Aquadyne TechTip - Aqua
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1. Go to each parameter and enter the following Baud Rate 19200 D ata Format 81N D ata Interval 0 Min Field Delimiter Space Flow Control F C Disabled Leave the Menu selection at the Print D ata Now Enter to Select When using AquaWeb you should never enter a Data Interval other than 0 2 If the Octopus will be accessed viaa MODEM connect the Octopus to an Aquadyne MODEM using an Aquadyne supplied cable If the Octopus will be connected directly to a PC connect the Octopus to the PC using the correct cable NULL MODEM cable also supplied by Aquadyne At this point you should have configured the Octopus correctly and that the correct cables are installed The next step is to check the configuration of the PC COM PORTS and MODEM A PC can be configured to communicate with an Octopus via a dial up connection using a MODEM or via a Direct Wire Connection In either case it is important that the PC COM PORT or MODEM be correctly configured in the Windows 95 environment The steps in the next section are designed to test communications with the Octopus using the Microsoft program HyperTerminal If HyperTerminal is not installed on your PC please do so now Limited instructions can be found at the end of this TechTip If after performing the HyperTerminal tests outlined below you are unable to establish successful communications with the Octopus and you have previously confirmed that you are using the correct cables then you have a PC c2. ADYNE COMPUTER CORP TECH TIP IS PROVIDED AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND AQUADYNE COMPUTER CORP DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IN NO EVENT SHALL AQUADYNE COMPUTER CORP OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT INDIRECT INCIDENTAL CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES EVEN IF AQUADYNE COMPUTER CORP OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MY NOT APPLY Perform PC HyperTerminal test through a Direct Wire Connection 9 10 11 Start HyperTerminal by clicking on the Start button and going to Programs Accessories HyperTerminal Click on the icon HyperTerminal When the connection D escription box comes up enter a new connection OctopusD iretWire and click OK The Phone Number dialog Box will appear click cancel Go to File and click Properties To configure HyperTerminal for an Octopus D irect Wire session go to Properties Phone Number Connect using select the Direct to Com N where N is a properly configured COM PORT In most but not all PC s the setting would be COM PORT 2 Click Configure On Port Settings set the following Bits per second 19200 D ata bits 8 Parity None Stop Bit
3. Aquadyne TechT ip TITLE TROUBLESHOOTING PC COM PORT anb MODEM COMMUNICATIONS WITH AN OCTOPUS Article 072297 1 Last reviewed 03 25 98 Keywords Serial Port Modem Polling AquaWeb Node Not Responding PRODUCTS AFFECTED Octopus 2000 Octopus 3000 AquaNode AquaWeb For purposes of this Tech Tip it is assumed that you are using an Octopus 3000 however the tips discussed can be applied to an Aquadyne product SYMPTOMS The Octopus cannot send or receive data to a PC via the serial port The typical AquaWeb error message is N ode N ot Responding Note AquaWeb uses Windows 95 to manage all serial COM Port or MODEM communications Improperly configured COM ports or MODEMS will prevent AquaWeb from communicating with the Octopus POSSIBLE CAUSES For an Octopus connected to a PC via a Direct Wire Connection 1 An incorrect RS 232 cable is being used to connect an Octopus to aPC COM PORT via a direct Wire Connection or 2 The Octopus SERIAL PORT is not configured properly 3 The PC SERIAL PORT is not installed selected or configured properly 4 Another program has control of the COM PORT For an Octopus configured with a MODEM for dial up communications 1 An incorrect RS 232 cable is being used to connect the Octopus a modem 2 The Octopus SERIAL PORT is not configured properly 3 The MODEM connected to the Octopus is not supported by Aquadyne or the Aquadyne MODEM is not properly configured 4 Another
4. EM cable Or if your PC has a DB9 Male connector you will need a D B9 Female Adapter The Octopus serial port is not configured properly Please refer to the section titled Configure the Octopus and connect it to a MODEM or PC The MODEM connected to the Octopus is not supported by Aquadyne or the Aquadyne MODEM is not properly configured Aquadyne supports the US Robotics Sportster modem This modem may be purchased from your computer dealer Another program has control of the MODEM orit is misconfigured Close all programs that may have access to the MODEM Examples include FAX and Internet connection programs such as America Online AOL which use proprietary programs known to take direct control of the modem port AquaWeb and HyperTerminal use the modem communication device drivers integrated into the Windows 95 environment by Microsoft It is also possible that the modem is not properly installed on your PC This is typically a software installation issue If you cannot make the modem dial a call the chances are very good that your modem is not setup properly Contact Microsoft or you computer dealer for assistance Perform PC HyperTerminal test through a PC Modem An effective method for troubleshooting communication problems with the Octopus is to use the Windows 95 utility program HyperTerminal to identify and access a correctly installed MODEM PORT 1 9 al Hew Conneckon Ender a rara ai chocos anioon bor
