Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Presented by:
Gordon MacLachlan (Mac)
Presentation Highlights
Troubleshooting tools that work
Common wiring problems
Essentials:
Multimeter
Cell phone
Internet
Also useful:
Hub
Cable Length
Common Wiring Problems
RS-232 Receive/Transmit Polarity:
Cable Length
Common Wiring Problems
RS-485 Polarity:
Baud Rate
Master vs. Slave.
Handshaking
Addressing
Poll timing
Common Networking Problems
RS-232 & RS-485:
Baud Rate
• Don’t just check Baud Rate. Check Parity, Data Bits and
Stop bits too.
• All devices on the same RS-485 network need to
communicate at the same baud rate. Make sure this is
possible.
Master vs. Slave.
• For Master/Slave networks (e.g.: Modbus, Metasys), one
Master usually controls all communications
• Make sure you know who is master, and that you are not
attempting Master-Master or Slave-Slave communications.
Common Networking Problems
RS-232 & RS-485:
Handshaking
• Some
devices/protocols
demand startup
handshaking like the
passing of passwords
and device
information.
• Check literature for
requirements and
default passwords.
Common Networking Problems
RS-232 & RS-485:
Addressing
• Make sure the correct device
address is being used. This is not
always obvious (e.g.: BACnet
MSTP)
• Server devices almost always need
addresses, but sometimes you need
to configure client addresses too
(e.g.: DNP 3.0)
• Some protocols may demand
address paths or addresses at
multiple levels (e.g.: Modbus +,
McQuay)
Common Networking Problems
RS-232 & RS-485:
Poll timing
• Timing can be a very complicated issue and is
not uncommon as a cause for poor
communications
• There are many timing factors to be aware of
in a communications session (e.g.: Timeouts,
poll delay, retry intervals, scan intervals,
probation delays, Inter character timing, etc)
• Enote067 is very helpful in
helping understand how
these parameters interact
• Symptoms of a timing
problem are usually
related to the presence
of partial communications
Common Networking Problems
Ethernet:
Subnets and gateways
Firewalls.
Ports
Addressing
Common Networking Problems
Ethernet:
Subnets and gateways
• A common problem in Ethernet is that IP
addresses get set up correctly without
the subnets and/or gateway addresses
being set up correctly
• Protocols differ in their
IP/Subnet/gateway
requirements, so be
aware of the
requirements for the
separate protocols.
Common Networking Problems
Ethernet:
Firewalls.
• The thing about firewalls
are that they are invisible
to the installer, but can
stop communications in a
heartbeat
• Work with the Systems
Administrator to ensure
that all necessary holes are
made in the firewalls for
the application, and that
the network design is
compatible with the
company’s security policies.
Common Networking Problems
Ethernet:
Ports
• Be aware that Ethernet protocols have ports too.
However, they are logical, not physical. Be aware of the
port required for a given protocol, you may need to
open a hole in a firewall for that port.
Addressing
• Not all Ethernet protocols use IP addresses for
addressing. Look out for the need to use multiple or
indirect addresses (e.g.: BACnet IP,
Modbus/TCP),
or even MAC addresses
(e.g.: BACnet Ethernet)
Common Networking Problems
Ethernet:
System Administration
• When adding devices to an
existing network, be aware
that this cannot be done
without knowledge of what
exists on the network.
• When doing a new network,
leave a good document trail
of how the network has
been configured.
• Be aware of the issues that
come with mixing DHCP
and fixed addressing
• Ignore the above, and you
can expect a return trip to
site.
Common Communication
Problems
Transmitting polls, but get
no response (Timeouts)
Received Data is rejected
Communication stops
management
Missing titles
Structures
Bit Packing
Supported functionality
in protocols
Imperial vs. Metric
Common Data Transfer Problems
Data Types (Typecasting)
• The FieldServer automatically typecasts data
unless special functions (like Packed Bit and
special moves) are used.
• Be careful therefore, not to put float values in an
integer data arrays for example, unless of course
you want to truncate at the decimal point.
Complex vs. Simple Data Structures
• Protocols like LonWorks use complex data
structures to transfer multiple values in one data
address.
• Plan carefully when mapping complex data
structures to simple data structures. You will
need to make sure complex types are kept
together in the right arrays, and that the correct
number of data array
positions are allowed for, etc.
Common Data Transfer Problems
Bit Packing
• Be aware that some devices send 16 status bits in an
integer to save address space and promote efficiency.
• Use Packed_Bit Data Arrays to provide binary status out
of a Packed_Bit integer.
Supported functionality in protocols
• Expect “present value” data to be transferred between
different protocols at all times. However, auxiliary
properties (Like units, data quality, etc) is not always
supported by the “other” protocol.
• E.g.: Transferring BACnet data to Modbus will get you
the values you need, but the Units property will be lost
since Modbus does not support this.
Imperial vs. Metric
• Foreign made devices often provide Metric values.
• Use Scaling in the FieldServer to do Metric->Imperial
conversions
Resources
FieldServer Website
(www.FieldServer.com)
• FieldServer Configuration Manual
• FieldServer Troubleshooting Manual
• Troubleshooting Application notes (ENotes)
Questions?
Email Mac at:
sfint@comcast.net
THANK YOU!