This screen shows the communication between the server and meter.
Information from the server to the meter is shown in cyan
and from the meter back to the server is shown in green.

If you don't see any cyan text:
it means the Communication Device (modem/etherpad) is not connecting to the server.

• It could be that the SIM card does not have data loaded. Airtime and data is not the same.
  Take the SIM card out of the modem and put it into your phone and check that you can browse the internet. Browse something other than google or the banks since the ISPs often still allow those sites even if you don't have data loaded.
• Usually with new SIM cards, you need to load air-time to activate it.
• The antenna needs to be on a metal surface and outside of any metal boxes.
  Also check for damages to the cable and that the connector is screwed tight.
  
• For KoCoS modems, SMS the word NET to the modem to get the modem setup. It should contain something like NET1:Connected when it is connected.
  SMS CSQ to get the signal strength which is a number between 0-31, with the minimum for GPRS to work being 13 and for SMS 5.
  You need to load airtime to get SMSs back.
• For BOL modems, SMS 000000#at+csq to get the signal strength.
• If you have our own server, check that the ports are opened in the firewall.
  The central server already has the relevant ports open.
  
• If you have a KoCoS/BOL/TruTeq modem, check that the 19-23 digit SIM number is configured exactly right.
  This is the number these modems identify themselves on.
  If it is wrong the system will think it is not even connecting.
  You can go to View->GPRS Modem Status to get a list of all the identified unclaimed modems connecting to the server which is where your modem will end up if you get the SIM number wrong.
  With KoCoS you can send SIMID to get the SIM number.
  With BOL you can send 000000#at+ccid to get the SIM number.
• For modems which are not on an APN, switch on SMS Delivery Reports on your phone and send the modem an SMS.
  If the SMS could not be delivered, then the modem is off or not registered on the network (signal).
  
• For generic modems and etherpads, make sure you programmed the correct port number into the Communication Device as this is is how they identify themselves.
• Signal is usually measured in strength and quality. Quality has to do with the amount of interference, and is often a difficult problem to identify. Some modems will give a second value when asking for signal (e.g. +CSQ: 24,0) which is quality and is a value out of 7, 0 being good (99 means unknown). If you find that the signal strength is good, and the meter does read in little bits at a time, you can disable error degradation under Edit->Advanced Meter Settings->Error Degradation by setting it to 0. This will cause the system to churn through the errors anyway.

If you only see cyan lines:
it typically means the Communication Device is connecting to the server, so the problem is not the Communication Device.

• Sometimes with Vodacom they still allow the Modem to make a connection even if there is no data loaded on the SIM card. In this case you will also only see cyan text.
  
• If you only see a cyan  and then a disconnect, it means that the connection has become stale. It should reset within 5 minutes. This happens usually with someone switching off or restarting a modem.
  
• With Elster A1140,A1700 and AS230 it could be that the Multidrop address programmed into the meter and the one in PNPSCADA differ. You can change the multidrop address in Edit->Meter Details.
  
• With Elster AS3000,AS3500 and AS220 make sure you captured the Device No and not the big serial number written on the face.
  
• With Elster AS3000,AS3500 and AS220 there is a setting under Edit->Advanced Meter Settings to toggle between 7E1 and 8N1.
  
• With KoCoS modems make sure you programmed interface 1 for RS232 meters, interface 3 for RS485 meters and interface 1 and 2 for multidropped A220s.

If you see both cyan and green lines but you still don't see information coming in:

• Check View->Meter Read Logs. It will show all read attempts. There is a column showing the outcome. When you hover your mouse over the column it shows additional information.
  This could be:
• Invalid Meter Password
  
• Partial Read
  This happens when PNPSCADA does get some information, but not everything asked for. Things to try:
• For KoCoS modem, increase the serial buffer size (RS232: COM /i:1 /rxs:8192 or RS485: COM /i:3 /rxs:8192)
• For Landis & Gyr IEC mode, you might need to program the registers correctly for Phasors
• For Hexing the Demand Profile must be programmed in channel 1, and the Instrumentation Profile in channel 2.
  
• CT discrepancy. Please fix first.: the CTs on PNPSCADA is different than on the meter
  Go to Edit->Meter Details to edit the CT ratio.
• Wrong Meter At Address:
• the serial number of the meter was captured incorrectly
  Go to View->Meter Read Logs and hover your mouse over the problem to see the right and wrong serial numbers
• or you have 2 meters on the same modem and the multidrop address is wrong
  Go to Edit->Meter Details to change the multidrop address, or use the meter software to reprogram the multidrop address
• or you have 2 meters and 2 modems and put the wrong meter and modem together
  use Tools->Replace Communication Device to swop the meters and modems
• Output Problem:
• this can happen when the system was unable to read all the data from the meter that it should have. e.g. when the connection drops halfway during reading the meter, such as when the power goes down while the system is reading the meter. In this case check:
• signal strength
• power at site
• modem might have run out of data
• meter programming: was meter programmed to log all the information you want to read (for example the Landis & Gyr does not necessarily log all the values for reading a phasor graph in the IEC readout)
• this could also be a PNPSCADA driver issue. In this case you will need to phone SDG to look at the problem
• Communication error/Connection reset: this is typically caused by bad signal -> move the antenna around
• for new AS3000/AS3500 and AS220 installations, it might be that you are asking for data too far back, so just move the 'Last read up to date and time' forward.
• Disabled: the meter is disabled. Go to Edit->Meter Details to enable it.
• Not InUse: the concentrator cannot access the meter.
• Check that the Breaker Size (Edit->Meter Details) is the correct size of the breaker on site. If the system reads the meter and the readings are 10 times bigger than what the breaker can handle, the read will stop with the error message: Spike.
  To see the value that the system rejected, go to View->Meter Read Logs, and hover your mouse over 'Spike' in the 'Outcome' column. The value is given at the end of the tooltip.
• For Landis & Gyr if it is Totals and Phasors not coming in, this post describes the IEC readout
• For new Hexing installations, if you set the installation date too far back, the system never gets to a point where it finds any data. Then the connection times out and tries from the start again. Typically you just want to set the installation date forward under Edit->Meter Details->Installation Date
• If you are connecting your KoCoS modem (mostly with Elster AS3000/3500) with 485 and you get Communication error, you can increase the buffer size with these SMSes: COM /i:3 /rxs:8192, or 232 COM /i:1 /rxs:8192
  
• Hexing on Concentrator: if you get 'Wrong meter serial number found 14274512345 instead of 14274512346', then set the meter's Multidrop ID to 1 under Edit->Meter Details and read it again. Sometimes the concentrator maps 2 meters to the same ID.

Tags: bolcommunicationct ratioetherpadkocosmeter problemmodemsim

You can control whether Profile, Events, Phasors, Totals, Instumentation Profile and Billing Registers are read by going to Edit->Advanced Meter Settings.

Tags: licensephasorprofiletotals

an example of echo (when the RX and TX pins are shorted, or the cable is built wrong). basically everything transmitted is received again

Hi

Why is the background of the comms in Magenta?

 

Hi
The background of the comms monitor is in Magenta Because there is more than one meter on this modem and another meter ( Not the one you are working on) Is reading in.

sorry missed your question there. Yes the red background just means the system is currently reading another meter on the same modem.