FMC Technologies Smith Meter AccuLoad III.net User Manual (English)

To Next Page

To Previous Page

Issue/Rev. 0.2 (6/14)

Page 14 • AB06069

Appendix – Troubleshooting TCP/IP Communications

Appendix I – Troubleshooting TCP/IP Communications

Troubleshooting an Ethernet Connection

• LED Indicators

The Link indicator on the Ethernet port (the green LED in top corner of AccuLoad.net main [KDC.NET] board)

is a simple indication of the correct wiring of the physical connection. Most PC and router ports also have a

visible indicator when the connection is wired properly. If the Link light does not illuminate, either the cable is

the wrong type (i.e. a standard CAT-5 cable was used when a crossover cable is needed or vice versa), the cable

is faulty, or one of the RJ45 connector plugs is not inserted completely into the jack. It is also possible but

unlikely that one of the device ports has failed. Eliminate the simplest ﬁrst: double-check that the plugs are

inserted fully; and that the cable type is correct. You can often verify that a cable is standard (or not) by holding

the two connectors from each end of the cable together and viewing the wire colors within (most RJ45

connectors are clear plastic). If the color pattern on the wires is identical on both ends of the cable, it is a

standard cable.

• PING Utility

To check the connection, Windows and most other networkable computers provide a low-level utility

called PING that issues a simple ICMP message to a remote device and awaits a response. To use this utility

in Windows, open a Command Prompt (DOS box) and type the command:

C:> PING ["UNIT ADDRESS"]

C:> PING 192.168.0.1

If the connection is successful, PING will report the total time from command to response. If it fails, a timeout

message will be displayed.

• Advanced – Ethernet Diagnostic (Packet Sniffer) Utility

A useful tool for troubleshooting network communications is a packet sniffer. This type of utility provides a

mechanism to display the trafﬁc being sent/received from the Ethernet port, and to dig down to the lower levels

to view MAC addresses and IP packet data.

An open source implementation of a packet sniffer utility, Wireshark (formerly Ethereal), is available and can be

downloaded from the Web at http://www.wireshark.org/. There are versions for Windows, Linux and other

platforms as well.

Troubleshooting a SLIP Connection

• Using the Comm Monitor Diagnostic

The AccuLoad.net has a built-in diagnostic that displays trafﬁc on the serial communications ports. To access

the Comm Monitor diagnostic, select Diagnostics Menu from the Main Menu, then scroll using the arrow keys

until the Comm Monitor selection is highlighted and press <Enter>. Then select the communications port

(1-3) that was conﬁgured for the SLIP connection. By examining the trafﬁc it is possible to determine if data

is being received from the PC end, and whether a response is being issued. You can ‘freeze’ the display, and

scroll back and forth, and toggle ASCII and hex mode views of the last 255 characters in the communications

buffer.

• CLIENT/CLIENTSERVER Handshake

When establishing a SLIP connection between two devices, Windows uses a non-standard handshake to

verify the device on the other end of the connection is compatible. Windows opens the port and immediately

sends the text “CLIENT” out the port, then waits for a response. Only the response “CLIENTSERVER” will be

accepted by Windows and allow the connection to be made. This handshake should happen quickly and it will

be visible on the Comm Monitor at least brieﬂy if all is functioning properly. If the Comm Monitor shows repeated

CLIENT messages with no CLIENTSERVER response, it is possible you have the IP addresses incorrect on

one side or the other. The host PC’s IP address should be different than the AccuLoad.net, but again both

addresses must be on the same network.

Example: Where unit address is the IP Address of ALIII.

Need help?

Do you have a question about the FMC Technologies Smith Meter AccuLoad III.net and is the answer not in the manual?

FMC Technologies Smith Meter AccuLoad III.net Specifications

General

Model	AccuLoad III.net
Manufacturer	FMC Technologies Smith Meter
Category	Measuring Instruments
Enclosure Rating	NEMA 4X
Display	LCD
Application	Liquid Measurement and Control
Operating Temperature	-40°C to +60°C (-40°F to +140°F)
Communication Protocol	Modbus, Ethernet
Power Supply	24 VDC or 120/230 VAC
Flow Rate Range	Varies depending on meter and application