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User Guide

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Preface

Introduction 1

User Interface 2

Using DIRECTOR 3

Theory of Operation 4


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ii

Copyright 2013 Siemens AG

All rights reserved. Dissemination or reproduction of this document, or evaluation and communication of its contents, is not authorized

except where expressly permitted. Violations are liable for damages. All rights reserved, particularly for the purposes of patent application or

trademark registration.This document contains proprietary information, which is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be

photocopied, reproduced or translated to another language without the prior written consent of Siemens AG.

Disclaimer Of LiabilitySiemens has verified the contents of this manual against the hardware and/or software described. However, deviations between the product

and the documentation may exist.

Siemens shall not be liable for any errors or omissions contained herein or for consequential damages in connection with the furnishing,

performance, or use of this material.

The information given in this document is reviewed regularly and any necessary corrections will be included in subsequent editions. We

appreciate any suggested improvements. We reserve the right to make technical improvements without notice.

Registered TrademarksROX, Rugged Operating System On Linux, CrossBow and eLAN are trademarks of Siemens AG. ROS is a registered trademark of

Siemens AG.

Other designations in this manual might be trademarks whose use by third parties for their own purposes would infringe the rights of the

owner.

Security InformationSiemens provides products and solutions with industrial security functions that support the secure operation of plants, machines, equipment

and/or networks. They are important components in a holistic industrial security concept. With this in mind, Siemens products and solutions

undergo continuous development. Siemens recommends strongly that you regularly check for product updates.

For the secure operation of Siemens products and solutions, it is necessary to take suitable preventive action (e.g. cell protection concept)

and integrate each component into a holistic, state-of-the-art industrial security concept. Third-party products that may be in use should also

be considered. For more information about industrial security, visit http://www.siemens.com/industrialsecurity.

To stay informed about product updates as they occur, sign up for a product-specific newsletter. For more information, visit http://

support.automation.siemens.com.

WarrantyRefer to the License Agreement for the applicable warranty terms and conditions, if any.

For warranty details, visit www.siemens.com/ruggedcom or contact a Siemens customer service representative.

Contacting Siemens

Address

Siemens AG

Industry Sector

300 Applewood Crescent

Concord, Ontario

Canada, L4K 5C7

Telephone

Toll-free: 1 888 264 0006

Tel: +1 905 856 5288

Fax: +1 905 856 1995

E-mail

[email protected]

Web

www.siemens.com/ruggedcom
http://www.siemens.com/ruggedcomhttp://www.siemens.com/ruggedcommailto:[email protected]://www.siemens.com/ruggedcomhttp://support.automation.siemens.com/http://support.automation.siemens.com/http://www.siemens.com/industrialsecurity


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Table of Contents

Preface ................................................................................................................ v

Alerts ...... .......................................................... ....................................................... ........................... v

Accessing Documentation .................................................................................................................... v

Training .............................................................................................................................................. v

Customer Support .................................................... ........................................................ .................. v

Chapter 1

Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Features ....................................................... ....................................................... ........................ 1

1.2 Use Cases .................................................... ........................................................ ...................... 1

1.3 Requirements .................................................. ........................................................ .................... 2

1.3.1 System Requirements ........................................................................................................ 2

1.3.2 InstallationNotes ............................................................................................................... 2

1.3.3 Enabling Telnet In Windows 7 and 8 .................................................................................. 2

1.3.4 Privilege Level In Windows 7 and 8 .................................................................................... 3

1.3.5 Microsoft Windows Firewall ................................................................................................ 3

Chapter 2

User Interface ...................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Main Window ...................................................... ....................................................... .................. 5

2.1.1 Connection Table ................................................ ........................................................ ...... 6

2.1.2 Main Window Display Columns .................................................................................. ........ 6

2.1.2.1 Color-Coded Indicators .................................................... ....................................... 6

2.1.2.2 Operations On Table Entries ................................................................................... 7

2.1.3 Main Window Buttons ........................................................................................................ 8

2.1.4 Main Window Menu Bar ....................................................... ............................................. 9

2.2 Dialog Boxes ................................................. ........................................................ .................... 11

2.2.1 Add a Virtual Serial Port ...... ..... ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... ..... ...... ..... ...... ..... .... 11

2.2.2 Configure a Serial Device ....................................................................................... ......... 12

2.2.3 Connection Monitor ............................................................................................. ............. 13

2.2.4 Start ROS Trace ............................................................................................ .................. 15

Chapter 3

Using DIRECTOR .............................................................................................. 17

3.1 Configuring a New Virtual Serial Port Connection ...................... ................................................... 17


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3.2 Multiple Connections to the Same Port ........................................................................................ 18

3.3 Configuring Multiple Connections At Once ............................................... .................................... 18

3.4 Serial Port Monitoring ....................................................... ........................................................ .. 18

3.5 Configuration Auto-Saving ................................................ ........................................................ .. 19