5. Hha connector Hm icip Start HyperTerminal by clicking on the Start button and going to Programs Accessories HyperTerminal Click on the icon HyperTerminal When the connection description box comes up enter a new connection OctopusModem and click OK Go to the Connect Using box and you should see and select your Windows 95 PlugNPlay Modem If no modem is listed you have a modem installation or configuration problem You should contact your PC dealer or Microsoft for assistance in resolving this problem HyperTerminal and A quaWeb will not function properly in this state Phone Humber HE B oo Erie deai fm the phone rumbai that you vaan bo diak Ur sd Sais of fumericg l Ara code BE Phora rumber 555 1212 nter a phone number Any phone number will do for now Coprect ang Megshertz 1144 o e214 PEM E We are just going to confirm that we can access the modem Click Configure On Port Settings set the following Bits per second 19200 D ata bits 8 Parity None Stop Bits 1 Flow Control None Click Advanced On Advanced Port Settings Check USE FIFO buffers if it is not selected select it Click OK on Advanced Port Settings Click OK On Com _ Properties Click on Com_ Properties click the Settings window and make the following selections Function arrow and ctrl keys act as Terminal Keys E mulation Auto D etect Backscroll buffer lines 500 Beep three times when connection or disconn
6. e Prior to contacting Aquadyne Technical Service please read the appropriate manual sections relevant to your problem and also consulting the trouble shooting guide located at the back of the user manual If you have completed any tests or experiments to isolate and diagnose your system please make notes and have them available to help our technicians troubleshoot and answer your questions When Contacting Aquadyne Technical Service please be ready to provide the following information so that we may help you in the quickest most effective manner Who are you Your complete name address daytime phone number and an email address if you have one Which Aquadyne product is involved The Aquadyne product involved the product part number the part number revision letter the system serial number and the software version number The software version number is displayed each time the power up sequence is initiated On the Octopus 3000 and the AquaG uard the serial number and software version are available in the NEW PASSWORD menu Entering the new password AQDYN will also display the serial number and software version After observing and recording the Software Version and Serial Number press ENTER four times to return to the Status Screen Technical Support is available at 858 569 2082 X 135 from 10 00 AM to 5 00 PM PST Monday through Friday You may also send mail to support aquadyne com Disclaimer THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS AQU
7. e significant digits of the suffix part of the serial number printed on the unit label are normally 6 or 7 digits The other 8 or 9 digits are zeros Example The unit label serial number is 97 003262 In order to get the datalog from the Octopus you must enter U97 000000000003262 G05 lt cr gt Note U amp G must be capitals space lt cr gt Carriage Return G00 Letter G and 2 Zeros G05 Letter G and Zero Five If you do not get a response from the above commands you may have entered the G command incorrectly you have entered an incorrect serial number or you have a inoperable or defective COM PORT or the cable you are using is incorrect Once you have established communications with your Octopus make note of the COM PORT or MODEM settings and exit HyperTerminal being careful to save the HyperTerminal file for future use Troubleshooting an Octopus Connected to a PC via a Modem Connection An incorrect RS 232 cable is being used to connect the Octopus toa MODEM To connect an Octopus to a MODEM you will need an Aquadyne MODEM cable The pin out connections shown to the right are offered only for the purpose of confirming that you have a correct cable Aquadyne does not support the use of any cable other than those supplied by the company MODEM cables can be purchased from your Aquadyne dealer If you have aD B25 Male connector on your PC you will need a FEMALE GENDER CHANGER to insert between the PC and the NULL MOD
8. ecting optional Click ASCII Setup select the following Echo typed characters locally Check Wrap lines that exceed terminal width Check Click OK on ASCII Setup On Octopus Properties Click OK 10 Under File click Save 11 Under Call click Connect At this point your modem should dial the telephone and you should hear tones coming from the modem as the call is dialed and connected If you click the connect button and nothing happens your modem is not functioning properly Contact Microsoft or your PC dealer for assistance CONFIGURING AQUAWEB FOR THE First TIME Using the HyperTerminal program and the steps outlined above you should have now successfully communicated with the Octopus via a Direct Wire or MODEM connection This process has confirmed that your Windows 95 environment is properly configured to communicate with the Octopus and you may now proceed to use AquaWeb At this time you should make specific note of the specific COM or MODEM port assignments that you used in HyperTerminal to communicate with the Octopus You may now proceed to configure A quaWeb entering this information in the Properties section of the application as described in your user manual and related AquaWeb documentation OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION Installing HyperTerminal From the Windows 95 Distribution Disk To install a Windows component after Windows has been installed 1 Click the START button and go to the Settings then to Control Pane
