T-Star 245 - Setup - Mounting and Installation

T-Star 245 - Setup - Mounting and installation

Mounting and Installation
Deciding where and how to mount the T-Star Platform is site by site dependent. The installer will need to use best judgment at each site, but they should consider the following:
The environmental restrictions to consider:
  1. Environmental—Operating range 0 to 50 °C (32 to 122 °F)
  2. Humidity 0 to 90% RH non-condensing
It’s also important to review the location for potential issues.  Mounting near liquid carrying pipes or HVAC duct work for example can result in condensation forming and dripping on to the T-Star. The plastic casing is not liquid proof, and any liquids spilling on to the T-Star platform Printed Circuit Board (PCB) could cause the components to fail, resulting in loss of data and requiring the T-Star to be replaced. Protecting the T-Star with an enclosure with the appropriate NEMA rating is recommended.

The platform hardware is designed to be mounted using the keyhole mounts in the plastic casing. Install the mounting screws (M5 heads for example), hang the platform on the 2 screws, tighten the 2 screws to secure the platform, then insert additional mounting screws on the lower mounting points if necessary.

Note: Be careful when not using the keyhole mounting practice described above. The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) can be damaged if larger than intended mounting hardware is used. The PCB is a sealed instance, to protect the inner traces, without having exposed connector ends. If the PCB be scrapped and the trace runs revealed, the unit may be damaged and not function as intended. This damage isn’t always instantly obvious, the traces being exposed to the environment could cause issues.
Antenna Placement

The external antenna placement has large effects on the performance of the cellular communication with the device. The ideal scenario is to install an antenna with a magnetic base on an open metallic plane, with clear surroundings at least 8” around the antenna, including the distance between the top of the antenna and any ceiling.


The antenna should always be mounted in an upright vertical orientation. Installing the antenna in a horizontal or inverted orientation will negate the antenna benefits.


Antenna placement on a mounting plane has a large effect on the received cellular signal strength and clarity by the device. It is best to center the antenna in the target placement area. If the antenna is placed with uneven surroundings, such that one direction has more clearance space than the opposite side, the antenna performance will decrease. The larger the mounting area, the less of an effect this has, so long as the antenna is near center of its mounting area. Having one side with 12” of clearance space and the opposite sides with 10” of clearance space will not have the same performance degradation as an antenna with 4” of clearance space on one side and 2” of clearance space on the opposite sides.
Avoid mounting the aerial or running the antenna lead near sources of interference:
  1. Induction Motors
  2. Automatic Door Openers
  3. Audio equipment and amplified runs
  4. Monitors or TV Screens
  5. Electrical current or sources of power
  6. Computers
  7. Networking equipment


The antenna lead wire should be installed so that it is as isolated as possible from signal interference. The lead wire is shielded cabling, but it won’t protect from all sources of interference. When placing the lead wire, the shortest interference routes should be used. When necessary to cross over other wires, use the perpendicular crossing method:

Note: Most installations will likely have to overcome multiple electrical circuits, but the method can be applied in the same way
Cable Connections

T-Star has inputs for serial communications on RS232, RS485, or digital inputs. The T-Star supports European style Wiedmuller termination blocks that are plugged in to the T-Star.

Note: All serial communications are required to have NO voltage connections to the T-Star. Any hot connections will cause those physical connectors to cease functioning. To ensure the T-Star is always protected, use an isolation block to prevent any voltages or currents from reaching the T-Star connectors.

For using the Wiedmuller termination blocks, they support up to a 18AWG wire. Proper installation include stripping the wire (solid core recommended) just enough so that the connection can be made, and there is no exposed wire. Be careful not to tighten the connection on to the remaining cable shielding or insulation, as that will result in an unstable connection.


When using serial coms, wiring is to be done in a daisy chain for multiple device connections. Each input on the Wiedmueller termination block is designed for a single wire input only.

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