AcquiSuite™ Installation and Setup Instructions

Overview:  The AcquiSuite™ data acquisition system is designed to allow owners and managers of commercial and industrial facilities with a cost-effective means of gathering crucial information in a timely manner.  To meet these requirements, the AcquiSuite™ system provides the installer with all the tools necessary to install and configure the hardware and software with a minimum of time and investment.

Installation checklist: 

An AcquiSuite™ system installation has the following components:

Required hardware

• AcquiSuite™ A8801-1 server (required)
• RS232 to RS 485 converter (required)
• Modbus RTU devices (e.g., Veris model H8035, H8036 power meter, or A8923 IO module, )
• Data connection (ethernet or phone line).
  • Ethernet Cat 5 cable (required for connection to existing Local Area Network); or
  • Ethernet Cat 5 Crossover cable (required for direct laptop-to-AcquiSuite connection); or
  • Phone line and cord (required for modem connection)

Optional hardware

• AcquiSuite™ I/O module (required for connecting analog or pulse inputs to the server)
• Analog sensors for temperature, humidity, etc.
• Pulse output transducers for measuring gas, electricity, water, etc. from existing meters and sensors.
• Additional power meters (e.g., Veris H8035, H8036, H8163, etc)

Next, choose one or more of the following connection methods.

For LAN installations only:

• Ethernet 10Mbit connection point (hub or switch)
• IP address and Netmask (check with system administrator)
• Gateway address (check with system administrator)
• DNS server address (check with system administrator)
• HTTP Proxy address (optional), may be required if the AcquiSuite is behind a firewall (check with system administrator)

For dialout installations only: (AcquiSuite initiates a phone call to your ISP or modem server)

• Phone line with dialtone. May be shared with other devices such as a fax machine.
• Phone cord for connection to phone system
• Dial out access prefixes, and long distance access code if required. (ie, dial 9 for local line)
• ISP or Modem Server phone number (check with ISP)
• Static IP and Netmask if required. Most dialup lines are dynamic, so this is probably not required. (check with ISP)
• DNS server address. (check with ISP)
• HTTP Proxy, optional, (check with ISP)
• Time to dial. If phone line is shared, choose a time of day when other devices are not in use, such as 4am.

For dialin installations only: (AcquiSuite receives/answers a phone call from your computer)

• Phone line with dialtone. Must be NOT shared with other devices.
• Phone cord for connection to phone system.
• Telephone number for the phone line that the AcquiSuite will be attached to. (so you can call the AcquiSuite)
• Make note of the AcquiSuite dialin IP/Netmask for future use.

Hardware Installation steps:

Step 1 ­ Unpack materials: Remove all materials from shipping box and verify all required components are available

Step 2 ­ Boot server: Using included power supply cord, plug the cord into the server and then turn on the power switch (located next to the power plug)

Figure 1 - Rear panel of AcquiSuite server

Step 3 ­ Power-up and diagnostics: After power switch is turned on, the red power light on the front panel of the server should come on and the LCD display will display a series of diagnostic screens ending with the following message on the LCD display (this boot sequence may require up to 2 minutes to complete):

This indicates that the server has loaded properly and is ready for configuration and connection to the network and sensors. If the red light does not come on or the LCD display does not cycle to the above screen, verify that the power cord is plugged in and that the power switch is in the on (“l”) position. If after cycling the power the unit still does not power up (or if an error message appears in the LCD display) contact technical support.

Step 4 ­ Connect the Modbus network loop, see figure 2 for overview.: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installing and powering the Modbus devices.  Verify that the Modbus address settings are unique for each device (i.e., no two devices with the same address) and power up the loop. Connect each device in the chain by “daisy-chaining” the devices together (see wiring diagram below). Observe + and - polarity on the modbus devices. Connect the RS232 to RS485 converter to the nine pin serial port connector on the AcquiSuite™ server (see Fig 2) and connect the Modbus chain to the other end of the 232/485 converter. For more information about modbus loops, please read our Modbus FAQ.

Figure 2 - Modbus wiring diagram.

