MPR-50 Multi-Port Router ReadMe
Release 1.0, December 2005
Copyright
© 2005 Echelon Corporation
All Rights Reserved
The MPR-50 Multi-Port Router is a high-performance multi-port router with four TP/FT-10 ports and one TP/XF-1250 port. It features a flexible 9-28VAC (40-70Hz) or 9-35VDC power input, and a LonMark® certified Monitor that displays individual router status on front panel LEDs. The Monitor also provides channel and router status on network variables and via a time stamped error log available via the network.
This MPR-50 Multi-Port Router product ReadMe contains important information not included in the documentation.
For more information, see the MPR-50 Multi-Port Router User’s Guide available on the product CD. The user’s guide is also available from the Echelon Routers shortcut after installing the product software, and is also available on Echelon’s Web site at www.echelon.com.
Additional information and updates, including critical updates, may be available in Echelon’s Downloads Web page at www.echelon.com/downloads.
5 Repairing Software Installations
6 Known Problems and Workarounds
6.1 Commissioning two levels of routers at the same time fails
6.2 Unable to commission one of the MPR-50’s routers.
6.3 LNS returns incorrect LonMark functional block details for the Monitor’s functional blocks
The PC Requirements are applicable only if you are installing the product software so that you can use the LonMaker® Integration Tool or if you will be remotely accessing the status provided by the Monitor.
The following are minimum requirements:
For installation instructions, see the printed Quick Start Guide that came with the product. The Quick Start Guide is also available from the Echelon Routers shortcut after installing the product software, and is also available on Echelon’s Web site at www.echelon.com.
The installation instructions are applicable only if you are installing the product software so that you can remotely access the status provided by the Monitor. In this case you must install the product software, regardless of whether you are using an LNS based tool, such as the LonMaker tool, or a non LNS based network tool.
After installing the MPR-50 product software, the Add or Remove Programs item in the Windows Control Panel will show two additional items: Echelon Multi-Port Router and LonMark Resource Files 12.11 (or higher).
If unexpected software behavior changes in this product are suspected to result from another software installation, repair this product installation by opening the Add or Remove Programs item in the Control Panel, selecting the Echelon Multi-Port Router item, clicking on the Click here for support information link, and clicking the Repair button. Then repair the LonMark Resource Files 12.11 (or higher) installation in the same way.
The MPR-50 contains an internal channel that links its five routers together. When connecting to one of the external channels (marked Router 1–5), the network topology from any external channel to any other external channel is through two routers. When an attempt is made to commission both levels of routers at the same time, a problem with router channel assignment can occur, resulting in error messages delivered back to the LNS based tool or LonMaker user. When using LNS based tools, router channel assignment doesn’t work properly if two or more levels of routers are commissioned at the same time.
This problem is known to occur with LNS 3 and Turbo Edition.
WORKAROUND: Commission the router that you have connectivity to first. At that point, you have connectivity to the channel on the far side of that router (which, in this case, will be the MPR-50’s internal channel). Then commission all of the other routers that are connected to that internal channel.
Echelon plans to fix this error in a future version of LNS.
When using the LonMaker tool, if the MPR-50 is commissioned, deleted, and then added onto the drawing again, commissioning a far side router can fail with one of the following error messages: "Cannot communicate with the device. Subsystem: NS, #26", or "The device must be assigned a Neuron ID for this operation to complete. Subsystem: NS, #37".
This problem is known to occur with the LonMaker tool when running either LNS 3 or Turbo Edition, and is a known, underlying LNS problem.
WORKAROUND: Set the MPR-50 to factory defaults by holding the Monitor Service button down for 10 seconds. Then commission the MPR-50 again.
When using an LNS 3 based network tool, LNS reports incorrect LonMark functional block details for the Monitor’s Node Object and Channel Monitor functional blocks.
This occurs because LNS 3 does not support overlapping LonMark functional block member numbers that might occur when inheriting from another functional block. The problem is benign in that it does not affect the correct use of the functional blocks and their network variables and configuration properties.
This problem does not occur with LNS Turbo Edition.
The MPR-50 Monitor requires new types and formats that were added in the LonMark resource files version 12.11. Many software product installers include older LonMark resource files, and if one of these software products is installed after installing the MPR-50 software, the LonMark resource files are likely to be reverted back to an older version. A symptom that indicates that this has occurred is that the network variables using the SNVT_count_32 type on the Monitor will no longer have type or formatting information associated with them. This can cause many network tool operations to fail.
Note that when this situation occurs, the actual installed LonMark resource files might be obsolete even though a LonMark Resource Files 12.11 (or higher) entry is in the Add or Remove Programs item in the Control Panel.
Echelon’s products that cause this problem include the LonMaker 3.1 Integration Tool, the NodeBuilder® 3.1 Development Kit, and the Mini EVK 1.0 Evaluation Kit. Prior versions of these products are likely to cause this problem. In addition, the Resource Editor 3.13 available from the LonMark Web site will cause this problem. Finally, many third-party software products will also cause this problem.
WORKAROUND: Repair the LonMark resource files by opening the Add or Remove Programs item in the Control Panel, selecting the LonMark Resource Files 12.11 (or higher) item, clicking on the Click here for support information link, and clicking Repair.
NOTE: To avoid this problem in the future, Echelon and LonMark International recommend that all companies that distribute the LonMark resource files embed the new LonMark Resource Files installer into their products. This installer is available from www.lonmark.org.
The Quick Start Guide is printed and included in the product packaging. The Quick Start Guide is also available from the Echelon Routers shortcut after installing the product software, and from Echelon’s Web site at www.echelon.com.
The MPR-50 Multi-Port Router User’s Guide is available from the Echelon Routers shortcut after installing the product software, and from Echelon’s Web site at www.echelon.com.
The license that governs the use of this product’s software is agreed to when downloading (if downloaded) as well as when installing the product software (regardless of whether downloaded or installed from the product CD).
Technical support on this product is available from Echelon. See www.echelon.com/support for details of the current support offerings and contact information.
Echelon welcomes your feedback on this product. Please send non-technical support-related comments and feedback on this product to the email address routers@echelon.com.