3.6 ROS Trace .................................................... ....................................................... ..................... 19

3.6.1 Starting and Stopping ROS Trace ............................................................................. ........ 19

3.6.2 ROS Trace Files ................................................... ........................................................ ... 20

3.6.3 Configuring ROS Trace ................................................................................................... . 21

3.6.4 Sample Trace File ........................................................ ................................................... 21

Chapter 4

Theory of Operation ........................................................................................... 27

4.1 Principles of Operation .................................................... ....................................................... .... 27

4.2 Serial Control Signals ..................................................................................................... ............ 28


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Preface

Alerts v

Preface

This guide describes the RUGGEDCOM DIRECTOR serial redirection software utility which, in conjunction with

RUGGEDCOM server networking products, extends the reach of traditional serial communications across IP

networks. It contains instructions and guidelines on how to use the software, as well as some general theory.

It is intended for use by network technical support personnel who are familiar with the operation of networks. It is

also recommended for us by network and system planners, system programmers, and line technicians.

Alerts

The following types of alerts are used when necessary to highlight important information.

DANGER!DANGER alerts describe imminently hazardous situations that, if not avoided, will result in death or

serious injury.

WARNING!WARNING alerts describe hazardous situations that, if not avoided, may result in serious injury and/or

equipment damage.

CAUTION!CAUTION alerts describe hazardous situations that, if not avoided, may result in equipment damage.

IMPORTANT!

IMPORTANT alerts provide important information that should be known before performing a procedureor step, or using a feature.

NOTENOTE alerts provide additional information, such as facts, tips and details.

Accessing Documentation

The latest Hardware Installation Guides and Software User Guides for most RUGGEDCOM products areavailable online at www.siemens.com/ruggedcom.

For any questions about the documentation or for assistance finding a specific document, contact a Siemens

sales representative.
http://www.siemens.com/ruggedcom


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Training

Siemens offers a wide range of educational services ranging from in-house training of standard courses on

networking, Ethernet switches and routers, to on-site customized courses tailored to the customer's needs,

experience and application.

Siemens' Educational Services team thrives on providing our customers with the essential practical skills to makesure users have the right knowledge and expertise to understand the various technologies associated with critical

communications network infrastructure technologies.

Siemens' unique mix of IT/Telecommunications expertise combined with domain knowledge in the utility,

transportation and industrial markets, allows Siemens to provide training specific to the customer's application.

For more information about training services and course availability, visit www.siemens.com/ruggedcomor

contact a Siemens sales representative.

Customer Support

Customer support is available 24 hours, 7 days a week for all Siemens customers. For technical support or

general information, please contact Customer Support at:

Toll Free (North America):1 866 922 7975

International:+1 905 856 5288

Website:http://support.automation.siemens.com
http://support.automation.siemens.com/http://www.siemens.com/ruggedcom


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Introduction

Features 1

Introduction

DIRECTOR is a software utility that creates virtual COM port-style serial device interfaces on computer systemsrunning Microsoft Windows XP (32 bit), Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit) or Windows 8 (32 and 64 bit) operating

systems. Each virtual serial port is connected across an IP network to a corresponding serial interface on a

RUGGEDCOM server device.

Application software that ordinarily connects to a given device via local serial port hardware can thus be made to

connect, transparently, to the same device via a remote ROS-based serial server, located anywhere within reach

of an IP network.

IMPORTANT!DIRECTOR is intended to control only legacy serial devices over IP, as all information in serial

communication traces is in plain text, including any possible login credentials required for accessing

remote devices. Legacy telecontrol protocols that need DIRECTOR do not normally require login

information. Using DIRECTOR to control ROS devices in such a manner is not recommended.

DIRECTOR has no access control and no security features to handle sensitive data. Using the

Windows login mechanism, make sure the use of DIRECTOR and access to the configuration data is

only possible by authorized personnel.

Section 1.1

Features

Transparent COM-port virtualization and redirection via IP.

No application level support is necessary. DIRECTOR provides an application interface identical to that of

hardware COM-ports.

Compact, detailed main window displays a complete summary all configured connections.

Supports up to 128 simultaneous connections.

Detailed port status, logging and tracing.

Built-in knowledge of all models of RUGGEDCOM server devices assists in the configuration of multiple

connections.

Convenient Telnet connection to serial server management interface.

Background mode operation in System Tray.

Access throughout the program to context-sensitive help.

Section 1.2

Use Cases

Some common uses of DIRECTOR are:

Remote Monitoring/Control:Serial devices may be controlled or monitored from computer systems at remote

sites.


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Consolidation/Centralization:Multiple software applications running on a single central computer system can

access serial devices at various remote sites across an IP network.

Section 1.3

RequirementsThis section sets out the hardware, software, and networking environment required in order to correctly install

and operate Siemens 's DIRECTOR serial redirector application.

