Datasheet
smartEinterface
RTR / DIN / 232 / 10BASET / ...
Main Features Remote Connectivity using Client's IT Network Ideal for Campus Style Sites and Distributed Premises Clients Multiple Points of Access 'Walkabout' Commissioning using Wireless Ethernet Communication via InSite or Doorway Supervisor

Description of Features

The Ethernet Interface allows communication between SeaChange control systems and PC software (InSite or Doorway) using an Ethernet TCP/IP connection. The Ethernet connection can be any valid TCP/IP network.

• a local network between personal computers

• a wide area network

• a radio based network utilising standards such as 802.11a

• a world wide network such as the internet

Multiple Points of Access

The smartEinterface allows multiple PCs to access the same system concurrently. Since all the communications to any one system is being passed through one SLT the performance at the PC will degrade as the number of concurrent clients increases. Two classes of access are provided to ensure an acceptable level of performance to primary clients.

• Registered Clients are guaranteed a minimum acceptable level of service, at least one point per second regardless of the number of Guests using the system. Only registered clients receive alarm messages.

• Guests are occasional, intermittent or low priority users. Guests do not receive alarms. The Guest function can be used by maintenance staff who are not normally on site, or could be used to provide control from the PC desktop for office workers.

• The smartEinterface supports 4 Registered Clients and an unlimited number of Guests.

Multiple Means of Access

InSite and Doorway can be run concurrently on the PC, both programs being supplied with live data from the system. If the site also has a smartServer the server pages can be displayed in a browser on the same PC.

Campus Style Sites

Distributed sites with many independent plant rooms for example universities, military bases, and prisons are an ideal application for the smartEinterface. If a site wide Ethernet network already exists then the hard work is already done. Each plant Room is fitted with a self contained SeaChange system to which is added a smartEinterface/SLT package. The smartEinterface needs to be given a unique IP (internet protocol) address, InSite or Doorway can now be run on any PC anywhere on the network.  SeaChange Doorway can have data from multiple smartEinterfaces shown together on one schematic.

Walkabout Commissioning

A smartEinterface can be connected to one of the inexpensive radio LAN systems (Orinoco Residential Gateway plus one Laptop interface card is £350) so that the commissioning engineer can walk around the building, laptop in hand, using InSite to check and commission the system. Borrow a desk and work in comfort rather than squatting on the plant room floor.

Configuration

Each smartEinterface needs to have a unique and valid IP address, the IT manager for the site will need to provide these addresses. The smartEinterface must initially be given an address by connecting it to a laptop computer using the supplied serial cable. If the IP addresses are known at the time of ordering, then the interfaces can be setup in the factory.

An installation program is supplied with each smartEinterface, this program is run on each PC which needs to communicate through the smartEinterface. The program allows the PC to be registered with one or more smartEinterfaces. The setup program will look for Doorway on the PC and will update the relevant configuration files automatically.

The configuration settings can be protected by setting an Administrator password. Guest access can be blocked which will then only allow access to the system to registered PC's.

Specification

• Size standard 40mm DIN rail module

• Power supply 12-24V ac or dc required

• Ethernet 10base T, 10Mbit.

• Standard Ethernet RJ45 connector

• Two RS232 ports using RJ11 connectors

• Must be used with SeaChange serial adaptor SLT5a2 or later (serial cable supplied)

Configure the smartEinterface via the terminal console

Initial set-up

The smartEinterface is shipped with a default IP address of 192.168.1.210, subnet mask 255.255.255.0

• Connect the smartEinterface to your PC using the supplied serial cable (RJ11 to 9 way D), do not connected the Ethernet at this time, use RS232 port ‘a’ on the interface.

• Start the Windows HyperTerminal program (Programs->Accessories->Communications)
  Enter a name for the connection ‘Smart Interface’, ‘click’ [ok]
  Set ‘Connect using’ to the communications port to which the Smart Server is attached.
  Set the properties page as follows;
  Bits per second 115200
  Data bits 8
  Parity None
  Stop bits 1
  Flow Control None
  Now ‘click‘ [ok].
  Power cycle the smartEinterface, after this ‘press’ [Carriage Return] at least three times.
  The terminal will clear and the prompts will be displayed.

