Modbus Tester Help

Table Of Contents
Modbus Tester Help ........................................................................................................................ 1
How To ............................................................................................................................................ 2
How To Make a Connection......................................................................................................... 2
How To Configure a Location ...................................................................................................... 3
How To Configure Communications Parameters ........................................................................ 4
How To Configure Modem Settings ............................................................................................. 5
Menus .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Setup menu commands ............................................................................................................... 6
Online menu commands .............................................................................................................. 7
View menu commands................................................................................................................. 8
Help menu commands ................................................................................................................. 9
Setup ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Setup Locations (Setup menu) .................................................................................................. 10
Setup Communications (Setup Locations Screen) .................................................................... 11
Log Communications (Setup menu) .......................................................................................... 13
Setup Modem (Setup Communications Screen) ....................................................................... 14
Preferences (Setup Menu)......................................................................................................... 15
Online ............................................................................................................................................ 16
Connect Screen (Online menu) ................................................................................................. 16
Online Disconnect ...................................................................................................................... 17
Test Communications Screen (Online menu)............................................................................ 18
Data Types (Test Comms Screen) ............................................................................................ 21
Convertor ................................................................................................................................... 22
Change Comms Setup Screen (Online menu) .......................................................................... 23
Register List ............................................................................................................................... 24
View ............................................................................................................................................... 27
Comms Log (View menu) .......................................................................................................... 27
Communications Statistics (View menu) ................................................................................... 29
Status Bar command (View menu) ............................................................................................ 30
Toolbar command (View menu)................................................................................................. 31
Help ............................................................................................................................................... 32
About command (Help menu) .................................................................................................... 32
Check For Updates (Help menu) ............................................................................................... 33
Release Notes (Help menu)....................................................................................................... 34
Standard Interface ......................................................................................................................... 35
Close command (Control menus) .............................................................................................. 35
No Help Available....................................................................................................................... 36
Exit command ............................................................................................................................ 37
Index command (Help menu)..................................................................................................... 38
Maximize command (System menu).......................................................................................... 39
Minimize command (application Control menu)......................................................................... 40
Move command (Control menu) ................................................................................................ 41
No Help Available....................................................................................................................... 42
Restore command (Control menu)............................................................................................. 43
Size command (System menu).................................................................................................. 44
Status Bar .................................................................................................................................. 45
Title Bar...................................................................................................................................... 47
Toolbar ....................................................................................................................................... 48
Using Help command (Help menu)............................................................................................ 49
Trouble Shooting ........................................................................................................................... 50
Trouble Shooting Serial Communications ................................................................................. 50
Trouble Shooting Ethernet Communications ............................................................................. 51
Trouble Shooting Modem Connections ..................................................................................... 52

ii
 Table Of Contents

Trouble Shooting Contact Us..................................................................................................... 53

Communication LEDs .................................................................................................................... 54

iii
Modbus Tester Help
Last updated: January 30, 2009

Welcome to Omni Flow Computers, Inc, Modbus Tester!

How To ...
Operate the Modbus Tester
Make a Connection
Configure a Location
Configure Communications Parameters
Configure Modem Settings

Menus
Setup menu
Online menu
View menu
Help menu

Trouble Shooting
Serial Communications
Modem Connections
Contact Us

1
How To
How To Make a Connection
From the Online menu, select Connect.

The Connection Screen is displayed.

To connect:
double click on a location in the list
or select a location and press Connect.
For more information, see the help for the Connect Screen.

2
 How To

How To Configure a Location

From the Setup menu, select Location.

The Setup Locations Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Locations Screen.

To enter a new location:

Press Add
or click your right mouse button and select Add from the short cut menu.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Communications Screen.

3
Modbus Tester Help

How To Configure Communications Parameters

From the Setup menu, select Location.

The Setup Locations Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Locations Screen.
To edit an existing location,
double click on a location in the list
or click once on a location in the list and press Edit
or click the right mouse button on a location in the list and select Edit from the
shortcut menu.
press Add
or click the right mouse button and select Add from the short cut menu.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Communications Screen.

4
 How To

How To Configure Modem Settings

From the Setup menu, select Location.

The Setup Locations Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Locations Screen.

To edit an existing location,

double click on a location in the list
or click once on a location in the list and press Edit
or click the right mouse button on a location in the list and select Edit from the
shortcut menu.

press Add
or click the right mouse button and select Add from the short cut menu.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Communications Screen.

If you are adding a location, select a media type of Modem or Satellite.

Press Modem Settings.

Follow the instructions for the Setup Modem Screen.

Note: If you do not see the ‘Modem Settings’ button, be sure you have selected a media type of
‘Modem’ or ‘Satellite’.