Section 1.3.1

System Requirements

DIRECTOR must be installed and run with administrative privileges on a computer running Microsoft Windows. It

has been tested against and verified to operate correctly under Microsoft Windows XP (32 bit), Windows 7 (32 or

64 bit) and Windows 8 (32 or 64 bit).

DIRECTOR must be run on a computer with a network card installed. The network card must be configured to

use TCP/IP and have a valid IPv4 address.

An Internet connection is not required to install and run DIRECTOR but Microsoft Internet Explorer is required to

make use of the integrated online Help (accessed via Help links within the software).

Section 1.3.2

Installation Notes

The installation program contains the DIRECTOR application, integrated online help, PDF documentation, and

all supporting software libraries required by the application. The DIRECTOR installation program unpacks all filesinto a user-selectable directory.

NOTEThe online Help is displayed in a Web browser running with full administrator privileges. During

installation, you have the option to disable the online Help. Select Nowhen asked if you want to install

the user guide, and this will disable the online Help.

Section 1.3.3

Enabling Telnet In Windows 7 and 8

Microsoft Windows 7 and 8 disable Telnet by default. The following steps enable Telnet in Windows 7 and 8 inorder to be able to take advantage of DIRECTOR Telnet connection feature:

1. Open the Control Panel.

2. Click on Programs and Features.

3. In Programs and Features, click on Turn Windows features on or off.

4. In the list of Windows features, check the box beside: "Telnet Client".

5. Click OK.


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Privilege Level In Windows 7 and 8 3

Section 1.3.4

Privilege Level In Windows 7 and 8

Microsoft Windows 7 and 8 do not execute programs at the administrative privilege level by default. It is

necessary to explicitly give administrative access to DIRECTOR for it to operate correctly. Perform the following

steps to configure Windows 7 and 8 to run DIRECTOR with the administrative privilege level:

1. Right-click on the DIRECTOR program icon (either the program icon itself, or a shortcut).

2. Click onproperties.

3. Under the compatibilitytab, in the Privilege Levelsection, check the "Run this program as administrator"

option.

4. Click OKto complete the configuration.

Section 1.3.5

Microsoft Windows Firewall

Depending on the settings of the network firewall built in to Microsoft Windows operating systems, a warning like

the following might be displayed when DIRECTOR attempts to make a network connection to a RUGGEDCOM

server:

Figure 1: Windows Firewall Warning

If this warning is displayed, it is recommended to select Unblockfor DIRECTOR to operate correctly.


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User Interface

Main Window 5

User Interface

The DIRECTOR user interface centers on a main window, which displays all configured virtual serial portconnections along with basic status and statistical information, along with commonly needed controls.

Section 2.1

Main Window

The DIRECTOR main window is displayed after initialization:

Figure 2: Main Window

The DIRECTOR main window consists of four main components:

A series of columns summarizing key information.

A column of navigational buttons on the right side of the window.

A menu bar across the top of the window with a series of drop-down menus.

A status bar along the bottom of the window, which displays context-sensitive program status.

The following sections describe these components in more detail:

Section 2.1.1, Connection Table

Section 2.1.2, Main Window Display Columns


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Section 2.1.1

Connection Table

The main window display lists all the remote serial connections configured in DIRECTOR. The connection list

may be customized in the following ways:

Sorting:The entire display may be sorted on the basis of any one of the columns (including the Server IP:Portcolumn). Clicking on a column title will sort the whole list in increasing order of the items in that column.

Clicking again will sort in decreasing order.

Resizing:Each column may be resized by clicking and dragging the rightmost edge of a column title.

Section 2.1.2

Main Window Display Columns

Figure 3: Main Window Display Columns

DIRECTOR's main window displays configuration, status, and connection statistics for each serial redirector

configuration entry. The columns displayed are:

Status Indicator The color of the indicator in the leftmost column represents the status of the corresponding

connection, and changes in real time in response to changes in status. For more information

on this feature, see the section on Section 2.1.2.1, Color-Coded Indicators.

Server Name The serial server name, to identify a particular connection. The name may be enteredmanually or generated automatically.

Virtual Port Virtual serial port number (e.g. COM5, COM6, etc.).

Server IP: Port The IP address and port number of the serial server to which the corresponding virtual serial

port is redirected (e.g. 192.168.0.1:5555).

Connection Status The connection status represents the network connection between DIRECTOR and the

corresponding serial server.

Rx Chars The number of bytes received via the virtual serial port.

Tx chars The number of bytes transmitted via the virtual serial port.

Rx Packets The number of packets received via the virtual serial port.

Tx Packets The number of packets transmitted via the virtual serial port.

Section 2.1.2.1

Color-Coded Indicators

An icon in the leftmost column of each entry displays the status of DIRECTOR's connection to the corresponding

serial server:


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Greenindicates that the connection is established and is ready to use.

Redindicates that an error has occurred on this connection.

Grayindicates that the connection is stopped or has not yet been started.

If the indicator is red, the status bar at the bottom of the window will display a brief explanation when the list item

is clicked on.