• Enter the Password, (The default password is 123456) and ‘press’ [Carriage Return].

• If you have entered the password correctly the main set-up page will be displayed. If you are having problems or have previously entered a password and forgotten it, please contact SC Controls Ltd for assistance.
  

• The only parameters that must be set at this time are the IP address and the subnet mask. The other parameters can be configured now for convenience, but all parameters can be changed via the network.
  - Interface Name – Text field to describe the location of the interface or attached SeaChange system. (50 characters max, default SmartKontrols Ethernet Interface)

  • IP Address – The IP Address of this interface. (default 192.168.1.210)

  • Subnet Mask – Subnet mask for the network. (default 255.255.255.0)

  • Password – Configuration password. This password must be 6 characters and can be a combination of numbers and letters. (default ‘123456’)

  • Secure – 0 = Disabled, 1 = The password will be needed to make changes to the interface configuration over the network, the password is always needed when accessing via the serial console. (default = 0)

  • Allow guests – 1 = Guest clients can communicate with the attached SeaChange system. 0 = No guests, registered clients only can communicate via the smartEinterface. (default = 1).

• Use [Carriage Return] to move between the fields, press the [Escape] key to finish.

• Disconnect the PC and reconnect the smartEinterface to the serial adaptor.

• Power cycle the smartEinterface.

Configure the SLT for operation with the smartEinterface

To function correctly with the Serial Lon Talk adapter (SLT) certain parameters must be set within the SLT. The issue 5a3 (or greater) SLT supplied with the smartEinterface should auto-baud and is correctly configured from the factory if bought as a functional pair.
The correct settings for the SLT are:-

• BAUD = 4

• CONN = 4

• SNDC = 1

• The other parameters can be set to suite your system configuration.

Failure to set these 3 parameters will result in poor or no operation with the smartEinterface.

Connecting to Network

Now connect the Network (RJ45 connector), on the top right of the Ethernet port is a status lamp this will be illuminated green if this Network connection is live. The yellow lamp on the left of the connector will flicker to indicate activity.

Note.
The green status lamp should be permanently ‘ON’ if it pulses ‘OFF’ at approximately 5 second intervals the smartEinterface is unable to communicate with the SLT.

Configure the Interface over the network

Configuration via the network is achieved using the smart Administration program; these instructions assume the application is currently installed, and the PC is correctly configured for your Network.

On start up the administration program will look as shown below.

• Enter the IP of the interface to be configured and press [Carriage Return], when the interface responds the extra fields will be completed as below.

• Interface Name – Text field to describe the location of the interface or attached SeaChange system. (50 characters max, default SmartKontrols Ethernet Interface)

• LAN (Local Area Network) number – This is used by the Doorway program to address data points to the correct SeaChange system, each interface must have a unique number in the range 0,1 ,4 to 255, the numbers 2 and 3 are not permitted. (default = 0)

• Allow Guests - If set Guest clients are allowed i.e. clients that are not registered with this interface can communicate with the attached SeaChange system, if clear they will be blocked. (default = set).

• Alarm retry period – Time interface will wait for a acknowledgement to an alarm before resending to the client. (default = 250 milliseconds)

• Security Options

• Enable configuration password – If set the administration password will be required to make changes to interface or to administer the clients. (default = clear)
  

• Change Password – Enter new administration password 6 characters max.
  

• Password confirmation when entering new password.
  

• To send configuration changes to the interface click the ‘Update Interface’ button.
  

• To refresh displayed details (i.e. re-request configuration details from interface) click the ‘refresh details’ button.
  
  

How to administer clients

The administration program should for convenience be installed on the same PC as the client Doorway software, this will enable the program to automatically update the Doorway configuration files. However the interface can be configured remotely but the changes to the Doorway IP file will have to made manually, the administration program will inform the user what the changes are.

Assumes the administration program is communicating with the interface.

• Click on the ‘Administer clients’ tab, the screen should look similar to below.
  

• To Add a new client.

• Select a free entry from the ‘Current clients’ list. (i.e. client 2)
  

• Enter the client details, this should be a text description of where/who the client is, these details are recovered by the administration program to inform the administrator who are the current clients. (i.e. BMS PC Shift Room 4)
  

• Client PC name – Enter the name that matches the Doorway PC Name field, we advise use of the PC name as this is a unique identifier within the Network system.
  

