Overview of the Vocera Infrastructure Planning Guide

The Vocera Communications System enables you to connect and communicate instantly over a wireless network using a wireless device. The wireless devices use the latest IEEE standard and enable higher throughput and improved reliability and range.

Note: Any reference to a Vocera device in this document collectively refers to B3000n Badge, V5000 Smartbadge, and C1000 Minibadge.

The Vocera enterprise application is set up in a complex network infrastructure. Following are the Vocera clients related to this document:

Vocera C1000 Minibadge—The Vocera C1000 Minibadge is a lightweight, hands-free device that you can operate using your voice. You can use the Minibadge as a standalone device or smartphone companion. Using the Minibadge, you can place and receive calls, listen and respond to messages and alarm notifications.
Vocera V5000 Smartbadge—The Vocera Smartbadge is a small, lightweight, wearable communication device purpose-built for healthcare. The Smartbadge is powered by the Vocera Platform, enabling interoperability with most clinical and operational systems used in healthcare.

The Smartbadge gives caregivers the agility to respond to the complex and unpredictable patient care environment. Some of the salient features of the Smartbadge are to enable real-time situational awareness, receive a prioritized alert and alarm notifications, make and answer calls hands-free, have a smooth, natural bi-directional conversation, and send messages securely. The Vocera Smartbadge provides several distinct features, dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio supporting 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n/r/k and an orientation sensor.
Vocera B3000n Badge—The Vocera B3000n Badge is a small, lightweight wireless wearable device that enables clinical communication and workflow. You can initiate communication by pushing a button on the Badge and issuing a voice command. For example: “Call Jodie Lee.” The Badge provides several distinct features, dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n and an orientation sensor.

Devices are wireless network clients that require configuration before they can communicate on your network. For example, when you configure a device, you must specify that a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server will assign an IP address dynamically. This IP address is a Badge property.

Similarly, you must specify other properties for your device, such as the SSID (Service Set Identifier), your wireless network uses, and any security settings that your network may require. You must download property settings to the device from the Badge Properties Editor (BPE) is a tool that allows you to set properties for the Badge and lets it connect to the wireless network. The Badge Properties Editor (BPE) is installed on both the configuration computer and the Vocera Voice Server computer. The devices are most easily configured and administered as a group. You use the utilities to create a single properties file that describes settings for all the devices and download the settings in the properties file.
Vocera Smartphone Applications—The Vocera Smartphone Apps includes a powerful application enabled by the Apple IOS, Android operating systems. The Vocera Smartphone Apps provides access to all the voice communication features of a Vocera Badge and offers secure messaging, alert, alarm, and chat capabilities.

You can download the VCS app from the iTunes and Google stores and install it on recommended devices. For more information, refer to Vocera Messaging Platform iPhone User Guide and Vocera Messaging Platform Android User Guide for more details.

The Vocera Client Gateway provides a signaling and multimedia gateway from the VCS app to the Vocera Voice Server for all calls. All voice communication between the Vocera Voice Server or the Vocera app is done through the Vocera Client Gateway.

Vocera offers the MC40-HC as a platform for the VCS which includes Vocera voice, secure enterprise text messaging, clinical workflow, and alarm applications. For users who need a rugged, multi-functional smartphone, you can use the multi-functional Zebra TC51-HC that provides one-touch, instant communication capability of a Vocera client in a familiar phone form.

Important: When you are designing your wireless network, ensure that you configure your access points to provide the Vocera Voice Server app, Smartphones with VCS installed on it. Vocera recommends Badges with a minimum signal strength of -65dBm and a minimum SNR value of -25 dB based on a -90 dB noise floor for the area where the devices are used. If you are using both badges and other Vocera devices, set the transmit power of the access points to the level required by the Vocera Badge, which has a smaller radio and battery than the smartphone due to its lightweight, wearable design. For more information, refer to Signal Propagation.