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Troubleshooting Tips for SureCross® Radios

The Quick Start Guide helps you quickly get up and running with your SureCross® radios. This guide contains only basic startup directions and guidelines for installation. For more details, refer to the full product manual.

The Wireless I/O Network Manual is the full product manual for the DX80 family of devices and contains detailed information about all aspects of operation for the SureCross family.
132607 (American English)
141756 (Italian)
141754 (French)

For a list of the manuals typically used with SureCross products, refer to the Product Manuals page. Links to all product datasheets are included on the product pages.

Startup

Problem Solution
Radio won't wake up All SureCross devices powered from an integrated battery ship from the factory in hibernation mode to conserve the battery. To wake the device, press and hold button 1 for five seconds. To put a SureCross device into hibernation mode, press and hold button 1 for five seconds. The radio is in hibernation mode when the LEDs stop blinking. In some models, the LCD remains on for an additional minute after the radio enters hibernational mode. After a device has entered hibernation mode, you must wait one minute before waking it. During normal operation, the SureCross radio devices automatically enter sleep mode after about 15 minutes of operation. The radio continues to function, but the LCD goes blank. To wake the device, press any button.
Sensors not powered Many SureCross devices have several switch power outputs for powering sensors. Enable the power supplies using the I/O point parameters for sensor supply #, supply output voltage, and warm-up time.
Radio seems only partially powered If your ribbon cable has been unplugged from the radio board, verify the ribbon cable is fully seated and that it has been plugged into all pins. It is possible to plug in the ribbon cable and accidentally miss the top row of pins. When the ribbon cable is plugged in incorrectly, the radio may partially power up, but it will not be able to communicate to any sensors nor will it communicate with the wireless network.
Radio won't go into binding mode If you did not disconnect the power before changing the DIP switch positions, you must cycle power to the device. If you do not cycle power, the device does not register the DIP switch changes. For devices with an integrated battery, cycle the power by removing the battery for one minute. Replace the battery.

 

LED Message Codes

LED 1 LED 2 Description
Solid green   Gateway, DX85: Power is on
Flashing green   Node: Good radio communication link
  Flashing yellow Gateway, DX85: Active Modbus communication
Flashing red Flashing red Device error. If the LCD also reports BAD EE, contact the factory for replacement.
  Flashing red

Gateway, DX85: Modbus communication error
For a Gateway system, a Modbus communications error indicates a bad transmission or checksum error between the host and the Gateway device. For a GatewayPro system, a Modbus communications error indicates a communications problem internal to the GatewayPro. For a Gateway and Ethernet Bridge system, a Modbus communication error indicates a communication problem between the Gateway and the Ethernet Bridge.

Solutions:
1. The default communications settings for the RS485 port are: 1 start bit, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and 19.2k baud. The DX80 Gateway uses Modbus RTU protocol for all communications. Supported Modbus function codes are 3, 6, and 16.
2. Verify the DX80 model supports RS485 serial communications.
3. RS485 termination or biasing is not supplied on the Gateway and should be provided externally to the DX80. (Termination is not required by the Gateway, proper biasing of the serial lines is required.)
4. Bad connection or bad cable.
  Flashing red

Node: No radio communication
There are two settings on every Node device used to synchronize to the Gateway device:
• The Node must be bound to the Gateway.
• Each Node ID within that network must be set to a unique number.

Solutions:
1. If the Gateway and Node are less than two meters apart, device communication may fail (radios may saturate). If the Gateway is less than two meters from another Gateway, send and receive transmissions between all devices the Gateways communicate with fails.
2. The Gateway and Node may be too far apart to achieve synchronization - consult the factory for options.
3. Use a qualified antenna on both the Gateway and Node devices.
4. After any system parameter change, cycle the power to re-synchronize all devices.
5. When a Node loses synchronization, it is programmed to attempt re-synchronization for five seconds, then sleep for fifteen seconds. Synchronizing may require up to twenty seconds.
6. Re-cycle power on the Gateway and Node devices.
  Not flashing yellow

GatewayPro: No Modbus communication

Solution:
1. The GatewayPro's LED 2 should always be blinking yellow to indicate Modbus communication. If the LED 2 does not blink yellow, verify the baud rates, slave IDs, parity, and stop bits are set correctly.
2. Check the cables connecting the GatewayPro to the host device.
No LED No LED