5
Menus
Setup menu commands
The Setup menu offers the following commands:

Log Communications
Preferences
Locations

6
 Menus

Online menu commands

The Online menu offers the following commands:

Connect
Disconnect
Temporarily Change Comms Setup
Test Comms

7
Modbus Tester Help

View menu commands

The View menu offers the following commands:

Comms Log
Comms Statistics
Toolbar
Status Bar

8
 Menus

Help menu commands

The Help menu offers the following commands, which provide you assistance with this
application:

Help Topics
Release Notes
Check For Updates
Convertor
About

9
Setup
Setup Locations (Setup menu)
Configure the locations of the units. This screen is only enabled in the OFFLINE mode.

Add a Location
Press Add or click your right mouse button and select Add from the short cut menu.

Edit a Location
double click on a location in the list
or click once on a location in the list and press Edit
or click the right mouse button on a location in the list and select Edit from the
shortcut menu.

Delete a Location
click once on a location in the list and press Delete
or click the right mouse button on a location in the list and select Delete from the
shortcut menu.

Re-order Locations
Click on a location in the list and while holding down the left mouse button, drag the item
where you would like and release the left mouse button.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed if the user is adding or editing a location.
Follow the instructions for the Setup Communications Screen.

10
 Setup

Setup Communications (Setup Locations Screen)

Configure communications parameters.

Media Type
The connection media. The four choices are Direct, Modem, Satellite, and TCP/IP. The
default is Direct.

Modbus ID
The unit’s Modbus ID or address. Click on the up arrow to increase the number and the
down arrow to decrease the number. You may also just enter in a number directly. The ID
can range from 1-255. The default value is 1.

Modbus Type
The protocol format. The choices are RTU or ASCII and Modbus/TCP for media type
TCP/IP. The default is RTU for all media types except Satellite which is ASCII.

The protocol format. The choices are RTU or ASCII and Modbus/TCP for media type
TCP/IP. The default is RTU for all media types except Satellite which is ASCII.

Modicon Compatible
The default is not compatible.
Location Name
Enter a description of the location.

Retries
The number of times a message is re-sent if no response or an invalid response is
received by the unit. The default is 2.

Direct, Modem and Satellite

Phone Number or Satellite Number – (Only shown for Modem and Satellite) - the
number to dial for the connection. You may enter dashes between the numbers.

Comm Port – the serial port on the PC to be used for the connection. The program
automatically lists the available ports on your PC. The default is the first port on the list.

Baud Rate – communications speed in bits per second. The values range from 300 to
38400. The default is 9600.

Initial Character delay – the amount of time in milliseconds the PC waits for a response
from the unit. Defaults are automatically set based on media type and for Direct
connections baud rate is also a factor.
Character Delay – the amount of time in milliseconds allowed between characters in a
response from the unit. Defaults are automatically set based on media type and for Direct
connections baud rate is also a factor

Data Bits – a group of bits used to represent a single character of data for transmission.
The choices are 7 or 8. The default is 8 for all media types except Satellite which is 7.

Stop Bits – a bit that signals the end of a character. The choices are 1 or 2. The default
is 1 for all media types except Satellite which is 2.

11
Modbus Tester Help

Parity – method of error checking the transmission. The choices are Even, Odd, and
None. The default is None for all media types except Satellite which is Even.

Modem Settings – (only shown for Modem and Satellite) press this button to go to the
Setup Modem Screen.

485 2-Wire – (only shown for Direct) – check this box if you have a 485 2-Wire cable
connection.

TCP/IP
IP Address – enter each of the four 3-digit numbers that make up the address. The
default is all zeros.

TCP Port – the port number. The default is 6000. For Modbus/TCP protocol, the port
number is 502.

Connection Timeout – the amount of time in milliseconds to wait before a connection

attempt is aborted. The default is 5000ms.

Message Timeout – after a connection is established, the amount of time in milliseconds

to wait for a response from the unit. The default is 2000ms.

12
 Setup

Log Communications (Setup menu)

To enable this function, click on the Setup menu and the select Log Communications.

When the function is enabled, there is a check mark next to the item on the menu.

To view the log, click on the View menu and select Comms Log. For more information, please
see the help for the Communications Log.

13
Modbus Tester Help

Setup Modem (Setup Communications Screen)

Use this menu to configure the modems.

Settings

Initialization String
The string sent to the modem to ready the modem for communications. The default string
is: AT &F E0 M1
AT – attention (if you omit this command, it is inserted for you automatically)
&F – restore factory defaults
E0 – echo off (helps to speed communications)
M1 – speaker volume is on until a connection is made

Cancel the call if not connected within XX seconds

The default is 60 seconds. After a call has been dialed, the program aborts the call
process if a connection was not established before the connection timeout.

Wait before redialing XX seconds

The default is 10 seconds. A call has been made but a connection was not established
before the connect timeout. The program waits these number of seconds before redialing
the number.

Disconnect the modem after XX minutes

The default is 15 minutes. If a connection is established via modem, the program
automatically disconnects after this period of inactivity.

Defaults
Restore the default values.

14
 Setup

Preferences (Setup Menu)

The user may set up their folder preferences for files such as communications settings and log
files.

