Troubleshooting DCM installations

I cannot connect to the DCM's DATA OUT port using a terminal program.

Press ENTER a few times to initiate communication.

If the DATA OUT port gives a login prompt, you should log in with your username and password. If you have not been given a different username and password, try logging in as root with the password rootme. You should change this password as soon as you can with the command passwd

If the DATA OUT port gives an ok prompt, the DCM is running the gcf_out service on that port and has provided you with a FORTH compatibility interface. Type

GETTY

and press ENTER to gain access to the login prompt.

If the DATA OUT port does not respond when you press ENTER, or produces garbage, check that your terminal program is using the same baud rate as the DCM. By default, the DCM uses a baud rate of 115200, with 8 data bits, no parity bit and 1 stop bit, and no flow control.

If the DATA OUT port is not responding at all, check the power supply to the DCM.

I cannot see the DCM's Web site over HTTP or HTTPS.

There is a problem with the network setup. Connect to the DCM's DATA OUT port using a terminal program and change the network settings to suit your network. In particular:

If the DCM has a static IP address, use ifconfig to verify that the DCM is using the correct IP address. If it is not, change it with
```
gcfgdbset net.eth.0 static
gcfgdbset net.eth.0.netmask 255.255.255.0
gcfgdbset net.eth.0.address 192.168.0.2
```
(replacing 192.168.0.2 with the IP address you want the DCM to use.)
If the DCM is using DHCP, use ifconfig to verify that the DCM is using the IP address you expected. If it is not, change the settings of your DHCP server or connect to the correct IP address for the DCM
Check that your local PC can route to the DCM's IP address. For example, if you are using a cross-over Ethernet cable, the two hosts must share a subnet.

Check that the DCM's HTTP(S) server is enabled by issuing one of

gcfgdbset net.remoteaccess.allow.http yes
gcfgdbset net.remoteaccess.allow.https yes

as necessary.

I cannot connect to the DCM's Scream! server.

Make sure you are using UDP to connect to the DCM. Scream! servers between computers (including the DCM) always use UDP. The Add TCP server... option in Scream! is intended for hardware serial-to-IP converters only.

I cannot GCFPING the DCM's Scream! server.

Check the Receive UDP data checkbox in Scream!'s Network Control window.
Open the DCM's Web site, and check that the option datatransfer.scream.server is set to on, and that datatransfer.scream.server.port is the port you expected.

I can GCFPING the DCM's Scream! server, but no data appears.

Check the DCM is receiving data by selecting Actions → Data Viewer on its Web site. This is a Java applet which provides some of the functionality of Scream!, allowing you to check that data is being received correctly.

DCM-data-viewer

The streams being received at the DCM are listed in the bottom section of the applet. Click on a checkbox to add that stream to the main viewer window.

If you do not want to use the DCM's Web site, you can find out the number of GCF blocks the DCM has received with the command gnblocks. Each serial port will be listed, with its name, number, key number and device name (as for serialmap) but including the number of blocks received on that port:

Key 0x007005: Blocks       3287 (Port  5, name Port A (COM6),
                                device /dev/ttyS2, baud 9600)

The DCM is not receiving any data streams.

Check the connection between the digitizer and the DCM by trying to log in to the digitizer's console. Press ENTER a few times to initiate communication.
If the digitizer gives an ok prompt when you press ENTER, check that you have configured the digitizer to output real time data streams. Streams will not appear until a whole GCF block (1024 bytes) is ready for transmission, so a 5 sps stream may not appear until the digitizer has been working for 4 minutes. In addition, you can configure a digitizer to output only triggered streams, in which case it will not appear until a trigger occurs. (There is an exception to this: if you have put the digitizer in the FILING or DUAL filing mode, it will send heartbeat messages to Scream! clients every so often. The DCM will not show these messages in the Data Viewer.)
If the digitizer does not respond when you press ENTER, or produces garbage, check that the DCM is using the same baud rate as the digitizer. By default, digitizers use a baud rate of 9600, with 8 data bits, no parity bit and 1 stop bit, and no flow control. To change the DCM's settings, exit the terminal program, and either
use the Serial port configuration → port name Web page, or

issue configuration commands such as

serial.5.service gcf_in
serial.5.baudrate 9600
serial.5.handshaking none

To obtain the port number (here 5) corresponding to a named port, issue the command serialmap.

If the digitizer is not responding at all, check the power supply to the digitizer and the cable between it and the DCM.

The DCM is receiving streams, but they do not contain any data.

If the data you see is zero:

Increase the Y axis scale using the icon in Scream!'s Waveview window or the corresponding icon in the DCM's Data Viewer.
Check the mass position outputs to see if the masses are locked. A properly unlocked and centred mass should show a mass position within 1000 counts of zero; a locked mass will give a value in the region of 32,000 or −32,000 counts. If your sensor has remote mass locking, you can unlock the masses by navigating to Actions → Digitizer setup and clicking Unlock sensor.

Locking or unlocking the sensor mass typically takes several minutes to complete.
Check the connection between the sensor and digitizer and try again.

If you cannot see the data in the stream, remove any constant offsets by clicking on the Zero streams icon in Scream!'s Waveview window or the DCM's Data Viewer.

The DCM receives streams, but gaps appear in the data some minutes after boot-up.

Check that the baud rate between the digitizer and the DCM is sufficient for all the data streams you want to transmit. If it is not, the digitizer's output buffer will gradually fill up until no more data can be stored. Increase the baud rate of the digitizer through the DCM (or using Scream!), then set the baud rate of the DCM's input port to the same value.

If you are using triggered output streams, be especially careful to allow a high enough baud rate to transmit data from all possible output streams simultaneously, or you will observe gaps when an event triggers the digitizer.



