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Industry FAQ


1 - Q: Can I use any 3G USB modem for my SiteManager 3129?

A: Almost. The SiteManager 3129 includes a large number of drivers for different 3G/GPRS adapters. Refer to the 3G/GPRS USB Adapter Compatibility list that we keep updated with latest information and experience.

2 - Q: The SiteManager 3129 Initial Setup guide says I need to enter SIM pin code and APN. What is an APN?

A: The APN (Access Point Name), is the individual ISP providers' gateway from their 3G/GPRS networks into the Internet. Examples of APNs for some larger Danish 3G/GPRS providers are:

 

- 3:    data.tre.dk

- TDC/Telmore:     internet

- Telia:    www.internet.mtelia

- Telenor:    internet

 

Please refer to the information of your local ISP

3 - Q: I have a Siemens PLC that I need to connect to by PPI or MPI. Does the SiteManager support this?

A: The Serial port of the SiteManager does support connecting to PPI or MPI natively, but needs a RS232-to-RS485 adapter.
Secomea offer such adapters (SE PPI100 part number 26871 and SE MPI100 part number 26864). 
When connected you just configure the SiteManager agent with device type Siemens/Serial.

4 - Q: How do I connect SiteManager to Siemens Profibus?

A: SiteManager does not natively support Profibus. You have two options to solve this:

 

1. If you connect a CPU via MPI (e.g. our SE MPI100), you can via this reach a Profibus device (es panel) "via siemens routing".

 

2. You can connect the SiteManager via Ethernet to a profibus adapter such as the netlink 50-mpi from Hilscher. 

5 - Q: Can I get my Koyo PLC to work with the SiteManager?

A: Koyo PLCs typically have two serial ports. You may experience problems with the Default port.

Successful tests have been made with a SiteManager connected to the Koyo COM port 2 configured to DirectNet (the Direct Soft5 program auto negotiates to 38400, 8, odd, 1).

6 - Q: When I select Console from the LinkManager tray icon, the browser that opens, reports an error.

 

A: You have most likely configured a proxy server to go on the Internet. This will cause the browser to try reaching the LinkManager through the proxy, instead of addressing the local IP address of the LinkManager. You can come about this problem by one of the following methods:

 

1. Upgrade to LinkManager version 4.3, which should detect the proxy settings automatically. If you insist on using LinkManager version 4.2, or you still encounter issues, you can try one of the following:

 

2. Start another browser that does not have proxy configured, and set it to be the default browser. The Console will now start this other browser.

 

3. Insert an exception in the browser for the local web address of the LinkManager: In IE7 and IE8 do the following: enter Tools --> Internet Options --> Connections --> LAN settings --> Advanced. Insert the address "http://10.127.128.129" (without quotes) in the Exceptions list. NOTE: this method only works if the proxy is explicitly configured in the web browser, and not if it set for auto discovery of the proxy server (WPAD), or if the proxy settings are distributed from a DHCP server (in the PAC file). If the latter is the case, you may be able to insert the exception in the PAC file on the DHCP server.

 

7 - Q: I am using a proxy server to go on the Internet, and have inserted an exception for the LinkManager in the exception list, but I still cannot access a web enabled device via the LinkManager connection. The remote device should be accessible on address "http://10.100.100.2".

A: Installing LinkManager version 4.3 or inserting the linkmanager exception "http://10.127.128.129" will allow you to locally access the console of the LinkManager from the tray icon. If you attempt to access e.g. a web enabled HMI via the LinkManager connection, you will additionally have to do one of the following:

 

1. Start another browser than your proxy enabled browser and enter the remote address "http://10.100.100.2"

 

2. Insert an exception in the browser for the remote web address of the device: In IE7 and IE8 do the following: enter Tools --> Internet Options --> Connections --> LAN settings --> Advanced. Insert the address "http://10.100.100.2" (without quotes) in the Exceptions list. NOTE: this method only works if the proxy is explicitly configured in the web browser, and not if it set for auto discovery of the proxy server (WPAD), or if the proxy settings are distributed from a DHCP server (in the PAC file).

8 - Q: Alerts from GateManager do not arrive in mail boxes. What could be wrong?

A: The first thing to check is if the email was triggered at all. In the GateManager console, go to the appliance for which the alert is attached, and check the Alert log. Also check that the email address is correct. 

If this is true, there is a propability that the email has been caught in a spam filter. The alert email has an xml file attached that will make some spam filters to block the mail.

If the alert has been accepted by the spam filter in the past, but suddenly gets blocked, it could be because the alert is triggered often, and the spam filter may subsequently block it as "repeated spam" after a while.

The best resolution is to enter the spam filter setup and white list all emails from the GateManager

9 - Q: How to I make the SiteManager Soft PC start automatically when the PC reboots?

