanning of Wi-Fi networks (BSSIDs), when the device has the screen on, and it is connected to any Wi-Fi network.
Scan interval MAX (Connected): Define the maximum interval, expressed in seconds, for periodic scanning of Wi-Fi networks (BSSIDs), when the device has the screen on, and it is connected to any Wi-Fi network.
| Unit | Min | Max | Default | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Disconnected) | |||||
| Interval | sec | 2 | 300 | 5 | |
| Max Interval | sec | 2 | 300 | 10 | |
| (Connected) | |||||
| Interval | sec | 2 | 300 | 20 | |
| Max Interval | sec | 2 | 300 | 160 |
How does it work:
The Scan Interval parameters and Scan Interval MAX parameters work together in their respective domains (connected and disconnected) with the following rules:
- The first scan is done when the device is woken up from a standby state (Screen on/off),
- The second scan is done after the number of seconds defined by Scan Interval parameter
- Subsequent scans are performed with gradually longer intervals, calculated exponentially, until the maximum value of seconds defined by the parameter Scan Interval Max is reached.
The actual “scan interval (Disconnected)” reverts to the minimum value when the device wakes up or when the radio completely loses connection and goes from the connected state to the disconnected state.
The actual “scan interval (Connected)” reverts to the minimum value when the device wakes up or when the radio goes from the disconnected state to the connected state.
Example:
Scan Interval = 20, Scan Interval (Max) = 160
| Scan Number |
Event | Delay | Total Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | WakeUp | t(0) | d=0 | 0:00:00 |
| 2nd | Scan Interval (20s) | t(1) | d=20s | 0:00:20 |
| 3rd | (2^1) x Scan Interval (= 2*20s) | t(2) | d=40s | 0:01:00 |
| 4th | (2^2) x Scan Interval (= 4*20s) | t(3) | d=80s | 0:02:20 |
| 5th | (2^3) x Scan Interval (= 8*20s) | t(4) | d=160s | 0:05:00 |
| Next Scans | Scan Interval Max | t(n) | d=160s | t(n-1) + 160 |
2. Wi-Fi module:
The Wi-Fi Module menu contains the main settings for enabling the protocols, bands and channels used by the radio module, and for adjusting the Power Saving modes.
Parameters:
802.11 mode: controls the 802.11 mode the device will be using. The available values are “All enabled”, “802.11 a/b/g”, “802.11 b”, “802.11 b/g”, “802.11 a/b/g/n”.
Default: All enabled
Band selection: selects the band used by the device. The available values are 2.4GHz, 5 GHz.
Default: All enabled
Channels selection: controls the channels that will be enabled or disabled on the device. When a channel is disabled, the device won’t be able to communicate on that specific channel and thus won’t see any AP using that channel. The available ranges are 1-13, 36-64, 100-144, 149-173; selectable in any combination.
Default: All enabled
Power save: enables the power save mode and controls which kind of power save is used. The default value is power save enabled, if you notice a degradation in the VoIP call performance increase the value to Enabled for VoIP calls. The values available are as follows: Disabled / Enabled / Enabled for VoIP calls.
Default: Enabled
Warning: Disabling the PowerSave mode may increase the battery consumption.
Verbose logging: enables/disables a more verbose Wi-Fi module logging.
Note: The Wi-Fi verbose information can be retrieved in the standard Android logcat file
Default: Enabled
3. Wi-Fi roaming
The Wi-Fi roaming menu contains useful parameters for fine tuning the radio module in managing roaming between Wi-Fi Access Points. For basic tuning, some predefined profiles can be used. For advanced tuning, the custom profile can be set and individual parameters can be adjusted.
This menu is NOT available on Memor 10.
Parameters:
Roaming profile: allows to select one of the four roaming presets. In a gradient from Slow to Aggressive, this settings influence the sensibility and the rapidity adopted by the device from hopping from an Access Point to the next one, rather than preferring to stay with the current AP when the signal degrades.