Step 5 ­ Verify connected devices:  To verify that the Modbus devices are installed and reporting correctly, use the Modbus status utility on the AcquiSuite™ server.  To do this test, follow these steps:

A. Press and release the menu (top) button on the server.  The following will appear on the LCD display:

B. Press the menu bottom two more times (until the LCD display shows the following message:

C. Press the select (bottom) button on the server and the unit will begin the diagnosis of the Modbus loop.  After the check is completed, the unit will display the following message:

D. Verify that the number of devices located by the server (the total of OK, fail and new) matches the number of devices actually installed and connected. For a first time installation, all devices should appear as “new”.  (Note: A “device” is the Modbus connected device, not necessarily the sensor.  For example, an AcquiSuite I/O module with 4 sensors connected is only one device, not four)

E. The server takes about 2.5 minutes to complete the device location probe.  If the Modbus devices are connected after the server is booted up, the devices may not appear on the screen for several minutes.  In the worst case, up to 5 minutes may be required for the server to locate all the connected devices.

F. If all devices are reporting properly, it is now time to connect the server to the network or phone line for remote reporting and configuration

TCPIP Network Configuration

Step 1 - Determine the IP addressing needs:  The IP address of the AcquiSuite™ server can be implemented using one of three methods.  Check with the network administrator to determine which method applies. For phone installations, use "direct connection to laptop" to allow initial configuration.

• Static IP address ­ this is a fixed IP address which is assigned by a network administrator and “hard-coded” into the AcquiSuite; or
• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) address ­ this process assigns an IP address dynamically to the AcquiSuite when it is connected to the network from a host DHCP server; or
• Direct connection between the AcquiSuite and a single temporary computer such as a laptop. (primary connection will be dialin or dialout by modem)

You will need the following information from your network administrator: The addresses will be in the form of “###.###.###.###”), where “#” refers to the numbers 0 to 9.

Figure 3 - AcquiSuite Network address worksheet.

Step 2 ­ Configure the IP address as selected from the chart above. For Direct Connection to Laptop, the address settings above are set as the factory default, and you may be able to skip to the "Laptop/Computer Setup" section if the factory default settings are present.

To begin configuration, make sure that the server displays the start screen:

If this screen does not appear on the LCD display, press and hold the menu (top) button on the server for several seconds and the message should appear.  To change the IP address to the static address assigned by the network administrator, do the following:

A. Press the menu (top) button once to get the TCP/IP configuration menu

B. Press the select (bottom) button once to get the IP config menu:

C. Press the select button again to see the IP address menu:

D. At this point, the cursor on the display will be blinking on the first number in the IP address on the second line.

E. To change the number, press the menu (top) button and the display will cycle through the digits 0-9 as well as “.”.  Once the correct digit is displayed, press the select (lower) button to advance to the next digit and repeat the process until all the digits are correct.

F. Once the IP address on the server matches the assigned IP address, press the select (bottom) button once more to return to the main TCP/IP menu. 

Step 3 - Set the Netmask, gateway, and DNS server(s) addresses as noted in the chart "Network Address Worksheet" shown above by repeating steps A-E.  The only change is that after Step B, press the menu (top) button multiple times to see the netmask setup menu, then push the select button to set the option.

Note: DHCP configuration, only set the IP address to 0.0.0.0. The netmask, gateway, and dns server addresses will be obtained automatically.

Step 4 - After the address information has been set, you must reboot the AcquiSuite. Select the "(Previous Menu)" option after step B above. The menu will then state that the AcquiSuite must be rebooted to take effect. Press 'select' to allow the AcquiSuite to reboot.

Once the AcquiSuite has rebooted, the new IP address will be displayed on the console. If DHCP addressing was specified, the server assigned address will be displayed.

Laptop/Computer Setup

Step 1 - You must have a computer to access and configure the AcquiSuite. This computer must have an ethernet connection (on the LAN or by direct connection) and must have a web browser installed such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.

Note: If your building already has an existing LAN that the AcquiSuite is attached to, you can use that existing computer on that LAN. Check with your network administrator for details. If this option is available, use that computer and skip to step 10 below.

The remainder of this section will assume the installer has brought a laptop to the site, and will connect the laptop to the building LAN, or directly to the AcquiSuite. Attach the laptop to the AcquiSuite or LAN as shown in figure 4, Ethernet hookup.

Figure 4 - Ethernet hookup

Step 2 - Attach the Laptop to the AcquiSuite or to the LAN. If the Laptop is to be attached to an existing LAN, use a standard (direct) ethernet patch cable. If the Laptop is to be attached directly to the AcquiSuite as shown in the second figure, use an ethernet "Crossover" cable.