The interpretation of the status indication varies slightly for TCP versus UDP connections.

TCP Connection Status Summary

Connected The corresponding virtual serial port connection has been started, DIRECTOR has

successfully established a network connection with the RUGGEDCOM server and is ready

to pass data on the virtual serial port.

Error An attempt to start the corresponding virtual serial port connection has been made, but

DIRECTOR cannot connect to the specified serial server.

Stopped The corresponding virtual serial port connection has been stopped by the user.

UDP Connection Status SummarySince UDP is not a connection-oriented protocol, the status of UDP-based virtual serial port connections must be

reported differently.

Started The corresponding virtual serial port connection has been started, and DIRECTOR is able to

reach the serial server via the network.

Error The corresponding virtual serial port connection has been started, and DIRECTOR is not

able to reach the serial server via the network.

Stopped The corresponding virtual serial port connection has been stopped by the user.

Section 2.1.2.2

Operations On Table EntriesSeveral operations and shortcuts are supported when clicking on individual list entries in the main window:

Clicking or Double-clickingon an entry selects the entry.

Right-clickingon an entry brings up the Right Mouse menu (note that all actions in the menu will apply to all

currently highlighted entries rather than to only the entry that is being right-clicked).

Shift-clickingon an entry selects a range of information between a previously clicked entry and the one

currently being shift-clicked.

Ctrl-clickingon an entry toggles the selection state of the corresponding item. This allows the detailed selection

of a group, or of a discontinuous range.

Right Mouse MenuThe Right Mouse Menu, illustrated below, is accessed by right-clicking anywhere in the main window. Actions in

this menu will apply to highlighted entries rather than only the entry that is being right-clicked.


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8 Main Window Buttons

Figure 4: Right Mouse Menu

Add Add a virtual serial port configuration to the list via theAdd Virtual Portdialog box. For more

information, refer to Section 2.2.1, Add a Virtual Serial Port.

Remove Remove the selected virtual serial ports from the list.

Start Enable bidirectional communication on the selected virtual serial port connection(s).

Stop Disable bidirectional communication on the selected virtual serial port connection(s).

Detail Display the Connection Monitor dialog box for the selected device. For more information

please see Section 2.2.3, Connection Monitor.

Configure Display the configuration editor for the selected COM port. For more information, refer to

Section 2.2.2, Configure a Serial Device.

Telnet Open a Telnet session to the corresponding serial server's management interface.

Section 2.1.3

Main Window Buttons

Five buttons are located in a column to the right of the main display window. These provide rapid and convenientaccess to the most commonly required functions of DIRECTOR. The buttons are described below.

Add virtual serial ports. For more information, refer toAdd.

Remove virtual serial ports from a list. For more information, refer to Remove.

Show COM port details. For more information, refer to Detail.

Show the configuration editor. For more information, refer to Configure.

Open a Telnet session. For more information, refer to Telnet.


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Main Window Menu Bar 9

Section 2.1.4

Main Window Menu Bar

Figure 5: Main Menu Bar

The following sections describe the commands that are accessible from the main menu bar (pictured above) at

the top of the main window.

File Menu

Figure 6: File Menu

Save session Save the current configuration to a specified file.

Load session Load a configuration from a specified file.

Exit Terminate DIRECTOR.

View Menu

Figure 7: View Menu

Detail Display the Connection Monitor dialog box for the selected virtual serial port. For more

information, refer to Section 2.2.3, Connection Monitor.

Telnet Open a Telnet session to the selected serial server's management interface.


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Device Menu

Figure 8: Device Menu

Add Add virtual serial ports to the list (bring up an Add Virtual Port dialog box). For more

information, refer to Section 2.2.1, Add a Virtual Serial Port.

Remove Remove the selected virtual serial ports from the list.

Start Enable bidirectional communication on the selected virtual serial port connection(s).

Stop Disable bidirectional communication on the selected virtual serial port connection(s).

Configure Show the configuration editor for the selected COM port. For more information, refer to

Section 2.2.2, Configure a Serial Device.

ROS Trace Menu

Figure 9: ROS Trace Menu

Start ROS Trace Open the Start ROS Trace dialog box, which will start a ROS Trace. For more information,

refer to Section 2.2.4, Start ROS Traceand Section 3.6, ROS Trace.

Stop ROS Trace Stop a ROS Trace.

Show in folder Display a Windows Explorer folder that contains ROS Trace files (output files).

Help Menu

Figure 10: Help Menu

User guide Open the user guide for DIRECTOR.

About RUGGEDCOM DIRECTOR Show the version number and support information.


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Server Name A name that identifies a particular configuration. The name is generated automatically but

may be overridden.

Transport Method The IP protocol to use for connections in this configuration. Briefly, TCP guarantees delivery

at the potential cost of increased latency, and UDP does not guarantee delivery, but can

offer lower latency.