 

A: It is possible to install the SiteManager Soft PC as a Windows Service. This is the procedure:

 

1. Log on as administrator and install the SiteManager Soft PC (SM PC)

 

2. When the SM PC is rightfully installed - install the SM PC as server by the following command: 

- "%ProgramFiles%\Secomea\SiteManager PC\SiteManagerPC.exe" -install 

this will install the SM PC as service in the background.

 

You can still log on as user level, but the TrayIcon will not be available. It does not help trying to start the TrayIcon manually. (By "TrayIcon" is referred to the Secomea "ON" icon which in reality represents the SiteManagerPC.exe program)

If you need to browse the admin WEB interface of the SM PC from the local PC you can use the url:

> http://10.128.128.129:3/ (Username = admin // PW = admin (if not changed) ) 

 

Command for uninstalling SM PC as service:

> SiteManagerPC.exe -remove

 

10 - Q: When I attempt to start LinkManager the tray icon stays Yellow with status Starting.

A: Most likely you have a personal firewall blocking the communication between the tray icon program and the LinkManager main process that handles the virtual adapter. The firewall build into Windows XP and Windows7 usually do not course problems, while a third party firewall may. Try check the following:

 

1. You should first try to stop the personal firewall. However, some personal firewalls will retain the blocks even when stopped. In some cases it is necessary to uninstall it completely. You may not want to do that, and you could therefore try to reconfigure it:

 

2. Ensure that the LinkManager virtual engine is allowed to communicate. So ensure that the program linkmanager.exe is not blocked. If this still does not work, also check the following:

 

3. Ensure that the personal firewall has opened for UDP port 8888 (all addresses, including broad cast) and TCP port 3. Consult your firewall's documentation, or contact your provider. You can limit opening for these ports/protocols for the linkmanager.exe.

 

4. Ensure that you do not have a third party VPN client that interrupts the traffic. For instance the Checkpoint1 SecureClient has been seen doing so. To resolve this, enter your Network Connections settings, enter the properties of the LinkManager Adapter and uncheck the item "Check Point SecuRemote". This will make the LinkManager adapter work, and will have no effect on the SecureClient that can run together with LinkManager.

 

5. If there still seems to be an issue, you can check if the LinkManager virtual engine is running at all. First Stop LinkManager via the tray icon menu (the icon should be red). Then hold the Shift key pressed while selecting Start in the LinkManager tray icon menu. This should typically give you a black console window with a lot of boot messages, which indicates that the linkmanager virtual machine process is actually running. If the console window does NOT appear, it indicates that the virtual machine is not running. In this case there would be one or more log files in the LinkManager installation folder (typically C:\Program files\Secomea\LinkManager\Machines\LinkManager\Logs). These log files may provide some more info, but may also require Secomea to interpret them.

 

6. If you are running LinkManager version 4.3.0.11017 or older, the above mentioned log file directory may not exist, as a result of the automatic creation being prevented by security policies on the PC. This can be due to the user being member of group "Debug Users" in addition to the local "Administator" group. If the log file directory does not exist, the LinkManager will remain in status Starting. Try create the folder manually, and restart the LinkManager. (Note that this scenario has been solved in version 4.4.0.11122, where the log directories are created as part of the installation)

11 - Q: My 3G/UMTS adapter seems unstable. It drops off, and sometimes does not connect?

A: You may experience that the signal is weak in your area. You can check the signal strenght in the SiteManager menu Status --> Network. SQ (Signal Quality) indicates the reception. For normal operation the signal strength should be 6 or higher, but you may experience adequate speeds for SQ as low as 2, but you should also expect drop-outs.

 

Secomea can provide an antenna together with an adapter that will fit most USB modems (partnumber 26894). If you want to make sure that your USB modem is compatible, we recommend purchasing it from Secomea (26888). Note that some USB modems, typically from Huawei, has been found to be unstable when connected several days. Check our black-list of modems for latest info. 

 

If you do not get any signal, you are probably in an area outside data communications coverage. If you get a signal, but cannot make a connection you may be more than 35km away from the base station in which case the network rejects your signal because of time delay - NOTE: This cannot be corrected by any antenna.

 

For 3G/HSDPA communications the maximum distance to the cellphone tower is approximately 8km. Usually a modem will automatically switch to GPRS. You may want to force the modem to only use GPRS in order to prevent it from flickering back and forth. This must be done by an initialisation string entered in the the UPLINK2 settings. Such initialization strings will depend on the modem manufacturer. E.g. Option uses the command AT_OPSYS=0 for forcing GPRS, while other manufacturers uses the command AT+COPS=1,0,"nn",0 (where nn denotes the ISP. The ISP will also be shown in square brackets on the Network status in the SiteManager menu).

12 - Q: What types of devices does the Serial DB9 port on the SiteManager support?

A: The serial port in principle supports any type of RS232 Serial attached equipment, including full flow control and with support for autodetection according to RFC2217.
 