If the Laptop is to be attached to an existing LAN, obtain a static IP address (or use DHCP addressing) from the network administrator.

Figure 5 - Laptop network address worksheet.

Step 3 - Configure the laptop IP address using the following steps. Note: Only MS Windows is detailed below, however you can use any OS/Browser you wish such as MacOS or Linux. Details on network setup for non-windows operating systems is beyond the scope of this document however.

1. From the Windows start menu, select the "Settings/Control Panel" option. Double click the network icon in the displayed window.
   Note: If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, select the 'Local Area' connection icon in the network folder, then click the "Properties" button.
2. In the network setup dialog, there should be a list of items including adapters, clients and protocols. Locate the protocol labeled "TCP/IP".
   Note: If you have multiple ethernet cards, you may have multiple lines labeled "TCP/IP --> ethernet card". Locate the ethernet card that corresponds to the physical connection to the AcquiSuite and then select the TCP/IP option that is linked with that ethernet card.

Figure 6 - TCP/IP settings option.

3. Double click the TCP/IP option you selected in step B above. An example is shown in figure 6 below. Set the IP and Netmask from figure 5 (laptop network address worksheet) above. It would be helpful to make note of your previous settings in this dialog so you may set them back after you are done with the AcquiSuite Configuration.
4. Close the TCP/IP settings dialog, and Network dialog. If you are using Windows 95, 98, or ME, you will be required to reboot your computer.

AcquiSuite Administration and Setup

The AcquiSuite should now be available on the local area network for you to access using a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.

Step 1 - Use your web browser to connect to the AcquiSuite by entering

http://###.###.###.###/setup/
Where ###.###.###.### is the IP address displayed on the on the AcquiSuite lcd display.

Step 2 - When prompted, use the following default login information

Login: admin
Password: admin

Step 3 - Your web browser should now display the AcquiSuite configuration menu. To the left, a list of configuration options are available. On the right, a specific configuration page will be shown. The first page is a welcome message with some system status information. Proceed with the configuration of the AcquiSuite using your web browser.

Step 4 - Click on the + mark next to the Accounts menu. Select the Admin account, and click 'Change Password'. All units are shipped with the same factory default password, and it should be changed to prevent unwanted access.

Step 5 - Expand the Networking option, and select setup. Verify the addresses are consistent with those in Figure 3 - "Network Address Worksheet.". If your AcquiSuite is behind a firewall and your network administrator has instructed you to use a HTTP Proxy Server, enter the address in this dialog and click Apply when done.

Step 6 - Expand the Modbus option, and select "Device List." You should see a list of each modbus device attached to the AcquiSuite. Before the AcquiSuite can begin logging data, each Modbus device must be assigned a unique name.

1. Click the device number to the left of the modbus device.
2. A page with the current device status and readings will be displayed. Click on the 'configure' button at the bottom of the page.
3. Enter a name for the device in the supplied field.
4. Change any low and high range alarm settings you may need.
5. Click the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
6. Repeat these steps for each modbus device.

Some devices may require additional information. The Veris H8238 Multi circuit power meter allows the CT size to be specified. The Obvius A8923 IO Module has additional configuration options on each data point line to specify the details of the analog or pulse input. These include the 4-20ma device scale, multipliers and engineering units. Each 4-20ma or 0-10v sensor should be supplied with technical information that can be used to configure the AcquiSuite. Also, the AcquiSuite has many common sensor types pre-programmed that can be selected from a dropdown list.

Step 7 - Select the Modbus/Setup menu option. Specify the Modbus Loop Name. This is the name that will appear on the BMO website service (if subscribed). Specify the data logging period. The default is 15 minutes.

Step 8 - Select the Modbus/Upload Data page.

1. Make note of the AcquiSuite serial number.
2. Select upload options as needed for time of day to upload the data and retry control.
3. Specify the "Target address to upload data." This is the website address where the AcquiSuite will send the collected data. If you have an in-house data collection service, you should enter the address of your data server in this field. Obvius also provides a service called Building Manager Online that can collect and report data for you. If you are using the BMO service, the target address to upload data should be set to http://www.buildingmanageronline.com/upload.php
4. When configuring the AcquiSuite to send data to the BMO site or your own data collection server, the AcquiSuite will authenticate itself with the server by using the serial number and a password. This password must be supplied here, and can be obtained when you subscribe for the BMO service, or by your database administrator.
5. Click "Apply" to save your changes.

