Monroe X-point Control Protocol MXCP. R232 MultiPort RF Router. Operation/Interface Manual Revision 2.00a July 2016

Transcription

1 Monroe X-point Control Protocol MXCP R232 MultiPort RF Router Operation/Interface Manual Revision 2.00a July 2016 Electrostatic Measurement Emergency Alert Systems CATV Switching and Control fax Housel Ave. Lyndonville NY Revision: 2.01 Publication: MXCPMAN Copyright 2015 Monroe Electronics Inc. Information herein is considered accurate at the time of publication. We constantly strive to improve our products and services therefore some specifications are subject to change without notice. One-Net, DASDEC, and EAS-Net are trademarks of Monroe Electronics. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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3 Table of Contents 1 GETTING STARTED WITH MONROE X-POINT CONTROL PROTOCOL INTRODUCTION R-SERIES MULTIPORT RF ROUTER DESCRIPTION 4 2 NETWORK CONFIGURATION HARDWARE CONNECTION 6 3 WEB-BROWSER OPERATION WEB INTERFACE MENU TREE SETUP CONTROL 12 4 TCP COMMAND STRUCTURE COMMAND RULES COMMAND EXAMPLES EXTENDED COMMAND EXAMPLES COMMAND RESPONSES 16 5 TCP / TELNET OPERATION 17 6 UPDATING FIRMWARE 19 Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 3 of 20

4 1 Getting Started with Monroe X-point Control Protocol 1.1 Introduction The MultiPort RF Router features several unique capabilities both in signal performance and overall functionality. This switching system is controllable over a TCP/IP network using either a web-browser or Telnet interfaces. This document provides product information and describes the connections and interface parameters for each type of interface. 1.2 R232 MultiPort RF Router Description Figure 1: R232 front panel showing LED selection display Monroe s R232 MultiPort RF Router encompasses many features in a compact and affordable package. The R232 starts off with a multiple-input multiple-output switching matrix featuring dual independent A & B outputs that can select any of the 32 inputs. The R232 uses two matrixes making the outputs non-blocking each output is completely independent of the other allowing them to share the same, or any other input making the R232 an excellent tool for test monitoring as different instruments or monitors may be connected on each output looking at the same or different inputs. The R232 features 20db of gain from input to output, which is able to pull signals up to valid testing levels without introducing performance errors over the operating band. To minimize noise unused inputs and outputs are directly shunt in to 75Ω. Port selection is accomplished via a 10/100 Ethernet control port using a simple browser interface or via Telnet and the Monroe CrossPoint Control Protocol (MXCP) making interfacing with automation and test equipment substantially easier over less sophisticated or manual controls. The R232 features a compact 1RU chassis design and boasts top-notch performance from 5MHz to over 2GHz. Figure 2: R232 rear panel layouts Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 4 of 20

5 R232 Block Diagram Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 5 of 20

6 2 Network Configuration Each switch is shipped with an Ethernet crossover cable to allow direct connection to a computer or to an appropriate Ethernet hub/switch to facilitate configuration and control. Users are expected to understand how to configure the host computer s network values to allow connection to the device with the default settings. 2.1 Hardware Connection Each unit is set with the following factory defaults: Parameter Factory Default Value IP Address: Subnet Mask: Gateway: DNS: IP Addressing: Static TCP Port 23 Speed Auto 10/100 Modifiable? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Table 1 Factory default network settings Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 6 of 20

7 3 Web-Browser Operation Once the appropriate network connections have been made and the unit is powered up the system can be accessed via any standard web-browser. Step 1. Open a web browser on the host computer Step 2. Type into the address bar, then Enter (The default address for R232 is ) Step 3. Figure 3. The login screen should present itself as shown in Figure 3: R232 Login Screen The login screen presents a simple verification that the switch is communicating on the network. From here there are two selections Control and Setup available by selecting the associated buttons on the screen Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 7 of 20

8 3.1 Web Interface Menu Tree Login Screen Control Setup A Input Selector B Input Selector Device name and Password s IP Address Network IP Netmask Gateway DNS TCP Access Port DHCP Enable Set to factory default Control Device Name User Name Control Password Setup User name Setup Password Figure 4: Web interface menu structure 3.2 Setup To modify the configuration click the Setup button to open to Setup login screen as shown Error! Reference source not found. below. Users must enter the proper credentials to assure access to only those properly authorized. The factory defaults for the Setup pages are: Setup Page Access Username: admin Password: r232set for R232 Note: Passwords are case sensitive! Figure 5: R232 Setup login screen Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 8 of 20

9 Once the proper credentials have been confirmed the setup display shows the two setup options as shown in Figure 5. The primary selections are Device names and Passwords and Network IP Clicking Log Out will return to the Login screen Figure 5: R232 Setup selection screen Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 9 of 20

