Connection - Configuring the Network Identity

Connection - Configuring the Network Identity
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This dialog allows you to connect to a RM2200D DSP frame and to change its IP address if necessary. Please read the following paragraph carefully, especially if you need to troubleshoot a network connection to a RM2200D!

Figure 30: Serial number on the slot panel of the RM220-950 DSP and Communications Controller

Each RM2200D has a unique serial number. It is printed onto the slot panel of the DSP and Communications Controller RM220-950. You can regognize this module by its two sockets - one 9-pin Sub-D and one RJ45 Twisted Pair socket. The serial number represents the last 3 bytes of the controllers Ethernet MAC address. These three bytes are reserved for the use of DHD and unique for each DSP frame. Before trying to connect to a RM2200D, you need to enter its serial number into the field Serial number. If you change this number, you see the label MAC address next to this field change appropriately.

	Important
	Make sure you are entering the serial number correctly! If you make any error, all attempts to connect to the DSP frame will fail!

In general, there are two ways to connect your PC to the RM2200D DSP frame - via a serial cable or via Ethernet and TCP/IP. Usually you would connect to the RM2200D using the Ethernet connection, but sometimes you need to resort to using the serial cable.

	Note
	It is recommended you use the serial connection to the DSP frame only in case the Ethernet connection is not working. Using a serial cable is considerably slower than Ethernet and you need to place the PC next to the DSP frame. However, if there is no Ethernet available or you need to connect a laptop PC to the DSP frame, using the serial connection might be easier. Also, if the IP address has been misconfigured, you might only be able to fix this by using the serial connection.

Connecting via the Serial Port

To connect to the DSP frame via the serial port, do the following:

Connect a serial cable to both the PC and the DSP frame. Make sure you choose the right serial port on the PC. Also make sure, that no other application uses this serial port.
Choose the entry Serial via RS232 from the pop up menu Connection type.
From the pop up menu Serial port choose the serial port you are using on your PC.
Click the button Connect. If the connection was successful, the button Transfer in the lower right of the configuration dialog should become enabled.
Now, click the button Transfer. The configuration transfer dialog opens. Download the current configuration. After a few seconds the channel status indicators should change to display the current state of the RM2200D. Also, the software meters should start working, if there is a signal on their inputs.

	Note
	If you have trouble connecting using the serial port, check the following: Are you using the correct serial number of the DSP frame? Are you using the correct serial port on your computer ? Is no other application using this serial port? If you still can not connect to the DSP frame, check the cabling and exit the RM2200D software. After that, switch the DSP frame off, wait a few seconds and switch it on again. Start the RM2200D software and try to connect again.

	Important
	If necessary, you can use USB-RS232-converters to provide the serial port. However, because of the great variety of these devices, DHD can not recommend a type. It is possible that such converters do not work at all or do not work with the performance expected. If your PC is not equipped with a serial port (e.g. laptops), you should prefer a slot-in card with a serial port to an USB adapter.

Connecting via TCP/IP

The DSP frame has its own IP address. The RM2200D software talks to the firmware in the DSP frame using this address, the data is transported via the TCP/IP protocol. Normally, the RM2200D software determines the IP address of the DSP frame automatically, if you have entered the correct serial number for the DSP frame.

Figure 31: Configuration dialog for the network identity of the RM2200D.

	Important
	For the automatic address detection to work it is necessary that UDP packets can travel freely between the PC running the RM2200D software and the DSP frame. If this is not possible, you may have problems connecting to the DSP frame, especially if it is using DHCP to get its IP address. If you suspect this kind of problem, please talk to your network administrator.

If you have entered the correct serial number and the UDP address detection works, you just have to click the Connect button to connect to the DSP frame. If the connection was established, after a few seconds the channel status indicators should change to display the current state of the RM2200D. Also, the button Transfer in the lower right of the configuration dialog should become enabled.

	Note
	If you quit the RM2200D software while a connection to the DSP frame is active, it will try to reconnect when started again. If this fails for any reason, use the dialog Connection to reconnect manually to the DSP frame.

Changing the IP address of the DSP frame

Normally, the firmware in th DSP frame will get its IP address from a DHCP server in the network, if there is one available.

	Important
	Make sure, the DSP frame is connected to the Ethernet before powering it on. If this is not the case and you are plugging in the Ethernet cable after powering on, the firmware can not contact the DHCP server and get a valid IP address. As a result, you might not be able to connect to the DSP frame from the RM2200D software.

If a DHCP server is available, make sure the Ethernet cable is connected properly and the link LED next to the RJ45 socket is on. Now, switch off the DSP frame, wait a few seconds and switch it on again. The firmware should now get a valid IP address from the DHCP server.

	Tip
	If the firmware of the DSP frame looks for a DHCP server but can‘t find one, it might keep an invalid IP address. As a result you can not connect to it from the RM2200D software. This can also happen, if you transfer a RM2200D from one network segment to another. In these cases you need to change the IP address manually, either using a serial connection or the UDP method described next. If you don not know which values to enter, talk to your network administrator.

To change the IP address of the DSP frame, do the following:

Make sure you entered the correct serial number for the DSP frame.
Select the desired connection from the pop up menu Connection Type.
Important
If you are using the option TCP/IP via network, make sure no routers or firewalls are blocking UDP traffic between the RM2200D software and the DSP frame!
Check the checkbox Manual setup (no DHCP). Below it the input fields for the TCP/IP parameters are displayed.
Enter the new IP address for the DSP frame, change the subnet mask accordingly. The value for the TCP/IP port must be 2200. Do not change the values for Gateway and DNS!
When using the Ethernet connection, set the field UDP broadcast address to the correct value. Usually this is the subnet address with the value “255” at the end. (For example, if your network is “192.168.3.x”, the UDP broadcast address is “192.168.3.255”.)
Make sure the value for UDP broadcast port is set to “2201”.
If all values are entered correctly, click the button Set. If the IP address of the DSP frame has changed successfully, the field TCP/IP address will show the new value after a few seconds.

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Various - Configuring Level Meters and Clean Feeds		Protocol - Monitoring the CAN-Bus and Sending Commands

	Important
	If you are using the option TCP/IP via network, make sure no routers or firewalls are blocking UDP traffic between the RM2200D software and the DSP frame!