Settings

Communications
The Settings File holds all of the communication Locations configuration. If the user
changes the folder for the Settings file, OMBTSettings.dat, the user has the option of
saving their current settings to the new folder or using the settings from the new folder.
The default folder is the folder where Modbus Tester is installed.

The Communications Log folder is used to store communications logs that are
periodically saved when Log Communications is enabled. The default folder is the
"CommsLogs" folder under the folder where Modbus Tester is installed.

The logs can be viewed from the Comms Log entry in the View menu. The default View
Comms Log folder is the "CommsLogs" folder under the folder where Modbus Tester is
installed.

Communications Statistics can be viewed from the Comms Statistics entry in the View
menu. The user has the option to clear the comms statistics whenever a connection is
made. When the box is checked, the statistics are cleared on connect. The default is
checked or cleared on connection.

Register List
The Register List folders are the preferences for importing and exporting the register list
files used in Modbus Tester. The default is the "RegList" folder under the folder where
Modbus Tester is installed.

15
Online
Connect Screen (Online menu)
Establish communications with a unit. This screen is only enabled in the OFFLINE mode.

The screen displays a list of the available connection locations.

To Connect with the unit at that location:

Double click on a location in the list
or click once on a location and press Connect.

When a connection is made successfully, the Test Comms Screen appears. The Online menu
changes from ‘Connect’ to ‘Disconnect’.

For Modem and Satellite connections:

The modem connection progress is shown
the responses from the modem are also shown
an Abort button appears when dialing has commenced. The user may abort the dialing
process by pressing this button.

Press Cancel to exit without connecting.

16
 Online

Online Disconnect
Disconnect communications from the unit.

You may use this when you want to go to another unit at a different location or to re-establish
communications because port settings may have changed at the location you were connected to .

17
Modbus Tester Help

Test Communications Screen (Online menu)

Modbus Tester Screen. This screen is only enabled in the ONLINE mode.

Note that for Modicon Compatible units, the test program automatically subtracts one from the
register number and formats the protocol to conform to 16-bit integers. If float data types are
used, the float bytes are swapped from ‘aa bb cc dd’ to ‘cc dd aa bb’.

Modbus Type
The protocol format. The choices are:
RTU
ASCII
Modbus/TCP.

The default is set to what was setup for the location.

Modbus Addressing
Logical, Register, and Modicon Compatible. The default is Logical.

For example, floats using Logical Addressing, 1 register is 4 bytes of data. Floats using
Register Addressing combine 2 consecutive registers to make the float. The program
automatically doubles the number of registers entered and does the byte combination to
make the float.

Note that for Modicon Compatible units, the test program automatically subtracts one
from the register number and formats the protocol to conform to 16-bit integers. If float
data types are used, the float bytes are swapped from ‘aa bb cc dd’ to ‘cc dd aa bb’.

Modbus ID
The unit’s Modbus ID or address. Click on the up arrow to increase the number and the
down arrow to decrease the number. You may also just enter in a number directly.
The ID can range from 0-255. The default is set to what was setup for the location.

Function Code
Select from the drop list the Function Code of the test message.

Note that there is a ‘User Defined’ function code for any non-standard functions. If the
user selects ‘User Defined’, a box appears to enter the function code. The range for the
user defined function code is 1 to 127 (because of the exception response of 0x80 plus
function code). The default value is 255 to remind the user to enter a code.

Data Type
Select the Data Type from the drop list. This is how you would like the data to appear in
the ‘Data Values’ box – it does not affect how the data is transmitted. Only data types
appropriate to the function code selected are listed. For more information, see help on
Data Types.

Register Number or Diagnostics Code

Most function types require a Register Number:
If you are using RTU, ASCII, or Modbus/TCP protocol and have not selected
"Modicon Compatible", enter the exact target read or write Modbus Address in
the range of 1 to 65535 of the remote device.

18
 Online

If you are using RTU or Modbus/TCP protocol and have selected "Modicon
Compatible", Modbus Tester automatically subtracts one from the register
address before it is sent. (Enter registers in the range of 1 to 65535.)
If you are using ASCII protocol and have selected "Modicon Compatible",
Modbus Tester does not automatically subtract one from the register address
before it is sent so you should specify one address less than the target read or
write Modbus address. (Enter registers in the range of 0 to 65534.)

For the Diagnostic function (08), it becomes the Diagnostics Code. Enter a value
between 0 and 65535.

Number of Points/Values or Data Value

Coil type function codes ask for the Number of Points.

Register type function codes request the Number of Values.

The Diagnostic function requests the Data Value to be sent.

String Size
The ASCII String data type also requests the String Size. For example if you had three
8-character ASCII strings to read, you would enter a "3" for the Number of Values field
and an "8" for the String Size field.

Data Values
The Data Values box is used to enter/display the values transmitted/received from the
unit in the format previously selected in the data type field.

Separate multiple data values using the symbol displayed in the label (it is the list
separator configured for your system - in most cases it is a comma).