9. emale Adapter Plug in the 8 pin Mini Din connector into the Octopus serial port The serial port on the Octopus is the last connector on the left end of the case The Octopus SERIAL PORT is not configured properly Please refer to the section titled Configure the Octopus and connect it to aMODEM or PC Another program has control of the COM PORT Close all other programs Your Windows 95 COM PORT settings might be incorrect or misconfigured Contact Microsoft or your computer dealer for assistance Perform PC HyperTerminal test through a Direct Wire Connection 1 The first test will be to go to the Octopus and instruct it to print out the datalog to its serial port Since the serial port on the Octopus is connected to your PC you should see the datalog printed on your PC monitor Press the Enter Key on the Octopus Go to Data Logger Print D ata Now screen and press the Enter K ey If you see a stream on data displayed on the HyperTerminal screen then the Octopus is communicating with the PC Make note of the MODEM or COM PORT that was used in this successful test of HyperTerminal If you do not see any data appear in HyperTerminal then try selecting a different COM PORT in HyperTerminal repeating the process until you identify the correct COM PORT associated with your connection If no data is displayed then you either have the wrong COM port selected or the cable is incorrect or HyperTerminal is not setup properly Go back
10. h a device it is listed in the hardware tree list under Computer The problem device has a symbol indicating the type of problem A black exclamation point on a yellow field indicates the device is in a problem state A device in a problem state may or may not be functioning A problem code explaining the problem is displayed for the device A red X indicates a disabled device A disabled device is a device that is physically present in the system consuming resources but does not have a protected mode driver loaded A blue i on a white field on a device resource in Computer properties indicates that U se A utomatic Settings is not selected for the device and that the resource was manually selected It does not indicate a problem or disabled state Contact Microsoft Technical Support or your computer dealer for assistance in resolving these problems Problems Associated with Ground Loops in a Direct Wire Connection Configuration Anytime your Octopus is connected to a different A C power source than your PC there is potential for a ground loop A ground loop is created when the voltage supplied to two different devices is not the same Should this become a problem in a Direct Wire Connection you will experience fluctuating parameter readings on the Octopus however in extreme cases damage to your Octopus could occur Contact Aquadyne Technical Support for the TechTip dealing with this problem Contacting Aquadyn
11. l Then open the Add Remove Programs dialog box Select the Window Setup and then Communications HyperTerminal can be installed from this section 2 To add all of the parts of a component click the check box 3 To remove all of the parts of a component clear the check box 4 To add or remove some of the parts of a component highlight the component name and then click Details Then check or clear the parts as needed to add or remove them 5 When you have finished selecting the components to add or remove click OK 6 Click OK again If you originally installed Windows 95 using a CD ROM or floppy disk s you may be prompted to insert the Windows installation disk s in your computer Note Each component contains one or more parts To see what is included in a component highlight the component and then click Details Problems and Issues with the Windows 95 Environment Configuration problems in the Windows 95 environment are common and can frequently make it difficult to configure AquaWeb properly Although A quadyne cannot provide technical support for problems relating to the Windows environment we do suggest that our customers become familiar with the process of troubleshooting device and device driver problems To view Device Manager follow these steps 1 1 Click the Start button point to Settings then click Control Panel 2 2 Double click the System icon 3 3 Click the Device Manager tab If there is a problem wit