Dialout Configuration

The AcquiSuite has the ability to place phone calls to a Remote Access Server (RAS) or ISP in order to upload data that has been collected from the modbus devices. This feature is useful when using the AcquiSuite on a phone line with the Building Manager Online service, or with your own data collection server. Dialout configuration is not useful if you do not have a central database server to send the data to.

Step 1: Collect the necessary information. You will need some details about the ISP or RAS you will be calling.

Figure 7 - Dialin worksheet..

Step 2: Plug a regular telephone into the phone line that the AcquiSuite is to use. Verify the line has dialtone. Attempt dialing the ISP or RAS phone number, and confirm a modem answers the phone. If so, hangup, attach the AcquiSuite to the phone line and proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Select the Network/Setup option from the AcquiSuite configuration webpage. Set the DNS server(s) to the addresses provided by your dialup ISP account provider. Click the "Apply" button to save your changes. You will be prompted to reboot the AcquiSuite for the changes to take effect. The DNS server address is required for dialup connections to be able to locate the buildingmanageronline.com website for data uploading.

Step 4: Select the Network/PPP0/ModemSetup option from the AcquiSuite configuration webpage. Set the "setup string" by clicking on the "use default" button. Click apply changes to save the setting.

Step 5: Select the Network/PPP0/DialoutSetup option from the AcquiSuite configuration webpage.

1. Check the box to enable dialout
2. Enter the phone number in the space provided
3. Set the "limit carrier speed" option to 33600. If the phone line is noisy, and dialout connections are failing, you may want to reduce this setting.
4. If the ISP or RAS requires a static IP address, enter the IP/Mask numbers. Note: Most use dynamic IP addressing, so this option is probably not required.
5. Enter the account name (login name) and password in the fields provided.
6. Select "PAP", "CHAP", or "Chat Script" depending on what your ISP or RAS. Then click the "use default script" button. This will specify the send and receive chat script that will authenticate at the beginning of the dialup connection. You may need to enable the debug information options, and check the log file for further information the chat script progress.
7. Click Apply Changes to save the settings.

Step 6: Select the Network/PPP0/status page, and click the "dialout now" button. Confirm the connection is established, and an IP address is assigned to the AcquiSuite. The AcquiSuite may take a minute to establish the connection.

Step 7: Optionally, use the Connection Test page in the Testing/Diags menu on the AcquiSuite for a full report of the dialout connection progress.

Dialin Configuration

The AcquiSuite has the ability to receive and answer phone calls from a Windows computer in order to allow remote configuration, or to collect data that has been logged from the modbus devices. This feature is useful when using the AcquiSuite on a phone line and a central database server is not present.

Step 1: Collect the necessary information. You will need some details about the ISP or RAS you will be calling.

Figure 7 - Dialin Address Worksheet..

Step 2: Plug a regular telephone into the phone line that the AcquiSuite is to use. Verify the line has dialtone. Use a second telephone and dial the AcquiSuite phone number and verify the first telephone rings, and can be answered. If it does not ring, verify the telephone number dialed is actually associated with physical phone line. If the line tests ok, hangup, attach the AcquiSuite to the phone line and proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Select the Network/PPP0/ModemSetup option from the AcquiSuite configuration webpage. set the "setup string" by clicking on the "use default" button. Click apply changes to save the setting.

Step 4: Select the Network/PPP0/DialinSetup option from the AcquiSuite configuration webpage.

1. Check the "dialin enabled" option
2. Set the IP, Netmask, and Remote Address as shown in Figure 7 - Dialin Address Worksheet. The IP addresses shown (factory default) will work for most dialup connections. If you make changes to the IP address, make note of it for future use.
3. Click "Apply" to save your changes.

Step 5: Dialing into the AcquiSuite with Windows:

1. From a Windows 95/98/ME computer, select the Start Menu, and then select the Control Panel. Double click the "dialup networking" folder.
2. Click "Make a new connection"
3. Name the connection with an appropriate name for the AcquiSuite. Click Next.
4. Enter the phone number used to call the AcquiSuite as shown in Figure 7 - Dialin Address Worksheet. Click Next, then Finish.
5. Double click the new connection icon in the dialup networking folder.
6. Verify the phone number is accurate
7. Enter "admin" as the login name, When prompted, enter the password to the AcquiSuite admin account.
8. Click Properties to show a configuration dialog for the connection.
9. Click the Network tab, verify the dialup server type is "PPP" and the TCP/IP protocol is the only item checked in the "allowed protocols area"
10. Click TCP/IP Properties, and verify the connection uses a server assigned IP address.
11. Click OK to close this dialog.
12. Click the "Connect" button to dialin to the AcquiSuite.