Repeat Delay
If an item is going to be transmitted repeatedly, this would be the approximate amount of
time after the response has been received that the system will wait before repeating the
transmission.

It can also be used in conjunction with the Register List. This is the approximate amount
of time that the system will wait before transmitting the next item in the list. If it is the last
item in the list and list repeat is enabled, it is the amount of time the system waits before
re-transmitting the first item in the list.
CRC/LRC
The user may select how the CRC/LRC is calculated.

Automatic means the system calculates it automatically and appends it to the transmit
message.

If the user selects User Defined, a box appears for the user to enter the CRC/LRC in two
hex bytes (with no space in between). For example if you wanted to send a CRC of ‘E2
9D’, enter it as ‘E29D’.

No CRC/LRC is sent if a setting of Not Used is selected.

The Modbus type, Modicon Compatibility, and Modbus ID can be configured permanently in
the Setup Screen. For more information on configuring those items, please see the help for the
Setup Communications Screen.

19
Modbus Tester Help

Transmit
Press Transmit to send the test message to the unit.

The actual message sent is shown in the Transmit Message box.

The response message is displayed in the Receive Message box.

If the Modbus type is ASCII, for convenience the actual ASCII character is also shown on
a separate line.

Repeat/Stop
Press Repeat to send the test message continuously. Press the Stop button to
terminate the send.

Register List/Add to List/Apply Edit

The Register List allows you to set up a list of registers for transmission. See the help
for Register List for more information.

If the Register List dialog is already open, set up a register item in the Test
Communications Screen and press Add to List to add a new register to the list.

If the Register List dialog is already open and an item on the Register List dialog is
selected for editing, make any changes in the Test Communications Screen and press
Apply Edit to amend the list item.
Convertor
A handy number convertor is available by pressing Convertor. Note this screen can be
moved around and remain up while more testing is done.

For more information, see the help for Convertor.

Comms Log
You can view the Communications Log by pressing Comms Log. Note this screen can
be moved around and remain up while more testing is done. For more information, see
the help for Communications Log.

Comms Stats
You can view the Communications Statistics by pressing Comms Stats. Note this screen
can be moved around and remain up while more testing is done. For more information,
see the help for Communications Statistics.
Settings
If you would like to modify some of the temporary communications parameters, press
Settings. For more information, see the help for Temporarily Change Comms Settings.

20
 Online

Data Types (Test Comms Screen)

In the Test Comms Screen, the data types represents the format of the data when it is entered for
a write or how it is displayed for reads. The following is a description of each type:

Boolean
Enter Booleans as 1’s and 0’s. For example if you wanted to Force One Coil and set the
value to be ‘on’, then enter the data value as a ‘1’. For the Force Multiple Coils, enter the
values beginning with the first point. For example register 1001 we would like to set 1001,
1004, and 1005. In the Data Values, enter ‘1,0,0,1,1’. If you were to read those coils back
using a Read Coil Status function, the data would be received back as a 0x19 but is
displayed as ‘1, 0, 0, 1, 1’ showing coils 1001, 1004, and 1005 are set.

Integers
Integers can be signed or unsigned based on what has been selected. Enter the number
as an integer.

Floats
Floats are entered as numbers with up to 6-7 significant digits.

Note that for Modicon Compatible units, the test program automatically subtracts one
from the register number and formats the protocol to conform with 16-bit integers. Float
bytes are swapped from ‘aa bb cc dd’ to ‘cc dd aa bb’.

For example: The float number 300.0 is converted to:

RTU (to/from Omni) 43 96 00 00

Modicon (to/from Omni) 00 00 43 96

Doubles
Doubles have 15-16 significant digits.

ASCII Strings
For strings you need to enter the length of one string. For example if you had three 8-
character ASCII strings to read, you would enter a "3" for the "Number of Values" field
and an "8" for the "String Size" field.

IP Address (IPv4)
The IP Address is entered/displayed in IPv4 dotted decimal notation. The value
read/written to the associated register is a four byte unsigned integer in Motorola (Big-
Endian) format.

For Example: IPv4 in dotted decimal = 216.136.87.229

unsigned integer in Motorola hex = D8 88 57 E5

21
Modbus Tester Help

Convertor
Number Convertor to convert numeric data types to Hexadecimal format and back. Note this
screen can be moved around and remain up while more testing is done.

Select the data type you would like convert to or from.

Select the hexadecimal format you would like to convert to or from. Note: Modicon format is only
available for floats and doubles.
Motorola (Big Endian)
Intel (Little Endian)
Modicon

Enter the data you would like converted and clear the other field.

Press [Convert] and the converted number is displayed.

For example: The float number 300.0 is converted to:

Motorola 43 96 00 00
Intel 00 00 96 43
Modicon 00 00 43 96

For example: The IP Address 216.136.87.229 is converted to:

Motorola D8 88 57 E5
Intel E5 57 88 D8

22
 Online

Change Comms Setup Screen (Online menu)

There are times that you may want to temporarily modify the timing or retry count without making
those changes permanent. These changes will stay in effect until you disconnect. This screen is
only enabled in the ONLINE mode.