12. onfiguration problem with your COM PORT or MODEM setting TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES By completing the steps outlined above your have confirmed that your Windows 95 environment recognizes the appropriate MODEM or COM PORT and that the proper cable is utilized In the steps that follow you will be using the Microsoft HyperTerminal program to communicate with the Octopus to confirm that all of the elements of the configuration cables settings and PC configuration work as a complete system Successfully completing this step will confirm that the Windows 95 environment is correctly configured and that A quaWeb will install and work properly Troubleshooting an Octopus Connected to a PC via a Direct Wire Connection An incorrect RS 232 cable is being used to connect the Octopus to a PC To connect an Octopus directly to a PC you will need an Aquadyne NULL MODEM cable The pin out connections shown to the right are offered only for the purpose of confirming that you have a correct cable Aquadyne does not support the use of any cable other than those supplied by the company NULL MODEM cables can be purchased from your Aquadyne dealer The Aquadyne cable is configured with an 8 pin mini DIN connector at the Octopus and aDB25 male connector at PC If you have a DB25 Male connector on your PC you will need a FEMALE GENDER CHANGER to insert between the PC and the NULL MODEM cable Or if your PC has a DB9 Male connector you will need a D B9 F
13. program has control of the MODEM RESOLUTION 1 Check for use of Aquadyne supplied cables the proper configuration of the Octopus and your PC 2 Then use the Microsoft HyperTerminal program to verify proper the installation of serial cables modems COM PORT and modem settings HyperTerminal is a key tool in determining if your PC is properly configured to support advanced serial communications with an O ctopus computer Note COM PORT and MODEM oonfiguration problems are ommon in the W indows 95 environment They are also very difficult to diagnose A quaW eb should not be used to troubleshoot a cable modem or a W indows 95 configuration problem This is a task more appropriately suited for Microsoft or your local dealer If the problem persists please consult with M icrosoft or your dealer to resolve the problem BE FORE contacting A quadyne W hen it is necessary to contact A quadyne regarding an installation problem you will be asked to first confirm that you have successfully configured the W indows 95 environment to communicate with the O ctopus as demonstrated through the use of HyperTerminal as described herein A quadyne technical support is not equipped to troubleshoot W indows 95 COM PORT or MODEM installation or configuration problems INITIAL CONFIGURATION PROCEDURES Configure the Octopus and connect it to a MODEM orvia Direct Wire Connection to a PC 1 To configure the Octopus enter the Setup Menu then the Data Logger Menu
14. s 1 Flow Control None Click Advanced On Advanced Port Settings DO NOT use FIFO buffers click the selection box if it is selected deselect it Click OK on Advanced Port Settings Click OK On Com _ Properties Click on Com_ Properties click the Settings window and make the following selections Function arrow and ctrl keys act as Terminal Keys Emulation Auto Detect Backscroll buffer lines 500 Beep three times when connection or disconnecting optional Click ASCII Setup select the following Echo typed characters locally Check Wrap lines that exceed terminal width Check Click OK on ASCII Setup On Octopus Properties Click OK Under File click Save Under Call click Connect If you have a valid COM PORT selected in the Windows 95 environment and it is not otherwise in use by another program then you should not receive any error message after you click on the connect command If an error message is received there is a problem with the COM PORT you have selected on your PC and further diagnosis and troubleshooting will be necessary to resolve the problm Note If no error is received after clicking on the Connect command this does not necessarily mean that you have selected the correct port that will be connected to the Octopus since there may be more than one COM PORT available on your system
15. to step 1 and follow each step to check the cabling and setup If no characters appear on your monitor and you are using the correct cable and have configured the Octopus according to the instructions above then HyperTerminal or your Windows 95 environment is not configured correctly Contact Microsoft or your computer dealer for further assistance If your PC has successfully received the data from the Octopus the next step is to confirm that the PC can initiate commands to the Octopus From HyperTerminal type the following commands in exactly the format specified To get the data for current conditions type U Unit Serial Number G 00 lt cr gt For example 95 000000001234567 G 00 lt cr gt If this command is accepted then the Octopus will give you a string of characters such as 07 16 97 06 00 02AM 08 13 148 060 1F 058 0uS 00 0 000 A9 To Get the Contents of the datalog type U Serial Number G 05 lt cr gt If this command is accepted then the Octopus will give you a string of characters such as 07 16 97 07 00 01AM 08 13 148 060 1F 057 6uS 00 0 000 AE 07 16 97 08 00 59AM 08 14 148 059 7F 058 2uS 00 0 000 C8 07 16 97 09 00 58AM 08 14 148 059 6F 058 3uS 00 0 000 C8 The Serial Number of the unit you are attempting to access takes the form PP SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS The PP is the prefix representing the first two digits of the serial number The SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS is the serial number suffix and is exactly 15 characters long Th
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