Once the connection is established, use your web browser to connect to the AcquiSuite by entering

http://###.###.###.###/setup/
Where ###.###.###.### is the Static IP address listed in Figure 7 - Dialin Address Worksheet.

Your browser will now be able to access the AcquiSuite the same way as you did in the LAN/Direct Connection setup in previous sections of this manual.

Uploading data to the BMO website.

After the AcquiSuite has been configured and has logged some data, you will want to collect the data for analysis. There are several ways of collecting the data from the AcquiSuite including the Building Manager Online service. Other methods are noted in the data collection faq. This section details configuring the AcquiSuite for use with the BMO service.

Step 1: First, use your browser to connect to the AcquiSuite. Select the Modbus/Setup section from the menu on the left. In the field titled "Modbus Loop Name" enter a name for this AcquiSuite to uniquely identify it on the BMO website. Because the BMO site can show multiple AcquiSuite devices, it is important to have a descriptive name in this field.

Step 2: Select the Modbus/Upload Data menu option. The following features are available:

• AcquiSuite Serial Number: This is the serial number that uniquely identifies this AcquiSuite. This number can not be changed. When uploading data to the BMO website, this serial number is used to identify the AcquiSuite to the BMO server.
• Scheduled upload time: This option allows you to control when the AcquiSuite will initiate the upload process. You can select any hour of the day, and the AcquiSuite will select some time at random within that hour to start the upload. The random feature allows multiple AcquiSuite devices to share a single dialup account or phone line by not starting the dialout at the same time for all devices. If the AcquiSuite is on a LAN connection (DSL, Cable Modem, T1, etc) an upload time of "hourly" may be selected.
• Upload data on alarm status change will cause the AcquiSuite to initiate the upload process if any point on any modbus device enters or leaves an alarm state. This allows the AcquiSuite to send data when an alarm is detected, and will upload that information to the BMO website in a timely manner. The BMO website will then send email notifications if necessary. If this option is disabled, the BMO website may not be able to send notifications until the end of the day when the AcquiSuite calls in at its specified upload time.
• Upload data on low disk alarm: This feature will cause the AcquiSuite to attempt a data upload immediately if the log file storage area is more than 75% full.
• Allow remote modbus device configuration: If enabled, users may remotely configure alarms and other modbus device features on the BMO website. When the AcquiSuite uploads data to the BMO website, it will also download any new configuration information as needed. Note: if configuration changes are made to the AcquiSuite, those changes will be uploaded to the BMO site. If configuration changes are made at both the AcquiSuite and the BMO website, the most recent changes will be used.
• Target Address to upload data: This is the website URL to upload data to. This should always be set to "http://www.buildingmanageronline.com/upload.php" unless you are configuring the AcquiSuite to send data to your own internal database server. (see data collection faq.)
• Password to upload data: This password is used by the BMO webserver to verify the AcquiSuite device authentication before accepting the uploaded data. You should select a password other than the default, and make note of it for future reference.
• Number of times to retry: In the event of a failure (often due to dialup problems, busy signals, etc) this option specifies the number of retries to attempt the upload again. If all retries fail, the AcquiSuite will wait until the next scheduled upload time before trying again.
• Time to wait before retry: In the event of a failure, the AcquiSuite can be configured to wait for a specified period of time before attempting another connection. This option specifies how long to wait before retrying.

Step 3: Contact the Obvius Technical Support department. Please have the AcquiSuite serial number and password to upload data handy. Your tech support representative will confirm your BMO account and will add the AcquiSuite to one of your client databases.

Step 4: Click the "Upload Data Now" button. Your data should be sent to the BMO webserver.

Step 5: For more detailed information about the transfer process, use the Connection Test page in the Testing/Diags menu on the AcquiSuite for a full report of the data upload progress.

® 20811 N.W. Cornell Road #700, Hillsboro, OR 97124 Ph: +1-503-601-2099 Toll Free +1-866-204-8134 Copyright © 2001-2004 Obvius, All rights reserved.

$Date: 2004/08/17 22:31:07 $ $Revision: 1.14 $ Contact Us