Omnitronix DATA-LINK DL50

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Overview

Function Description
Important Technical Specifications
Usage Features
Maintenance Features

The Omnitronix DL50 is a versatile Data-Link Remote Access Unit designed for installation and operation in various environments, offering robust data collection, storage, and forwarding capabilities, alongside comprehensive alarm monitoring and remote access features. This device is suitable for applications requiring reliable data acquisition from serial ports and environmental alarm monitoring, with flexible connectivity options and advanced security features.

Function Description:

The DL50 serves as a hardware device that facilitates the management and monitoring of both serial port devices and environmental conditions. Its primary functions include:

Data Collection, Storage, and Forwarding: The unit collects data from serial ports, stores it, and can forward it via various methods. It supports data collection from up to 16 data alarm fields, allowing for detailed monitoring. The device can store data received from RS-232 serial devices on one or both ports, and this data can be stored and handled independently from any other port. Records are stored in the Alarms file, which can be polled via serial port commands.
Remote Access: The DL50 offers multiple communication methods for remote access, including FTP push, RS-232 serial to command port, Telnet to command port or pass-through, Telnet real-time sockets, and modem serial to command port or pass-through. This allows administrators to access and manage the device from various locations.
Alarm Monitoring: The device has the capability to monitor incoming data for user-defined strings and report the alarm via several avenues. It supports up to 16 individual alarm monitors, each with configurable independent actions, counters, and unique settings. Both ports on the unit can be monitored by one or two different data alarm families.
Alarm Notification: The DL50 is equipped to use several different methods to notify an administrator of alarms detected within the unit. It can send SNMP traps to enterprise management software or Omnitronix Alarm Manager (available at http://www.omnitronix.com) or via Omnitronix technical support. It can also use the internal modem to perform either a numeric or alphanumeric pager callout, or a command processor callout.
Security: The DL50 incorporates several key security features, including callback security, network proxy, and password protection. Callback security allows an administrator to restrict the phone numbers allowed to access the unit. Network proxy prevents any sort of network proxy action. Password protection offers two different user-level passwords (user and administrator) and allows for a limited set of commands and no access to the setup menu for user-level access, while administrators have full access. Passwords can be associated with a security callback number if desired.

Important Technical Specifications:

Serial Ports: The DL50 comes with two DB9 male RS-232 serial ports. These ports are DTE and are configured similarly to what is used on the COM ports of an IBM-compatible PC.
Power: The unit operates on 12VAC power and includes an internal battery backup.
Memory: The device has 256K memory.
Modem: Supports 33.6Kbps internal or external modem adapter (optional). A 5VDC power receptacle and power supply are required for the modem.
Ethernet: Includes an Ethernet adapter for network connectivity.
Baud Rate: Default settings for serial ports are 19200-baud, 8-bit word length, no parity, and one stop bit (19200, 8N1). The baud rate can be configured from 300 to 19200 baud.
Data Format: Displays the selection menu for word length, parity, and stop bit settings. Available options are 8N1, 7E1, 7N1, and 7O1.
Duplex: Controls the echo settings for the command processor. Full duplex causes the DL50 to echo all characters sent to the remote device. Half duplex turns off character echo.
Handshaking: Supports DTR, Xon/Xoff, and none.
Time Stamping: Adds the date and time received to each record as it arrives within the unit.
Serial Stamping: Adds the beginning of each record received.
Character Masking: Allows an admin to block most non-printing ASCII characters.
Data Alarm Enable: Allows monitoring of data alarms.
Inactivity Timeout: Functions in conjunction with password protection on the serial command processor. If this setting has a value other than zero, it will log off an inactive user after the number of minutes declared here. If set to zero, this feature is disabled.
Port Mode: Controls the actual functionality of this port. This setting is a toggle with the following options: Command, Data, and Inline. Command allows for serial command processor access. Data configures the port as an inbound data port. Inline allows a unit to perform a direct connection between ports 1 and 2.
Dipswitches: The back of the DL50 is equipped with two banks of eight Dipswitches (A and B) that configure baud rate, word length, parity, and stop bits for I/O 1 and I/O 2, as well as determine the operating mode of I/O 2.

Usage Features:

Quick Start Guide: The manual provides a quick start guide for initial setup, including hardware checklist, data checklist, and instructions for connecting to the DL50.
Network Setup: Detailed instructions for configuring network settings, including IP address, subnet mask, and router address.
Data Alarms: Comprehensive guide on setting up data alarms, including defining data alarm fields, configuring alarm settings (thresholds, actions, messages), and creating data alarm monitors.
Command Reference: A list of user interface commands for managing the DL50, such as BYE (disconnect), DUPLEX (set echo), EXIT (exit console mode), HELP (show help), PING (ping IP address), PROMPT (toggle command prompt), RESTART (restart unit), STATUS (display status screen), SUPER (switch to administrator privileges), USER (switch to user privileges), ACCESS (switch access file), ADDLF (add CR/LF translation), CLEAR (clear released data), COMPRESS (toggle space compression), COUNT (count records), CRC (enable CRC addition), FREE (check free space), NEXT (send next data block), PRT (partition data file), RESEND (resend last block), RESTORE (undelete data), RL (release data), RLMODE (select polling mode), TAG (toggle line numbers), WAIT (toggle wait for next command), DEFAULT (restore factory defaults), LOADSET (load settings from file), RETRSET (get user settings), SETUP (enter setup menu), BYPASS (access devices connected serially), COLDSTART (cold boot unit), FTEST (test flash memory), PUSHTEST (test FTP push), WRAP (switch wrap mode), ZAP (clear unit), and ZERO (empty unit).
Getting Connected: Instructions for connecting via serial port, modem, and Telnet, including password management for different access levels.
Status Screen: Provides real-time information about the unit's operational status, including Unit ID, Date, Time, Memory, Modem status, Network status, IP Address, MAC Address, Baud Rate, Parity, File Records, File Bytes, File % Full, ASCII/Binary mode, Handshake, File Wrap, and Alarm Filter settings for both ports.

Maintenance Features:

Internal Battery Backup: Ensures that date and time settings are maintained even when power is removed from the DL50.
Factory Defaults: The DEFAULT command allows resetting all settings to factory default values, which can be useful for troubleshooting or reconfiguring the unit.
Firmware Updates: The manual implies that firmware updates may be available, though specific instructions are not detailed in the provided excerpts.
Troubleshooting: The manual suggests contacting the Omnitronix Technical Support group for persistent problems or system administration issues.
Data Recovery: The RESTORE command allows undeleting data, restoring all available (that is, not overwritten) cleared records in the current database file.
Unit Clearing: The ZAP command clears all data and restores all settings to factory default values, while ZERO clears all data in the database. Both require confirmation.
Flash Memory Test: The FTEST command performs a destructive test of CRDB flash memory, which can be used to diagnose memory issues.