Local Port (UDP only) The starting UDP port number of local (to DIRECTOR's system) connections to the serial

server. Note that the ending port number is generated based on the starting port and thetotal number to configure. Note also that for TCP connections, this parameter is neither

displayed nor needed.

Virtual Serial Port The virtual system COM ports to create for this configuration. Note that the starting port is

specified, and the remainder are automatically created incrementally, skipping any ports that

may already have been allocated.

Add Add the virtual serial port configuration to DIRECTOR.

Cancel Cancel the operation.

Help Display user guide information about the dialog box.

NOTE

The number of ports that may be configured at a time is between one and the maximum serial portsupported by the selected model of RUGGEDCOM server. The default IP port will be filled in after the

server model is chosen. A unique name will be generated each time based on the server model and

any existing configuration.

Section 2.2.2

Configure a Serial Device

This dialog box is used to modify the settings of an existing single configured connection.


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Connection Monitor 13

Figure 12: Configure Device Dialog Box

IP Address:Port The IP address of the serial server and port number of the virtual serial port connection.

Server Name A name that identifies the connection.

Transport Method The IP protocol to use for connections in this configuration. Briefly, TCP guarantees delivery

at the potential cost of increased latency, and UDP does not guarantee delivery, but can

offer lower latency. Note that the transport method cannot be changed for an existing

connection.

Virtual Serial Port The virtual system COM ports to use for this connection.

OK Save the configuration.

Cancel Cancel the reconfiguration.


Section 2.2.3

Connection Monitor

The Connection Monitor provides a comprehensive serial data "scope" for a selected connection which isupdated in real time.


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14 Connection Monito

Figure 13: Connection Monitor Dialog Box

The buttons on the Connection Monitor dialog box are:

Save to File Save monitored data into a file.

Close Close the window and suspend the monitor.


General Information

Serial port Virtual serial port number (e.g. COM1, COM2, etc.).

Server Name The serial server name.

Model The model of RUGGEDCOM server connected to.

IP The IP address of the serial server.


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Start ROS Trace 15

Port The port number of the serial server connection.

Transport method TCP or UDP

Local port (UDP only) The local port number of the connection.

Serial (bytes), Rx Number of bytes of serial data received.

Serial (bytes), Tx Number of bytes of serial data transmitted.

IP (packets), Rx Number of IP frames received.

IP (packets), Tx Number of IP frames transmitted.

Status The status of the virtual serial connection.

Data Monitor

Data Flow A time-stamped listing of data transmitted and received on the virtual serial port connection.

The time stamp is followed by either ">>" or "


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Using DIRECTOR

Configuring a New Virtual Serial Port Connection 17

Using DIRECTOR

The following sections describe how to configure DIRECTOR: Section 3.1, Configuring a New Virtual Serial Port Connection

Section 3.2, Multiple Connections to the Same Port

Section 3.3, Configuring Multiple Connections At Once

Section 3.4, Serial Port Monitoring

Section 3.5, Configuration Auto-Saving

Section 3.6, ROS Trace

Section 3.1

Configuring a New Virtual Serial Port ConnectionTo configure one or more virtual serial port connections between DIRECTOR and a RUGGEDCOM server device,

one must first configure the server to provide as many RawSocket connections as required. Once these are

configured, DIRECTOR can then be configured to connect to the server ports.

NOTEFor more information about how to configure RawSocket connections, refer to the ROS User Guide for

the RUGGEDCOM device available at www.siemens.com/ruggedcom.

The following information is needed at the server in order to configure a RawSocket connection that may be

connected to using DIRECTOR:

RUGGEDCOM server serial port number(s)

Connection method (TCP or UDP)

DIRECTOR IP address

TCP port number orUDP port numbers at both server and DIRECTOR ends

The following information is needed at DIRECTOR in order to configure a virtual serial port connection to a

RUGGEDCOM server:

Starting COM port number

Connection method (TCP or UDP)

IP address/remote TCP port number orIP address/local and remote UDP port numbers

RUGGEDCOM server model

For detail on configuring a new connection or series of connections, refer to Section 2.2.1, Add a Virtual Serial

Port.
http://www.siemens.com/ruggedcom


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Section 3.2

Multiple Connections to the Same PortIt is possible to connect several DIRECTOR virtual serial ports to the same serial port on a RUGGEDCOM server

It is important to set the MaxConnsparameter for the RawSocket configuration to accept as many connections as

are required.

Section 3.3

Configuring Multiple Connections At Once

DIRECTOR will create virtual COM ports for as many serial ports as are supported by the model of

RUGGEDCOM server being connected to. Any of these automatically created configuration entries may be

modified afterwards. For example, DIRECTOR will create a configuration RS400 consisting of four serial ports. If

only three connections are needed, the surplus one may be deleted.

In order for DIRECTOR 's auto-configuration process to work, the following convention must be followed for the

server's own configuration. For all server serial ports that are to be used with DIRECTOR: All of a given server's serial ports must share the same IP address as the server itself.