Direct, Modem and Satellite

Initial Character delay – the amount of time in milliseconds the PC waits for a
response from the unit. Defaults are automatically set based on media type and for
Direct connections baud rate is also a factor.

Character Delay – the amount of time in milliseconds allowed between characters in a

response from the unit. Defaults are automatically set based on media type and for
Direct connections baud rate is also a factor

Retries - The number of times a message is re-sent if no response or an invalid

response is received by the unit. The default is 2.

Log Communications - check the box if you would like the Modbus communications
logged. It is the same as checking Log Communications under the Setup menu.

TCP/IP
Connection Timeout – the amount of time in milliseconds to wait before a connection
attempt is aborted. The default is 5000ms.

Message Timeout – after a connection is established, the amount of time in milliseconds

to wait for a response from the unit. The default is 2000ms.

Retries - The number of times a message is re-sent if no response or an invalid

response is received by the unit. The default is 2.

Log Communications - check the box if you would like the Modbus communications
logged. It is the same as checking Log Communications under the Setup menu.

23
Modbus Tester Help

Register List
The Register List screen allows you to set up a list of items to be transmitted in succession to the
connected unit. The list can be repeatedly sent based on a number of times or a date/time range.
The register list can be saved to a file on disk.

The Register List screen can only be enabled by pressing the Register List button in the Test
Communications screen. Set up a register transmission in the Test Communications screen and
then add the register to the register list by pressing the Add to List button in the Test
Communications screen.

To edit an item, double click on the item in the register list - or - select the item or items and press
the Edit button. The first selected item's information is displayed in the Test Communications
screen. Make any changes to the item in the Test Communications screen and then press the
Apply Edits button in the Test Communications screen. The information changed is updated in
the register list for all the selected items.

You may drag and drop items in the register list to change the list order.

The following is description of the fields on the screen:

Register List
The register list shows a summary of a transmission item in the list that was set up in the
Test Communications screen:
Modbus ID
Function Code
Register
Register Count
Data Type
- if the function code is "User Defined" the data type is "User Def".
- if the data type is a string, the data type is "ASCII-x" where 'x' is the string size.
Delay - the repeat delay selected for that entry
Protocol - the protocol is a combination of the Modbus Type and the first
character of the Addressing Mode.
Error % - an error percentage is provided for each item in the list. The error
count is incremented for every communications or data processing error
encountered during the transmission. A transmission count for each item is also
stored. The error percentage is the number of errors divided by the number of
transmissions times 100%.
Data Values - either the values received if the function is a read-type function or
the data sent if the function is a write-type function. If the function code is "User
Defined" the data values are always the data sent.

The information saved from the Test Communications screen but not shown in the
register list includes:
CRC Type
User Defined CRC

Repeat Duration
The user may select one of two methods to indicate when the repeat process should
stop:

24
 Online

Number of Times - enter the number of times you would like the list to be
transmitted. If a zero is entered, the list will be transmitted indefinitely.

Date/Time Range - enter a start date and time and a stop date and time. The
dates and times are based on your PC"s date and time.
Use the drop down on the date fields to see a calendar. Click on "Today"
at the bottom of the calendar to select the current date or click on the
date you wish to use.
Use the up and down arrows on the time fields to set the hour and
minute based on a 24 hour clock where 00:00 is midnight. You may also
enter a number in each of the fields.
Ignore Errors
If the box is not checked and there are any errors in the transmission of an item in the
register list, the message is displayed and all transmissions are stopped.

If the box is checked and there are errors in the transmission of an item in the register
list, no messages are displayed and transmissions continue as normal.

An error count is provided in the register list and is updated as errors occur.

The following is a description of the buttons on the screen:

Open File
Pressing the Open File button brings up the standard Open File dialog. You may open
an existing Register List file (default extension ".orl") for editing. The contents of the file
are displayed in the register list and the file name is displayed in the screen's title.

Save File
You may save the contents of the register list by pressing the Save File button. This
brings up the standard File Save dialog. (The default file extension is ".orl".) The file
name is displayed in the screen's title.

Edit
To edit an item, double click on the item in the register list - or - select the item or items
and press the Edit button or select Edit from the right-click menu. The first selected
item's information is displayed in the Test Communications screen.

Make any changes to the item in the Test Communications screen and then press the
Apply Edits button in the Test Communications screen. The information changed is
updated in the register list for all the selected items.

Copy
To copy register list entries, click or select the items in the register list. Press the Copy
button or select Copy from the right-click menu.

If there are more than one register list entries, you will be asked if you want to append the
copied items to the end of the list. If you select Yes, all the selected items are copied and
placed at the end of the list. If you select No, each copy is placed directly after the
selected item in the list. If you select Cancel, no action is taken.
Delete
To delete items, click on the item or items in the list and press the Delete button.
You will be asked to confirm each item to be deleted.
Transmit

25
Modbus Tester Help

Pressing the Transmit button, transmits the items in the list in order one time.