Additionally the SiteManager also has a number of "Vendor Specifik Agents" that automatically sets up the serial settings according to the PLC type. This currently include the following type:
  •   - Siemens (S5, S200, S300) *
  •   - Rockwell / Allen-Bradley
  •   - Omron
  •   - Mitsubishi
  •   - B&R
  •   - Beckhoff
  •   - Panasonic
  •   - Koyo
  •   - GE IP
  •   - Danfoss (AK-SC255)
* Note that the Siemens S200 require a RS232-to-PPI adapter (Secomea p/n 26871), and the S300 require a RS232-to-MPI adapter (Secomea p/n 26864)

13 - Q: I can connect with LinkManager using wired Ethernet connection, but when using my 3G modem it fails?

A: It may be the 3G modem presents it self to Windows as a PPP interface. This is seen in some regions for Vodafone subscriptions. In this scenario LinkManager will have problems resolving the GateManager IP from the DNS name inside the certificate. You should solve it by issuing a LinkManager certificate that uses the GateManager IP address instead of the DNS name. You can verify the IP address by simply pinging the dns name (e.g. "ping gm04.secomea.com"), which will resolve the GateManager IP address. 

 

Alternatively you can create a static IP entry inside the LinkManager configuration menu for the DNS name as follows: Click the Advanced menu to enter the menu. Select System ->  Dev1 -> DNS -> Static . Add a Static Host Entry with the GateManager DNS name as Hostname (e.g. gm04.secomea.com) and the GateManager IP address as IP address (e.g. 130.226.210.165).

 

Note: this has been observed on LinkManager version v6041_11017. A solution to this scenario may become available in a future LinkManager release. 

14 - Q: In release 4.4 the SiteManager output 1 is toggled "ON" at LinkManager access, why?

A: It is correct that with version 4.4.0.11122 the SiteManager 3000 models now signals remote connections from LinkManager by activating the OUTPUT1 port (setting it to "ON" state). The purpose of this change is to be able to warn (e.g. by turning on a warning light) any local operators and service technicians that remote access/maintenance is in progress, and operators should be extra careful when operating or servicing the equipment. 
 
This feature has been implemented as result of new regulations for "Safety of packaging machines" that are currently in discussion forum, and are expected to be formalized as part of an update to the EN415 standard  (Will presumably be EN415-10).
   
Note that when a LinkManager is not connected, it is still possible to force the setting "ON" from the SiteManager web gui. This will enable a service technician to turn on the warning light without having to connect a LinkManager. For safety reasons it is not possible to force the setting OFF from the SiteManager Web gui if a LinkManager is connected.

15 - Q: When clicking "Go To Appliance" on the SiteManager, it just opens an empty browser window ?

In the beginning of February 2004, Microsoft issued a security update (832894) for Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE), which helps to protect against spoofing. Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer will not open HTTP or HTTPS sites by using a URL that includes user information. Cf. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;834489

 

So, by default, if user information is included in an HTTP or an HTTPS URL, the resulting web page shows an error (page cannot be displayed or invalid syntax error). If you have installed this security update, you cannot let the GateManager automatically present credentials to Microsoft Internet Explorer.

 

If you don't want to log on manually or use a different browser, and you determine that "Go to Appliance" gives you a page cannot be displayed or invalid syntax error, you can adjust your Windows registry as shown below. Do not attempt this unless you have experience working with the registry or can find an experienced registry user to do it for you.

 

1. Start the Registry editor like this: In Windows click Start and Run, enter regedit and click OK

 

2. Decide whether you want any user of the PC to able to present credentials in an Internet Explorer URL - or limit this feature to the specific user currently logged in.

- To give any and all users this feature, unfold the registry tree down to the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\

- To restrict this feature to the specific user currently logged in, unfold the registry tree down to the folder

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\

 

3. If the folder FeatureControl exists in the Main folder, go to the next step. If it does not exist, it must be created like this.

a. Right-click on the Main folder.

b. Select New and Key

  c. The new key is named New Key #1 by default. Rename it to FeatureControl.

 

4. If the folder FEATURE_HTTP_USERNAME_PASSWORD_DISABLE does not exist in the FeatureControl folder, create it like this.

a. Right-click on the FeatureControl folder.

b. Select New and Key

  c. The new key is named New Key #1 by default. Rename it to FEATURE_HTTP_USERNAME_PASSWORD_DISABLE.

 

5. Now you will add two DWORD values to the key: iexplore.exe and explore.exe.

a. Right-click the FEATURE_HTTP_USERNAME_PASSWORD_DISABLE key (folder).

b. Select New, select DWORD Value.

c. The new value is added to the list of DWORD values for FEATURE_HTTP_USERNAME_PASSWORD_DISABLE

    and is automatically named New Value #1. Rename it to iexplore.exe, for example by right-clicking it and

    selecting Rename.

d. Double click on iexplore.exe, and ensure that value data is set to 0.

e. Repeat steps a-d to create a new DWORD value called explorer.exe.

 

6. Close down the registry editor.

 

Result: You will be able to use "Go to Appliance" with automatic presentation of the special user name gmadmin and the session password

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