• To add this new client click the ‘add/update client’ button.
  

• The client has been add to the interfaces client list, the IP will be resolved the as the client communicates with the interface over the network.
  

• To remove a client.

  • Select the client from the client list

  • Now click the ‘remove client’ button.
    

  • The client will be removed from the interface client list.

Configure SeaChange Doorway (version 7 or >)

• It is assumed that the PC is already connected to the IP network, and has been configured accordingly.

• Install Doorway on the PC following the installation instructions.

• The Doorway ‘PC Name’ field should be set to match the PC Network name (This is a 15 character name that is unique to this PC within the network environment; organisations often use asset numbers for this purpose.)

• It is located under the ‘Passwords’ option of the ‘Tools’ menu.
  

• In this case it has been set to ‘DarrenP3’.

• The Doorway communications must now be set for network operation.
  Select ‘Communication Options’ this is located on the ‘Tools’ menu.
  Set the ‘Port’ to ‘IT Net’, all other setting can be left at their defaults.
  
  

• Now ‘click’ the OK button to accept the changes.
  
  (Note the Net.. and IP.. buttons these can be used to manual modify the Doorway network configuration files, it is these files the administration program is adjusting.)

Operational Notes

Default Gateway

The smartInterface does not have a network ‘Gateway’ parameter, (In a large system this would be the address of the router/switch that allows network traffic on and off this particular subnet.) The interface automatically locates the router as the clients communicate with it; the advantage of this approach is the Interface can automatically cope with changes to the Network configuration.

Dynamic v Static IP addresses

In a large office network it is often the case that the IP addresses assigned to a PC are dynamic, i.e. they are assigned to the PC on start-up by the system DHCP Server, in smaller systems IP address are often just fixed allocations. The smartEInterface can operate with either scenario, as it automatically detects the clients (Doorway PC) IP address, the only requirement is that in a dynamic system, the auto.dat page should have at least one point from each smartEInterface its is registered with, to ensure the interface has the latest PC IP address to which it will send alarms. Guest clients do not need to communicate their current IP on start-up, as they do not receive alarms.

Technical Detail

The doorway.net file contains entries as shown below.

[DOORWAY]
Lan,Gateway
0,0
1,1
2,2
3,3
4,4
5,5
6,6

These map the schematic Lan number reference to Doorways Gateway numbers.
(Gateway numbers are used by DoorNet in one of its modes of operation)
When used with the smartEInterface it is easier to map these numbers 1 to 1.

The other file used is the doorway.ip file this maps Gateway number to smartEInterface, port number and network IP addresses, as shown below.

[DOORWAY]
Gateway,Port,IP
0,60000,192.168.1.205
1,60003,192.168.2.112
2,60000,0.0.0.0
3,60000,0.0.0.0
4,60000,0.0.0.0
5,60000,0.0.0.0
7,60000,0.0.0.0
8,60000,0.0.0.0

So we can see a point with a Lan number of 1 would be sent to the interface with IP address 192.16.8.1.212 on port number 60003.

Port Number

The port numbers can be thought of as a unique connection point on the interface for this particular client.

The Doorway.ip and Doorway.net file can both be edited manually but normally the smart administration program will make all the necessary changes.

Typical system scenarios

Single PC Client over IP Network.

It is only necessary to register the client with the interface if you wish to receive alarms.

Multiple PC Clients over IP Network.

It is only necessary to register the alarm receiving clients with the smartEInterface, each interface can have up to 4 registered clients. The other benefit of registering Clients in a multiple user system is that registered Clients get a higher priority of service over the guests.

Distributed systems

It is only necessary to register the alarm receiving clients with the smartEinterface, all other clients could be left using guest operation. It is also perfectly acceptable to register clients in Location 1 to smartEinterface in Location 2, or to have guest access to remote locations.

Options and Product Codes

smartEinterface Ethernet Interface Module

RTR / DIN / 232 / 10BASET / [ option]

Options

SC Controls Ltd

PO Box313
Wadhurst
East Sussex
TN5 6JL

phone 08707 606040
fax 08707 606041
e-mail seachange@sccontrols.co.uk
http:// www.seachange.co.uk