The available profiles are:
| Slow | Roaming is limited to the lowest level. Priority is given to keeping the device connected, limiting roaming activities. Typically used when you have an optimal area coverage and you want limit the hops numbers. |
| Standard | Good balance between preserving connectivity and seeking better performances. Suitable for most situations. |
| Aggressive | Priority is given to signal quality and best network performances. Increases the roaming frequency rather than aiming at continuity of connection. Typically used when you have a weak signal coverage and you need to promote switching to an access point with a better signal. |
| Custom | Allows the user to fine-tune the device’s roaming thresholds. |
Roaming profiles preset configuration:
| (Memor 11) | (default) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parameter | Unit | Min | Max | Slow | Std. | Aggr. | Custom |
| RSSI Threshold | dBm | 10 | 120 | 70 | 65 | 62 | 65 |
| RSSI Difference | dB | 1 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Retry times | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Recalc. interval | sec | 1 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Beacon period | sec | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| (Sx5, M20, JT22) | (default) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parameter | Unit | Min | Max | Slow | Std. | Aggr. | Custom |
| RSSI Threshold | dBm | 10 | 120 | 80 | 76 | 70 | 76 |
| RSSI Difference | dB | 0 | 30 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5 (*) |
(*) The default preset of RSSI Difference for Custom profile (default) on Memor 20 is 3 dB.
Default
. Skorpio X5, Memor 20, JoyaTouch 22: Custom profile.
. Memor 11: Standard profile.
RSSI threshold: controls the signal threshold, expressed in dBm, for triggering the roaming procedure. When the access point signal drops under the threshold, the device will begin scanning in background for suitable networks to roam to. The parameter is physically negative as in -76 dBm but written as positive.
Default: see “Roaming profiles preset configuration” tables above
RSSI difference: controls the signal difference, expressed in dB, between the current access point the device is connected to and the target access point the device wants to roam to. If the target AP signal is higher than the current by at least the value of this parameter, the device will roam.
Default: see “Roaming profiles preset configuration” tables above
Retry times (Memor 11 only): set the number of roaming retries before aborting the roaming procedure
Default: see “Roaming profiles preset configuration” tables above
Recalculation interval (Memor 11 only): set the minimum time interval (in seconds) between roaming thresholds calculations.
Default: see “Roaming profiles preset configuration” tables above
Beacon Period (Memor 11 only): set the interval (in seconds) between beacon listening
Default: see “Roaming profiles preset configuration” tables above
The pre-configured profiles and their respective names are the same on all devices (Slow, Standard, Aggressive, Custom), but the same profile may correspond to different values of a given parameter on different devices, because the values to be set for individual parameters on different models vary depending on the implemented radio module of the specific device.
In defining the various profiles, Datalogic has tried to minimize the differences between various models depending on the profile selected. However, given the complexity and variability of the environments in which Wi-Fi communications occur, some differences may be possible.
Devices compatibility table
| Memor 10 Android 10 |
Memor 20 Android 11 |
Skorpio X5 Android 11 |
JoyaTouch 22 Android 11 |
Memor 11 Android 11 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi Scan | |||||
| . Scan Interval (disc.) | x | x | x | x | x |
| . Scan Interval Max (disc.) | x | x | x | x | x |
| . Scan Interval (conn.) | x | x | x | x | x |
| . Scan Interval Max (conn.) | x | x | x | x | x |
| Wi-Fi module | |||||
| . 802.11 mode | x | x | x | x | |
| . Band Selection | x | x | x | x | x |
| . Channels selection | x | x | x | x | |
| . Power Save | x | x | x | x | |
| . Verbose Logging | x | x | x | x | |
| Wi-Fi Roaming | |||||
| . Roaming Profile | x | x | x | x | |
| . RSSI Threshold | x | x | x | x | |
| . RSSI Difference | x | x | x | x | |
| . Retry times | x | ||||
| . Recalculation interval | x | ||||
| . Beacon Period | x | ||||