Hi all, I need some help with settings for a telemetry system.
I have a phone line in the field. I would like to connect a com220 to the phone and a rf401(1).
The rf401(1) will need to communicate with a second, stand-alone rf401(2), which will in turn communicate with a series of cr206 and cr1000 units.
On the test bench, when connected to rf401(1) via the serial cable, I can get successful communications to the cr206, but I can't verify that the rf401(2) is relaying the message, or if it a direct communication between rf401(1) and the cr206.
When call via phone, I get successful modem tones from the com220, but I can't get a response from the cr206.
I would like to be able to define the neighbor list so as to require com thru rf401(2). Otherwise a poor signal from rf401(1) direct to the cr206 is possible is some situations.
Can anyone help with the setup (PB node, PB aware, router, central router, neighbor list, active interface, etc.) I anticipate a number of questions concerning what I have, so please fire away.
Thanks
Hi all, I need some help with settings for a telemetry system.
I have a phone line in the field. I would like to connect a com220 to the phone and a rf401(1).
The rf401(1) will need to communicate with a second, stand-alone rf401(2), which will in turn communicate with a series of cr206 and cr1000 units.
On the test bench, when connected to rf401(1) via the serial cable, I can get successful communications to the cr206, but I can't verify that the rf401(2) is relaying the message, or if it a direct communication between rf401(1) and the cr206.
Probably the easiest way to verify your network topology is to use a utility called PakBusGraph which is available with LoggerNet. It will present a graphical view of the network is it is learned by LoggerNet and should allow you to verify that the RF401 repeater is acting as a router.
When call via phone, I get successful modem tones from the com220, but I can't get a response from the cr206.
I would like to be able to define the neighbor list so as to require com thru rf401(2). Otherwise a poor signal from rf401(1) direct to the cr206 is possible is some situations.
Given that the network that you describe is a "star" topology (there is only one router in the centre that being the RF401 repeater), it is possible to construct this network without neighbour lists. All you have to do is ensure that the RF401 repeater is the only node in the network that beacons. This is needed because the CR206 does not support the neighbour list setting.
Can anyone help with the setup (PB node, PB aware, router, central router, neighbor list, active interface, etc.) I anticipate a number of questions concerning what I have, so please fire away.
Here is a suggested set of settings that may work for you:
LoggerNet Setup
The forum does not preserve white space so I had to fill in the left hand side with asterisks to imply indentation. I hope this is clear.
ComPort
|
--+ Phone Base
**|
**--+ Phone Remote
****|
****--+ PakBusPort (PBAddress=4001, beaconInt=0)
******|
******--+ PbRouter (PBAddress=4)
********|
********+- cr206 (PbAddress=5)
********|
********+- cr1000 (PbAddress=6, maxPacketSize=250)
Phone-RF401 Base Settings
Active Interface = "ME Master"
Protocol = "PakBus Aware"
ME Baud Rate = "38.4K"
Note that a CS I/O null modem such as provided by the A100 or PS512M will be needed to connect this device to the COM220.
Phone-RF401 COM220 Switches
switch 1 = open
switch 2 = open
switch 3 = open
switch 4 = closed
switch 5 = open
switch 6 = open
switch 7 = open
switch 8 = open
RF401 Repeater Settings
PakBus Address = 4
Active Interface = "PakBus Router"
Protocol = "PakBus Node"
PakBus Verify Interval = 90 sec
PakBus Beacon Interval = 60 sec
CR206 Settings
PakBus Address = 5
RF Protocol = "PakBus Aware"
CR1000 RF401 Settings
Active Interface = "Datalogger SDC"
SDC Address = 7
Protocol = "PakBus Aware"
CR1000 Settings
PakBus Address = 6
Is Router = "false"
Beacon Interval SDC7 = 0
Verify Interval SDC7 = 0
Max Packet Size = 250
* Last updated by: jtrauntvein on 8/18/2009 @ 6:45 AM *
jtrauntvein,
Thanks for your response, but I still seem to be having some troubles.
It seems that the rf401 base communicates directly with the cr206, bypassing the router.
In the setup tree, I have placed the cr206 beneath the pakbus port and beneath the router. In both cases the pakbus graph shows the connection as:
cr206--black-line--4001--red-line--router
instead of the anticipated
4001--black-line--router--black-line--cr206
I can also remover power from the router with no effect on communications.
Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help.
* Last updated by: LDS on 8/18/2009 @ 3:28 PM *
You definitely need to place the CR206 as a child to the PbRouter device. Failure to do this will result in LoggerNet using the wrong "static" routes. Following these kinds of changes, it may be necessary to reset LoggerNet's PakBus router (this can be done by choosing the "Reset Node" item from the menu shown when the right mouse button is clicked over the 4001 node in PakBusGraph) in order to force it to relearn its routing.
Also make sure that LoggerNet beacons are turned off (the PakBusPort beacon interval setting is set to zero) and the RF Repeater beacon interval setting is set to a non-zero value (I used a value of 60 seconds in my example above).
That did it. I had reset the nodes on the radios and dataloggers, but didn't think to do it for Loggernet.
Thanks.