The connection protocol (TCP or UDP) must be common to all ports.

The TCP or UDP port numbers of each port must be in sequence.

A typical DIRECTOR/server configuration is illustrated below:

Figure 15: Add Range Configuration

Only currently unassigned COM ports will be displayed in the selection drop box. The auto-configuration process

skips unavailable COM port numbers when creating a series of virtual ports. For example, if the user wants to

add three ports starting with COM5, but COM 7 and 8 are in use, then DIRECTOR will create configurations for

COM5, COM6, and COM9. To remove an existing virtual port form the list, simply select the relevant line in the

main window and press the Removebutton.

Section 3.4

Serial Port MonitoringDIRECTOR provides a data monitor for serial debugging purposes. The data monitor may be used to capture all

serial traffic both transmitted and received and displays it in a scope-like user interface. Refer to Section 2.2.3,

Connection Monitorfor details.


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Configuration Auto-Saving 19

Section 3.5

Configuration Auto-SavingConnections configured using DIRECTOR are persistent: configuration information is saved automatically at the

time DIRECTOR is terminated, and is reloaded each time DIRECTOR is started.

NOTEConfiguration is usually saved explicitly via the Save session option. For more information, refer to the

section called File Menu.

Section 3.6

ROS Trace

DIRECTOR has a tracing feature called ROS Trace. Using ROS Trace, you can set up a remote server and

enable tracing on a ROS device. ROS Trace then listens for any incoming data from a ROS device.

The status of ROS Trace is displayed in the bottom right corner of the page. Depending on the status, the statusmessage will say "ROS Trace Enabled(Port#)", "ROS Trace Disabled" or "ROS Trace Error". If an error occurs,

ROS Trace automatically turns off.

The following sections describe ROS Trace in more detail:

Section 3.6.1, Starting and Stopping ROS Trace

Section 3.6.2, ROS Trace Files

Section 3.6.3, Configuring ROS Trace

Section 3.6.4, Sample Trace File

Section 3.6.1

Startingand Stopping ROS Trace

To start ROS Trace, do the following:

1. To start ROS Trace, click on the ROS Tracemenu on the main menu bar, and then click Start ROS Trace.

The Start ROS Trace dialog boxappears.

Figure 16: Start ROS Trace dialog box

2. Enter a port number.


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3. Click Start. ROS Trace starts.

4. In the main window, click on a port from the list.

5. Click to open a Telnet session.

6. Enter your ROS user name and press Enter.

7. Enter your ROS password and press Enter.8. Configure ROS as required to run the ROS Trace. For information on how to configure ROS, see the ROS

User Guide.

Clicking Show in Folderon the ROS Tracemenu opens a Windows Explorer folder that contains ROS Trace

files (output files).

To stop ROS Trace, click on the ROS Tracemenu on the main menu bar, and then click Stop ROS Trace. Click

yeswhen prompted.

Section 3.6.2

ROS Trace FilesROS Trace files are stored in the folder named ROSTraceFiles, which is located inside the DIRECTOR folder.

This folder is created during installation. If not, it is created when the ROS Trace server gets data from ROS

devices. A text file is created for each ROS device. The name of the ROS Trace file is the IP address of the

device.

Example:

C:\Program Files\RUGGEDCOM \RUGGEDCOM DIRECTOR\ROSTraceFiles\{IP Address}(1).txt

{IP Address} is the IP address of the ROS device.

By default, ROS Trace keeps two files for each device (the default value of NumberOfROSTraceFilesis set to2 in the configuration file). If the file name contains a (1), this means it contains the most recent incoming data.

A file name containing (2) is the archived file that has reached the maximum size (rolled over). If the file with (1)

reaches maximum size, it will become (2), and the existing (2), which is the oldest entry, is deleted.

In the ROS Trace file, the date stamp is created by the trace server and the time stamp is created by the ROS

device.

Example:

[08/1/2012] 08/01 07:57:50.301 TRACE Connected to 1093741c, port 5330

[08/1/2012] 07:58:12.697 RawSocket Port 2, tx msg 1b

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[08/1/2012] 08/01 08:02:50.012 RawSocket Port 4, tx msg 1b

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Configuring ROS Trace 21

Section 3.6.3

Configuring ROS Trace

The ROS configuration file is called RCDIRECTOR.ini. It is located in the DIRECTOR folder in your workstation.

The number of ROS Trace files can be changed in the configuration file. The parameter to be modified is called

NumberOfROSTraceFiles. The maximum size of each text file can be configured by changing the value of theROSTraceFileSizein the configuration file. The unit is in megabytes (MB).

After changing the configuration file, restart ROS Trace and then the changes will take effect.

It is recommended not to change the value of the ROSTraceBufferSizeparameter. If the incoming data is

larger than the buffer provided, ROS Trace generates an error.