All DX80 devices display "POWER" on the LCD for the first five to ten seconds after applying power. A DX80 Gateway always has a green LED 1 on when power is connected. DX80 Node devices flash a red LED 2 every three seconds or a green LED 1 every second depending on the RF Link status.
If no LEDs are lighting up:
1. Put battery powered devices into power-down mode using button 1 on the front panel. To put a battery device into power-down mode, hold button 1 for three to five seconds. To return from power-down mode, hold button 1 for three to five seconds.
2. Recheck the power connections and power requirements. Line powered devices require 10 to 30V dc. Battery-powered devices require 3.6 to 5.5V dc.
3. After replacing the battery, allow up to sixty seconds for the device to power up.
4. The GatewayPro cannot be attached to another Modbus master device or a Modbus slave ID 1 via RS485. Special configuration using the Web page configuration tool allows the GatewayPro to become a slave unit when necessary.

 

LCD Message Codes

Problem Solution
BAD EE BAD EE System Error. A system error typically represents a failure of the EE PROM. Contact the factory for replacement.
EC XX The XX lists the Modbus register 8 message code listed in the Modbus Error Codes section. DX80 Display shows *ERROR: The Gateway uses fully-acknowledged polling to ensure each Node RF link is robust. If a prescribed number of sequential polling cycles are not acknowledged by a Node, the Gateway considers the radio link with that Node to be timed out. All outputs on the Node in question are set to "OFF" (discrete) or "0" (analog, regardless of type). If the Node's RF link recovers and the Gateway or Gateway Pro determines enough acknowledged polling messages have accumulated, the link is reinstated and outputs are restored to the current values.
No LCD

1. All DX80 devices display "POWER" on the LCD for the first five to ten seconds after applying power. A DX80 Gateway always has a green LED 1 on when power is connected. DX80 Node devices flash a red LED 2 every three seconds or a green LED 1 every second depending on the RF Link status. Battery-powered devices turn off the LCD after fifteen minutes (factory default). Push any button to reactivate the LCD. Battery-powered devices may be in power-down mode. To put battery powered devices into power-down mode, hold button 1 for three to five seconds. To return from power-down mode, hold button 1 for three to five seconds.

2. Recheck the power connections and power requirements. Line-powered devices require 10 to 30V dc. Battery-powered devices require 3.6 to 5.5V dc.

3. After replacing the battery, allow up to sixty seconds for the device to power up.

 

Inputs and Outputs

Problem Solution
Some inputs or outputs are not working

1. From the Node, access the menu system and use manual scrolling mode within *RUN to freeze the I/O status on the LCD display for the device in question. Verify that when the input device changes state or changes value, the LCD mirrors the behavior. If the Node is in a hazardous location, access the Node's I/O from the Gateway by changing the Gateway's right rotary dial to the Node number in question. For example, to view the I/O status of Node 3, move the Gateway's right rotary dial to 3. The Gateway's LCD now scrolls through Node 3's I/O. To freeze the display on a particular I/O point, double-click button 2. The autoscrolling on the Gateway stops at the *RUN screen. Single-click button 1 to advance through the Node's I/O points.

2. Verify that the LCD on the output side mirrors the linked input's behavior. If the input device state LCD on the origination DX80 and the
LCD on the destination DX80 behave the same, there may be a wiring issue or an interfacing problem. Consult the factory.

3. Nodes will not sample inputs unless they are in sync with a Gateway. Verify your Node is in sync with its Gateway.
  The Sensor Connections chapter of the SureCross Wireless I/O Product Manual includes many example wiring diagrams for two- and three-wire sensors, PNP and NPN sensors, and a variety of analog sensors.

 

Other Problems

Problem Solution
Problems with antenna mounting or placement

For more details about how antennas work, how to improve your signal strength, and how to mount antennas in various configurations, download and read Antenna Basics.
Host-controlled systems

The Host-Connected guide includes details about the supported Modbus commands, how to configure the devices for EtherNet/IP, error message handling, Modbus registers, EtherNet/IP registers, Modbus control messages, extended control messages, and several example Modbus commands for setting I/O parameters or initiating commands.
132114 (American English)
141759 (Italian)
141757 (French)
How do I know what the Site Survey numbers mean? The Site Survey Reference Guide includes the details about conducting a site survey and intepreting the results. This information is also included as a chapter of the SureCross Wireless I/O Product Manual.

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