10 Clicking the Device names and Passwords button displays the configuration screen shown in Figure 6. Individual fields are shown for naming the device as well as setting individual control and setup users and passwords. The Device name is displayed on the main login and subsequent pages and can be used to designate the devices, nodes, ranges, or any other information that may help identify a particular switch. A Control Password can be entered then enabled for control over the Web interface, the TCP interface or both by selecting the checkboxes Enable Control Password Web and/or Enable Control Password - TCP. Click Save to store the information and return to the Setup selection screen. Click Exit to return to the Setup selection screen without changes. Figure 6: R232 Device Name and Password configuration screen There are no character restrictions for any field, meaning as long as you can type in from the standard keyboard, all printable characters, including space are valid. Note: Passwords are case sensitive! A user is automatically logged out if there are no actions in 3 minutes. Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 10 of 20

11 Clicking the Network IP button displays the screen shown in Figure 7 at right. The standard network setting fields are shown along with the factory default settings displayed in the right-most column. Modify the desired values then click the Set New IP to store and restart the device. Clicking Set to factory default will return all the settings to initial factory values and restart the device. Click Exit to return to the Setup selection screen without changes. Figure 7: Setup Network IP screen Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 11 of 20

12 3.3 Control The web interface also allows full control of each switch output via easy to use selectors in the Control screen. To enter the Control screen select the Control button from the Login screen ( Figure 3 on page 7) If the Enable Control Password Web is set (see section 3.2) users must enter the proper credentials to assure access to only those properly authorized. The factory default for accessing the Control page is: Control Page Access Username: user Password: control Note: Passwords are case sensitive! Figure 8: R232 Control page login screen The Control page displays the current status of each output by representing the output with a colored LED lamp and the switch position in the Current Setting column. The Select column provides a pull down menu for preselecting the desired input for each output. Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 12 of 20

13 When active, Output A will display a green LED indicator that matches the same presentation on the front panel. Similarly Output B will show an amber indicator matching the front panel. If both outputs have the same input selected the indicators will show the respective colors, however the front panel will have a single LED lit that is a mix of green and amber. Figure 9: R232 Control page Figure 10: R232 Control page showing current status To select an input use the pull down menu in the row associated with the desired output. The pre-selector will show the current setting with a checkmark, simply select the new value. To accept the preselection click the Set Output button. NOTE: No changes are made until the Set Output is pressed. This allows for preselected both outputs before committing a change. Figure 11: R232 Control page input pre-selector Normally the web page accurately displays the current settings, however if the device is remotely controlled via TCP the current settings are not automatically updated, therefore clicking the Refresh button will refresh the web page to display the current settings. Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 13 of 20

14 4 TCP Command Structure The MXCP is a very simple command structure to route the desired input to the desired output using a direct TCP or Telnet session. The port uses the same password used in the web-based control settings (See section 3.3 Control above for more information). The default password: control Inputs are numbered from 0 32 and Outputs are labeled A and B corresponding with the rear panel connections. The 0 (zero) or 00 input value represents shutting off an output in other words, no input, no output. Switch commands are communicated in the form: <Input_Number><Output_Label> for a single entry, (e.g. 2A) <Input_Number><Output_Label>,<Input_Number><Output_Label> for dual entries. (e.g. 2A,3B Note the comma and no space separating the entries) 4.1 Command Rules 1. <Input_Number> can be either one or two digits 2. <Input_Number> cannot exceed <Output_Label> is not case sensitive; A, a, B, b or any mixed case will work 4. Any other letter is invalid 5. Dual entries must be separated with a comma and NO SPACE 6. Command order is not important 7. Single input to both outputs <Input_Number><Output_Label><Output_Label> is also valid 8. No space in front of or in-between a command. 4.2 Basic Command Examples Several valid command examples and descriptive text are shown in the table below. Command 7B 2A 02a 12a,3b 3B,12a 03A,00B 0ab 2Ab Description Single entry. Will route input seven to output B Single entry. Will route input two to output A Same as above. Two digit input and lower case output results in the same routing of input two to output A. Dual entry. Will route input twelve to output A, and input three to output B (Note the comma and no space separating the entries) Same as above in different order and mixed case. Results are the same routing input twelve to output A, and input three to output B Dual entry using two digit input number. Will route input three to output A, and input zero to output B Single entry, but routes input zero to both output A and output B Same as above, but routes input two to both A and B outputs Table 2: Valid command examples Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 14 of 20