Note: It is probably a good idea to transmit the list one time to test if all items in the list
are valid before using the Repeat button.

Repeat
Pressing the Repeat Button transmits the list continuously in sequence until the number
of times is reached (if non-zero), the stop date and time is reached or the Stop Button is
pressed.

Note: the Repeat button becomes the Stop button when active.

Clear Errors
The user may select items and click on Clear Errors to reset the error count to zero for
all the selected items. If no items are selected when Clear Errors is pressed, all the
error counts are reset to zero.

Note: There is a right-click menu that provides an alternative to using the buttons.

26
View
Comms Log (View menu)
Modbus communications are continuously recorded when the ‘Log Communications’ setting is
enabled from the Setup menu (see Log Communications.) Use the this Comms Log screen to
view the logs.

The current log in progress is displayed when the user first enters the screen. After approximately
20,000 logs (about 15 minutes worth of normal communications), the log is saved to file. The files
are stored in a "Comms Log" folder found under the install folder. The file name is
"CL_YYMMDD_HHMMSS.olg" where YYMMDD is the year, month, and day and HHMMSS is the
hours, minutes, and seconds of the first log in the group. Historical Log files can be viewed in this
screen.

The logs are sorted by index number and by date and time. Click on a column heading to sort
the log for a different item.

To see the time difference in milliseconds between two entries, select two log entries. Click on a
log to select the first one. To select the second log, press and hold Ctrl on the PC keyboard and
click on a log. (If more than two logs are selected, it uses the first two selected logs to compute
the time difference.)

Click on an entry below to see a description of the button.

Refresh
Displays the current log in progress and retrieves any entries that have occurred since
the last display. If the display was showing a historical log, the display is replaced with
the current log in progress.

Save To File
Saves the current log in progress to a file. Normally, the logs are saved to file when there
are approximately 20,000 logs. The Save to File button provides a means to save the
current log in progress to file at any time.

Save As Text
The current log in progress or a historical log can be saved to a pre-formatted text file by
pressing Save as Text. After it is saved, it is automatically opened in a text editor for
convenience.

The user may specify a save file name for the text file. The default folder is the "Comms
Log" folder under the install folder. The default file name for the current log in progress is
"OmniMBTLog.txt" and the default file name for a historical log is the historical log's name
with the ".txt" extension.

View Historical
Use this button to view historical logs that were saved to disk. The sorting and time
difference features are still available when viewing historical logs.

Clear Log
The clear log function deletes all entries in the current log in progress. It does not delete
any entries for the historical logs.

27
Modbus Tester Help

Cancel
Press Cancel to exit the Comms Log view screen.

Note: The current log in progress is stored in memory. When a user exits the Modbus Tester
program, the current log in progress is no longer available. If you would like to save the log up to
that point before exiting, go into this screen and press the Save To File button.

28
 View

Communications Statistics (View menu)

Statistics that are accumulated during Modbus communications as well as response percents are
presented in this screen.

Statistics

Transmissions Sent
The total number of transmissions (including broadcasts where Modbus ID = 0).

If the count exceeds the size of a 32-bit unsigned integer, the rollover value is
incremented. Note: The percentage calculations will no longer be valid when a rollover
occurs.

Responses Received
The total responses received (including invalid responses).

If the count exceeds the size of a 32-bit unsigned integer, the rollover value is
incremented. Note: The percentage calculations will no longer be valid when a rollover
occurs.

Broadcast Transmissions
The number of broadcast (Modbus ID = 0) transmissions sent.

Invalid Responses
The number of invalid responses received not including time outs (no response).

No Responses
The number of no responses when a response was expected (i.e. not a broadcast
transmission).

Flushes
Typically, before transmitting a new message the buffer is checked for any data
remaining in the receive buffer. If there is data, the buffer is flushed.

Percents

Response Success
This is the percent of success of responses to messages sent calculated as:
( (Responses Received - Invalid Responses) / (Transmissions Sent - Broadcast
Transmissions) ) * 100.

Note: The percentage calculations will no longer be valid when a rollover occurs.

Response Error Percent

This is the error percent of responses to messages sent calculated as:
( (Invalid Responses + No Responses) / (Transmissions Sent - Broadcast Transmissions)
) * 100.

Note: The percentage calculations will no longer be valid when a rollover occurs.

29
Modbus Tester Help

Status Bar command (View menu)

Use this command to display and hide the Status Bar, which describes the action to be executed
by the selected menu item or depressed toolbar button, and keyboard latch state. A check mark
appears next to the menu item when the Status Bar is displayed.

See Status Bar for help on using the status bar.

30
 View

Toolbar command (View menu)

Use this command to display and hide the Toolbar, which includes buttons for some of the most
common commands in the program, such as File Open. A check mark appears next to the menu
item when the Toolbar is displayed.

