© Microhard Systems Inc. Confidential 38
3.0 Mesh Configuration
A Standby Coordinator monitors the sync level of the network and when it detects that the Primary
Coordinator goes offline or is not performing its duties of network synchronization for any reason, the
Standby Coordinator can take over.
The Standby Coordinator monitors the Primary Coordinator health by listening for sync packets. When a
set number of frames have passed where no sync data is received, the Standby Coordinator can step in
and start sending sync data before the network goes offline. This allows a seamless transition to the
Standby Coordinator. Waiting for the network to lose sync will impact the network significantly, as the
entire synchronization process must begin again.
Only one Standby Coordinator can be used in a Mesh Network. As previously mentioned when discuss-
ing the Primary Coordinator, it is not recommended to use either the Primary or Standby Coordinators to
interface with end devices. Each unit in a network has a factory assigned MAC address, so even when a
Primary Coordinator fails, and the Standby takes over, unicast data will not be automatically rerouted to
the new MAC address.
Both the Primary and Standby Coordinators should be located in a location that provides the greatest
network coverage, a secure physical location to prevent tampering, and near a reliable, adequate power
source.
The following illustration shows the Mesh Network with the addition of the Standby Coordinator to pro-
vide a backup in an event where the Primary Coordinator cannot perform its duties.
Mesh
P.C.
Mesh
Mesh
S.C
Mesh
Mesh
Primary
Coordinator
Stand
by
Standby
Coordinator
Secondary
Coordinator
Drawing 3-4: Standby Coordinator
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