15 4.3 Extended Command Examples In addition to the switch commands outlined in Table 2 above there are a few other commands available for status reporting test purposes. These are shown in the table below. Responses to all commands are shown in the next section. Command out h ht n na nb n- nanb- tsc slp x ver Description The lower-case out requests current output status. Lower-case h shows help screen (displays on Telnet session) R232 output Commands: #a #b #ab #a,#b #b,#a where # is 0-16 out: Output status n : ab+1 n- : ab-1 na : a+1 na-: a-1 nb : b+1 nb-: b-1 x : exit and close connection ht : internal test menu Lower-case ht shows help test menu (Internal test menu) tsc : test scan slp : sleep x : close connection Increments the current switch input to the next higher value, e.g. if port A is 12, and B is 4 an n command will increment both ports; A to 13 and B to 5. The na and nb commands allow incrementing only the A or B ports respectively. Incrementing past the upper limit simply returns to the start, i.e. 32 will increment back to 1. Decrements the current switch input to the next lower value, e.g. if port A is 12, and B is on 4 an n- command will decrement both ports; A to 11 and B to 3. The na- and nb- commands allow decrementing only the A or B ports respectively. Decrementing past the lower limit simply returns to the start, i.e. 1 decrements to 16. Will continuously scan front panel LED s and the switch in ~ 1s intervals following the sequence: Output A from 1 32: Output B on 1, then Output A to input 2, and Output B from 1 32 and so on. (Factory test or demonstration only) Enables low power, low activity state to reduce processor noise. (Note: sleep is automatically invoked after every command, therefore using this is state is not required but shown here for completeness) Exit and close TCP connection Displays current firmware version Table 3: Extended commands Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 15 of 20

16 4.4 Command Responses Several valid command examples and descriptive text are shown in the table below. Response R232: 0:Ok. R232: 0:OK. A=00 B=00 R232: A=02 B=12 R232: 1:Syntax Err R232: 2:Input > 16 Description Response from a valid command entry Response from the out status command. Shows current switch positions for each output. 00 indicate switch is off. Another example response from the out command indicating current switch positions for outputs A & B to be input 2 and 12 respectively. Error response indicating improper syntax. Command was improper or improperly formatted. e.g. 2c,3B Error response indicating out of range error. e.g. 45A,3B R232: 3:InputConflict Response from an invalid request. e.g. 1A,2A since single output can only have one input. R232: 4:Display Com Err Display communication error. An internal error consult factory Table 4: Command response Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 16 of 20

17 5 TCP / Telnet Operation Besides web control and direct TCP access the switch can also be controlled via Telnet. The same commands and responses outlined above apply. 5.1 Telnet for Windows Step 1. Open the telnet application Step 2. At the prompt type: o <IP address> then Enter. (where o is a lowercase o and <IP address> is the network IP of the desired device) Step 3. Enter the password (control is default refer to Section 4 above) Step 4. Type h to see the help screen Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 17 of 20

18 5.2 Telnet for Macintosh Step 1. Open the Terminal application Step 2. At the > prompt type: telnet <IP address> then press Return. (where <IP address> is the network IP of the desired device. Step 3. Enter the password (control is default refer to Section 4 above) Note: On Mac s sometimes the initial response is Invalid entry. Please try again simply re-enter the same password - this is a known issue. Step 4. Type h to see the help screen Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 18 of 20

19 6 Updating Firmware The R232 firmware can be updated using the following procedures. 6.1 Tools Required 1. Windows PC (Windows 7 or above) 2. Ethernet Crossover cable 3. R232 switch (NOTE: It is highly recommended the switch and PC are connected to an uninterruptable power supply - UPS to prevent loss of power during the update procedure. If power to the switch is lost during an update it may render the device inaccessible and require a return to the factory.) 6.2 Software Required 1. The R232 firmware file, this will be in the form <filename>.s19 2. The AutoUpdate.exe file 3. The IPSetup.exe file 6.3 Procedures: Step 1. Connect the R232 to the Windows PC with the Ethernet crossover cable Step 2. Step 3. Make sure both devices are powered. (See the note above regarding a UPS.) Make sure the switch and PC are configured with static IP address and are in the same network range (It is assumed the reader knows how to modify the IP address of the Windows PC if necessary). a. If necessary, to determine or modify the R232 s IP address run the application IPSetup.exe on the PC. This application will open and display the device information as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12: Example of IPSetup.exe display showing switch IP information b. If nothing appears in the right-side Select a Unit window be sure the device is properly powered, then click the Search Again. Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 19 of 20

20 Step 4. c. Clicking on a device in the Select a Unit field will display its current settings in the NDK Settings area to the left. d. To change or modify the switch s IP settings, highlight the unit in the Select a Unit window then alter the IP settings in the fields NDK Settings on the left. Clicking the Set button in between the two areas and waiting a few seconds should set the switch with the new values. If the page doesn t automatically refresh click the Search Again button, and highlight again to verify the new IP settings. Once the connection between the PC and the switch is confirmed, run the AutoUpdate.exe program on the PC. It will open a window as shown in Figure 13 below. Step 5. Figure 13: Initial AutoUpdate window for updating R232 firmware. Click the Browse button to locate the update file (will have a.s19 extension) and select it. The file path will appear in the FileName field. Step 6. Figure 14: AutoUpdate with update file selected Click the Update button to the update the switch with the new firmware. After a minute or so the screen will acknowledge completion with the following: Figure 15: AutoUpdate completion window Monroe X-point Control Protocol Page 20 of 20