The default values for the parameters described in this section are as follows:

NumberOfROSTraceFiles = 2

ROSTraceFileSize = 10

ROSTraceBufferSize = 512

Section 3.6.4

Sample Trace File

RUGGEDCOM Director(TM)

Serial Trace

---General Information---

Serial port: COM5

Server Name: RS910 #1

Model: RS910

IP: 172.30.85.2

Port: 50001

Transport method: TCP

---Traffic Count---

Serial (bytes)

RX: 2822

TX: 26

IP (packets)

RX: 15

TX: 18

---Data---

[2/4/2010 9:47:20] >> 1 bytes

0D .

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22 Sample Trace File

79 73 74 65 6D 20 4E 61 6D 65 3A 20 20 20 50 41 ystem Name: PA

53 53 30 31 0D 0A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 4C 6F SS01.. Lo

63 61 74 69 6F 6E 3A 20 20 20 20 20 20 4C 6F 63 cation: Loc

61 74 69 6F 6E 0D 0A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 43 ation.. C

6F 6E 74 61 63 74 3A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 43 6F ontact: Co

6E 74 61 63 74 0D 0A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 50 ntact.. P

72 6F 64 75 63 74 3A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 52 53 roduct: RS

39 30 30 4C 2D 48 49 44 2D 54 58 54 58 56 31 0D 900L-HID-TXTXV1.

0A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 4D 41 43 20 41 64 64 . MAC Add72 65 73 73 3A 20 20 20 30 30 2D 30 41 2D 44 43 ress: 00-0A-DC

2D 30 30 2D 32 31 2D 37 33 0D 0A 20 20 20 20 20 -00-21-73..

20 20 20 53 65 72 69 61 6C 20 4E 75 6D 62 65 72 Serial Number

3A 20 52 53 39 30 30 4C 2D 30 35 30 37 2D 30 30 : RS900L-0507-00

31 39 0D 0A 0D 0A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 45 6E 19.... En

74 65 72 20 55 73 65 72 20 4E 61 6D 65 3A 20 20 ter User Name:

[2/4/2010 9:47:30] >> 1 bytes

61 a

[2/4/2010 9:47:30] > 2 bytes

64 6D dm

[2/4/2010 9:47:31] >> 1 bytes

69 i

[2/4/2010 9:47:31] >> 1 bytes

6E n

[2/4/2010 9:47:33] > 1 bytes

0D .

[2/4/2010 9:47:35] > 1 bytes

61 a

[2/4/2010 9:47:35] > 1 bytes

64 d

[2/4/2010 9:47:35] >> 1 bytes

6D m

[2/4/2010 9:47:35]


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Sample Trace File 23

78 x

[2/4/2010 9:47:35] > 1 bytes

69 i

[2/4/2010 9:47:36] >> 1 bytes

6E n

[2/4/2010 9:47:36] 1 bytes

0D .

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63 75 72 69 74 79 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B curity.[0;22;27;

32 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 31 3B 33 30 48 43 6C 25;24m.[11;30HCl

61 73 73 65 73 20 6F 66 20 53 65 72 76 69 63 65 asses of Service

1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D .[0;22;27;25;24m

1B 5B 31 32 3B 33 30 48 4D 75 6C 74 69 63 61 73 .[12;30HMulticas

74 20 46 69 6C 74 65 72 69 6E 67 1B 5B 30 3B 32 t Filtering.[0;2

32 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 33 3B 2;27;25;24m.[13;

33 30 48 4D 41 43 20 41 64 64 72 65 73 73 20 54 30HMAC Address T

61 62 6C 65 73 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B 32 ables.[0;22;27;235 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 34 3B 33 30 48 4E 65 74 5;24m.[14;30HNet

77 6F 72 6B 20 44 69 73 63 6F 76 65 72 79 1B 5B work Discovery.[

30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 0;22;27;25;24m.[

31 35 3B 33 30 48 44 69 61 67 6E 6F 73 74 69 63 15;30HDiagnostic

73 1B 5B 30 3B 31 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 34 6D 1B s.[0;1;27;25;4m.

5B 32 34 3B 31 48 3C 43 54 52 4C 3E 1B 5B 30 3B [24;1H.[0;

32 32 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D 20 20 1B 5B 22;27;25;24m .[

30 3B 31 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 34 6D 5A 2D 48 65 0;1;27;25;4mZ-He

6C 70 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 lp.[0;22;27;25;2

34 6D 20 1B 5B 30 3B 31 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 34 4m .[0;1;27;25;4

6D 53 2D 53 68 65 6C 6C 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 mS-Shell.[0;22;2

37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D 20 1B 5B 30 3B 31 3B 32 7;25;24m .[0;1;2

37 3B 32 35 3B 34 6D 58 2D 4C 6F 67 6F 75 74 1B 7;25;4mX-Logout.