See Toolbar for help on using the toolbar.

31
Help
About command (Help menu)
Use this command to display the copyright notice and version number of your copy of the
program.

32
 Help

Check For Updates (Help menu)

Compares the current running version of Modbus Tester to the latest version released on the
Omni web site. A message is displayed to tell the user whether or not an update is available.

Click on the following link to download updates:

www.omniflow.com/support/softwaredownloads/index.html

33
Modbus Tester Help

Release Notes (Help menu)

Use this command to display the readme.txt file in Notepad. The file contains the updates and
release notes for the program.

34
Standard Interface
Close command (Control menus)
Use this command to close the active window or dialog box.

Double-clicking a Control-menu box is the same as choosing the Close command.

Note: If you have multiple windows open for a single document, the Close command on the
document Control menu closes only one window at a time. You can close all windows at once
with the Close command on the File menu.

Shortcuts
Keys: CTRL+F4 exits the screen.
ALT+F4 closes the dialog box.

35
Modbus Tester Help

No Help Available
No help is available for this message box.

36
 Standard Interface

Exit command
Use the Close command on the application Control menu to end your program session.
Shortcuts
Mouse: Double-click the application's Control menu button.

Keys: ALT+F4

37
Modbus Tester Help

Index command (Help menu)

Use this command to display the opening screen of Help. From the opening screen, you can jump
to step-by-step instructions for using the program and various types of reference information.

Once you open Help, you can click the Contents button whenever you want to return to the
opening screen.

38
 Standard Interface

Maximize command (System menu)

Use this command to enlarge the active window to fill the available space.

Shortcut

Mouse: Click the maximize icon on the title bar; or double-click the title bar.
Keys: CTRL+F10 enlarges a document window.

39
Modbus Tester Help

Minimize command (application Control menu)

Use this command to reduce the program window to an icon.

Shortcut

Mouse: Click the minimize icon on the title bar.

Keys: ALT+F9

40
 Standard Interface

Move command (Control menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can move the active window or dialog
box with the arrow keys.

Note: This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Keys: CTRL+F7

41
Modbus Tester Help

No Help Available
No help is available for this area of the window.

42
 Standard Interface

Restore command (Control menu)

Use this command to return the active window to its size and position before you chose the
Maximize or Minimize command.

43
Modbus Tester Help

Size command (System menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can size the active window with the
arrow keys.

After the pointer changes to the four-headed arrow:

1. Press one of the DIRECTION keys (left, right, up, or down arrow key) to move the pointer to
the border you want to move.
2. Press a DIRECTION key to move the border.
3. Press ENTER when the window is the size you want.

Note: This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Mouse: Drag the size bars at the corners or edges of the window.

44
 Standard Interface

Status Bar
The status bar is displayed at the bottom of the program window. To display or hide the status
bar, use the Status Bar command in the View menu.

The left area of the status bar describes actions of menu items as you use the arrow keys to
navigate through menus. This area similarly shows messages that describe the actions of toolbar
buttons as you depress them, before releasing them. If after viewing the description of the toolbar
button command you wish not to execute the command, then release the mouse button while the
pointer is off the toolbar button.

The middle area shows the communications LEDs reflecting the communications activity. The
left Red LED indicates transmission while the right Green LED indicates reception.

The right area of the status bar provides connection information:

Direct
Location Name
Modbus ID
Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
COM Port
Baud Rate
Number of Data Bits
Number of Stop Bits
Parity
Initial Character Delay
Character Delay
Retries

Modem and Satellite

Location Name
Location Number
Modbus ID
Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
COM Port
Baud Rate
Number of Data Bits
Number of Stop Bits
Parity
Initial Character Delay
Character Delay
Retries

TCP/IP
Location Name
IP Address
TCP Port
Modbus ID

45
Modbus Tester Help

Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
Connection Timeout
Message Timeout
Retries

46
 Standard Interface

Title Bar
OmniMBT - Modbus Tester

The title bar is located along the top of a window. It contains the name of the application.
To move the window, drag the title bar. Note: You can also move dialog boxes by dragging their
title bars.
A title bar may contain the following elements:

Application Control-menu button

Maximize button
Minimize button
Name of the application
Close button

47
Modbus Tester Help

Toolbar
The toolbar is displayed across the top of the application window, below the menu bar. The
toolbar provides quick mouse access to many tools used in the program.

To hide or display the Toolbar, choose Toolbar from the View menu (ALT, V, T).

Click To
Monitor - to Setup Locations
World - to Connect
Disconnected Circuit - to go Offline
Clock - to change temporary communications settings
Omni Ball - for the Modbus Tester
Log - to View the Communications Log
10/A - for the Number Convertor
Question mark - to see the About Screen
Arrow + Question mark - Context sensitive help. Click on this and then an item you would like
help on.

48
 Standard Interface

Using Help command (Help menu)

Use this command for instructions about using Help.