Home Products New installations Customer support Troubleshooting and returning goods Manuals and documentation Software for your computer Firmware updates Calibration information How-to guides Installation topics Case studies Find your nearest service centre About us	Printable version Troubleshooting DCM installations I cannot connect to the DCM's DATA OUT port using a terminal program. Press `ENTER` a few times to initiate communication. If the DATA OUT port gives a `login` prompt, you should log in with your username and password. If you have not been given a different username and password, try logging in as `root` with the password `rootme`. You should change this password as soon as you can with the command `passwd` If the DATA OUT port gives an `ok` prompt, the DCM is running the gcf_out service on that port and has provided you with a FORTH compatibility interface. Type `GETTY` and press `ENTER` to gain access to the login prompt. If the DATA OUT port does not respond when you press `ENTER`, or produces garbage, check that your terminal program is using the same baud rate as the DCM. By default, the DCM uses a baud rate of 115200, with 8 data bits, no parity bit and 1 stop bit, and no flow control. If the DATA OUT port is not responding at all, check the power supply to the DCM. I cannot see the DCM's Web site over HTTP or HTTPS. There is a problem with the network setup. Connect to the DCM's DATA OUT port using a terminal program and change the network settings to suit your network. In particular: If the DCM has a static IP address, use `ifconfig` to verify that the DCM is using the correct IP address. If it is not, change it with gcfgdbset net.eth.0 static gcfgdbset net.eth.0.netmask 255.255.255.0 gcfgdbset net.eth.0.address 192.168.0.2 (replacing `192.168.0.2` with the IP address you want the DCM to use.) If the DCM is using DHCP, use `ifconfig` to verify that the DCM is using the IP address you expected. If it is not, change the settings of your DHCP server or connect to the correct IP address for the DCM Check that your local PC can route to the DCM's IP address. For example, if you are using a cross-over Ethernet cable, the two hosts must share a subnet. Check that the DCM's HTTP(S) server is enabled by issuing one of gcfgdbset net.remoteaccess.allow.http yes gcfgdbset net.remoteaccess.allow.https yes as necessary. I cannot connect to the DCM's Scream! server. Make sure you are using UDP to connect to the DCM. Scream! servers between computers (including the DCM) always use UDP. The Add TCP server... option in Scream! is intended for hardware serial-to-IP converters only. I cannot GCFPING the DCM's Scream! server. Check the Receive UDP data checkbox in Scream!'s Network Control window. Open the DCM's Web site, and check that the option datatransfer.scream.server is set to on, and that datatransfer.scream.server.port is the port you expected. I can GCFPING the DCM's Scream! server, but no data appears. Check the DCM is receiving data by selecting Actions → Data Viewer on its Web site. This is a Java applet which provides some of the functionality of Scream!, allowing you to check that data is being received correctly. The streams being received at the DCM are listed in the bottom section of the applet. Click on a checkbox to add that stream to the main viewer window. If you do not want to use the DCM's Web site, you can find out the number of GCF blocks the DCM has received with the command `gnblocks`. Each serial port will be listed, with its name, number, key number and device name (as for `serialmap`) but including the number of blocks received on that port: Key 0x007005: Blocks 3287 (Port 5, name Port A (COM6), device /dev/ttyS2, baud 9600) The DCM is not receiving any data streams. Check the connection between the digitizer and the DCM by trying to log in to the digitizer's console. Press `ENTER` a few times to initiate communication. If the digitizer gives an `ok` prompt when you press `ENTER`, check that you have configured the digitizer to output real time data streams. Streams will not appear until a whole GCF block (1024 bytes) is ready for transmission, so a 5 sps stream may not appear until the digitizer has been working for 4 minutes. In addition, you can configure a digitizer to output only triggered streams, in which case it will not appear until a trigger occurs. (There is an exception to this: if you have put the digitizer in the FILING or DUAL filing mode, it will send heartbeat messages to Scream! clients every so often. The DCM will not show these messages in the Data Viewer.) If the digitizer does not respond when you press `ENTER`, or produces garbage, check that the DCM is using the same baud rate as the digitizer. By default, digitizers use a baud rate of 9600, with 8 data bits, no parity bit and 1 stop bit, and no flow control. To change the DCM's settings, exit the terminal program, and either use the Serial port configuration → port name Web page, or issue configuration commands such as serial.5.service gcf_in serial.5.baudrate 9600 serial.5.handshaking none To obtain the port number (here 5) corresponding to a named port, issue the command `serialmap`. If the digitizer is not responding at all, check the power supply to the digitizer and the cable between it and the DCM. The DCM is receiving streams, but they do not contain any data. If the data you see is zero: Increase the Y axis scale using the icon in Scream!'s Waveview window or the corresponding icon in the DCM's Data Viewer. Check the mass position outputs to see if the masses are locked. A properly unlocked and centred mass should show a mass position within 1000 counts of zero; a locked mass will give a value in the region of 32,000 or −32,000 counts. If your sensor has remote mass locking, you can unlock the masses by navigating to Actions → Digitizer setup and clicking Unlock sensor. Locking or unlocking the sensor mass typically takes several minutes to complete. Check the connection between the sensor and digitizer and try again. If you cannot see the data in the stream, remove any constant offsets by clicking on the Zero streams icon in Scream!'s Waveview window or the DCM's Data Viewer. The DCM receives streams, but gaps appear in the data some minutes after boot-up. Check that the baud rate between the digitizer and the DCM is sufficient for all the data streams you want to transmit. If it is not, the digitizer's output buffer will gradually fill up until no more data can be stored. Increase the baud rate of the digitizer through the DCM (or using Scream!), then set the baud rate of the DCM's input port to the same value. If you are using triggered output streams, be especially careful to allow a high enough baud rate to transmit data from all possible output streams simultaneously, or you will observe gaps when an event triggers the digitizer.