5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D 20 [0;22;27;25;24m

1B 5B 30 6D 1B 5B 30 4B 1B 5B 30 6D 1B 5B 31 3B .[0m.[0K.[0m.[1;

30 48 1B 5B 32 4B 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B 0H.[2K.[0;22;27;32 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 3B 31 48 1B 5B 3F 32 25;24m.[1;1H.[?2

35 6C 50 41 53 53 30 31 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 5lPASS01.[0;22;2

37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 3B 33 35 48 4D 7;25;24m.[1;35HM

61 69 6E 20 4D 65 6E 75 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 ain Menu.[0;22;2

37 3B 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 7;5;24m.[0;22;27

3B 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 3B 36 35 48 20 20 20 ;5;24m.[1;65H

20 20 20 34 20 41 4C 41 52 4D 53 21 4 ALARMS!

[2/4/2010 9:47:38] >> 3 bytes

1B 5B 41 .[A

[2/4/2010 9:47:38] >> 3 bytes

1B 5B 41 .[A

[2/4/2010 9:47:38] > 3 bytes

1B 5B 41 .[A

[2/4/2010 9:47:38] > 3 bytes

1B 5B 41 .[A

[2/4/2010 9:47:39]


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1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D .[0;22;27;25;24m

1B 5B 35 3B 33 30 48 45 74 68 65 72 6E 65 74 20 .[5;30HEthernet

50 6F 72 74 73 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 37 3B 32 35 Ports.[0;22;7;25

3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 34 3B 33 30 48 41 64 6D 69 6E ;24m.[4;30HAdmin

69 73 74 72 61 74 69 6F 6E istration

[2/4/2010 9:47:39] > 1 bytes

0D .

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3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 34 6D 58 2D 4C 6F 67 6F 75 ;27;25;4mX-Logou

74 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 t.[0;22;27;25;24

6D 20 1B 5B 30 6D 1B 5B 30 4B 1B 5B 30 6D 1B 5B m .[0m.[0K.[0m.[

31 3B 30 48 1B 5B 32 4B 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 3B 32 1;0H.[2K.[0;22;2

37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 3B 31 48 1B 5B 7;25;24m.[1;1H.[

3F 32 35 6C 50 41 53 53 30 31 1B 5B 30 3B 32 32 ?25lPASS01.[0;22

3B 32 37 3B 32 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 3B 33 34 ;27;25;24m.[1;34

48 44 69 61 67 6E 6F 73 74 69 63 73 1B 5B 30 3B HDiagnostics.[0;

32 32 3B 32 37 3B 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 30 3B 32 22;27;5;24m.[0;232 3B 32 37 3B 35 3B 32 34 6D 1B 5B 31 3B 36 35 2;27;5;24m.[1;65

48 20 20 20 20 20 20 34 20 41 4C 41 52 4D 53 21 H 4 ALARMS!


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Principles of Operation 27

Theory of Operation

The following sections describe the operation of DIRECTOR from a network perspective. Section 4.1, Principles of Operation

Section 4.2, Serial Control Signals

Section 4.1

Principles of Operation

DIRECTOR is capable of creating up to 128 virtual serial ports connected to ports on RUGGEDCOM server

devices. Applications on the same system as DIRECTOR can use these virtual ports as though they were

physical serial ports. No special configuration or modification is necessary to existing applications.

For each virtual serial port connection, DIRECTOR monitors data transmitted via the port by connected

applications, and either encapsulates them in either UDP datagrams, or transmits them in a TCP stream,

depending on the connection method specified at configuration time. The encapsulated data is received by

the RUGGEDCOM server at the other end of the TCP/IP or UDP/IP network connection, and transmitted via

its configured physical serial port. The connection is bidirectional. Serial traffic originating at a serial device is

received by the RUGGEDCOM server, transmitted via TCP or UDP to DIRECTOR, and forwarded to the serial

application.

Figure 17: Principles Of Operation


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Section 4.2

Serial Control SignalsDIRECTOR will only support control signals locally (i.e. between DIRECTOR and connected applications). Only

serial data is forwarded across the network. The full set of signals that DIRECTOR presents to an application

connecting to one of its virtual serial ports is listed below:

Parameter Description

Transmitted Data (TxD) Binary data sent from the PC to the serial device.

Received Data (RxD) Binary data received by the PC from the serial device.

Request To Send (RTS) The serial application asserts the RTS signal in order to signal that it wishes to transmit

data.

Clear To Send (CTS) When a serial device (in this case, DIRECTOR ) receives an RTS signal, it in turn asserts

CTS back to the application, indicating that data can be transmitted. DIRECTOR does this

unconditionally.

Data Terminal Ready (DTR) Asserted by the PC to indicate that it is ready to be connected.

Data Set Ready (DSR) Asserted by a serial device (in this case, DIRECTOR) to indicate that it is powered on and is

ready to receive data from the PC.

RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR signals are only simulated locally between serial applications and DIRECTOR. These

control signals will not be transmitted in either direction over the network. The figure below illustrates the serial

signals.

Figure 18: Serial Signals

Documents

Director v1-3 User-guide En