49
Trouble Shooting
Trouble Shooting Serial Communications
No Connection or Timed Out:

Check the physical cable connections.

Is the correct COM port configured for the site? See the Setup Communications
Screen.
Modbus ID, Protocol, or Baud Rate of the unit's port does not match the Modbus Tester
setup. See the Setup Communications Screen.
Increase the initial delay in Setup Communications.
Increase the retry count in Setup Communications.

Invalid CRC errors:

Baud Rate of the unit's port does not match the PC port. See the Setup Communications
Screen.
May be caused by too short an inter-character delay. Go to Setup Locations, edit the
location, and increase the "Character Delay" timing. For more information see the Setup
Communications Screen.

The number of bytes returned from the unit is not correct errors:

Modicon compatibility mismatch between the Modbus Tester setup and the port on the
unit.
Protocol mismatch between the Modbus Tester setup and the port on the unit (i.e RS-
485 2-wire with echo vs 4-wire).
May be caused by too short an inter-character delay. Go to Setup Locations, edit the
location, and increase the "Character Delay" timing. For more information see the Setup
Communications Screen.

Communications

One of the best methods to aid in trouble shooting is to check the 'Log Communications'
entry on the Setup menu. You may also check the box using the Settings button on the
Modbus Tester screen if you are already connected. You may view the communications
log by selecting 'Comms Log' from the View menu. The log may give you some hints as
to what is happening and where it occurs.

50
 Trouble Shooting

Trouble Shooting Ethernet Communications

If you are trying to communicate to an Omni product, use Omni's Network Utility to see if the
Omni is displayed in the list. Otherwise, use “Telnet” or “Ping” to see if there is a response. If
there is a response, the connection is OK. If not then go to Board Checks.

Use this Modbus Tester and try to communicate. If you are able to communicate but the
response is not correct, verify the communications setup matches the unit. If you are not able to
communicate, check the Modbus ID set up in the unit on the Ethernet port is the same as the
Modbus ID set up in the Ethernet card.

Board checks if Omni 3000/6000:

If the firmware is older than 74.10, the SE card is going to be shown as an S card. Check
the baud rate set up in the Omni for the Ethernet port is the same as the baud rate set up
in the Ethernet card (defaults to 38400).
If the firmware is v74.10 and up, make sure the “SE Firmware >2.0” is set to ‘N’
(unchecked).
Check if the repeater lights are blinking - that indicates the message is for another
Modbus ID and is being passed on.
Look at the TX and RX lights on the Ethernet board for activity.
Check the interrupt level on the board matches your board configuration. (Interrupt Level
on S & SE Modules must be on IRQ 2. If an SV Module is also installed in the system, all
S & SE Modules must have their IRQ set to 3 and the SV IRQ must be set to 2).

If it is an Omni product, run the Ethernet card in Debug Mode using Omni's Network Utility or Telnet:

Press “9” to enter debug mode. (If you do not see a “9” on your menu, then press “SHIFT
Z”.) If you pressed “9” then press “A” for Debug All.
The times on the left hand side are relative timings. (For example if the time on the first
line is 1 and the time on the next line is 3 then there were 2ms between the lines.)
Messages from the Ethernet card are preceded by an “E”.
Messages from the Host are preceded by an “H”.
Messages from the Repeater are preceded by an "R".
Press any key or "SHIFT Z" to exit debug mode.

Communications

One of the best methods to aid in trouble shooting is to check the 'Log Communications'
entry on the Setup menu. You may also check the box using the Settings button on the
Modbus Tester screen if you are already connected. You may view the communications
log by selecting 'Comms Log' from the View menu. The log may give you some hints as
to what is happening and where it occurs.

51
Modbus Tester Help

Trouble Shooting Modem Connections

Starts to initialize but quits before dialing:

Check the physical cable connections.

Was a Modem or Satellite location selected to connect to?
Is the correct COM port configured for the location? See the Setup Communications
Screen.
Check the Modem Initialization String has commands that are valid for your modem.
See the Setup Modem Screen.
Some modems require the baud rate of the COM port matches the modem’s baud rate.
See the Setup Communications Screen.

Dials the number but does not connect:

Is the Connect Wait Time set for long enough to allow the modems to connect? See the
Setup Modem Screen.
Has the modem at the unit been properly configured and connected?

If the above does describe the problem, please check the Trouble Shooting Serial Connections.

52
 Trouble Shooting

Trouble Shooting Contact Us

You may contact us via the web at www.omniflow.com.

E-mail us at: techsupport@omniflow.com

Omni Flow Computers, Inc.

12620 West Airport Blvd.
Suite 100
Sugar Land, TX 77478

281-240-6161 - telephone
281-240-6162 - fax

53
Communication LEDs

The RED LED indicates data transmission from the Modbus Tester PC program to the unit
(sending to unit).

The GREEN LED indicates data reception from the unit to the Modbus Tester PC (receiving from
unit).

54