Question: My module / device server has been acting weird, is it broken?
Answer: Frequently, the problems encountered are not caused by hardware failure of the module itself, it could be caused by firmware and setting related reasons (incorrect settings, incorrect connections, or corrupt firmwares) or power related reasons. Below are the suggested troubleshooting steps.
Firmware and Setting Related Troubleshooting Steps
Back up your configuration files
Update the software and firmware to the newest versions
Initialize your Device Server / Module
Reload the configuration files
Power Related Troubleshooting Steps
Check to see if the power supply is within specification
Just in case that your configuration of the device server is correct, and you are able to get the module / device server back to working state after following the steps outlined inside this document, then it is advised to make a back up of it before proceeding further. The configuration of the module / device server can be saved using the DS Manager.
‧ First, open DS Manager and select the device that is having the trouble and press the “settings” button;
‧ Press the “save” button at the bottom of the menu and save the file to any name you wish (ex. mysettings.ds);
p.s.(This file is also useful when you need to contact us for technical support as this file can allow us to simulate your environment)
With each new release of software and firmware there will be improvement either in features or in functionality. So it is very possible the problem that you are encountering was already fixed. The newest version of our software and firmware can be found at:
http://www.tibbo.com/downloads.php
This step is to reset “everything” to the factory default settings except for the IP address of the module / device server. Sometimes, data might become corrupted due to irregularities and this step resets the device server / module. There are few ways to initialize your device server / module:
If the device server is physically accessible and you do not have a PC that has our TDST installed, then you will need to do a “quick initialization” :
‧ Make sure the DS is powered;
‧ Press and release the Setup button* to enter the serial programming mode. Status LEDs will play the serial programming mode pattern;
‧ Wait for at least three seconds;
‧ Press and hold the Setup button for at least three seconds- both status LEDs will be switched off and this will indicate that the initialization has been started;
‧ Initialization takes about one second to complete. Initialization result will be shown by the status LEDs- green LED will be switched on for about 2 seconds indicating successful initialization. (If the red LED is switched on this means that the DS is malfunctioning).
‧ Switch the DS off and back on again to exit the error mode if necessary.
If you do not have physical access to the device server / module or you have the TDST installed, then please use the DS Manager to perform the initialization:
‧ Open the DS Manager and use either the “Auto-Discovery”, “Address Book”, or “Serial Access” modes as you have been using to connect to your device server / module;
‧ Click the “Initialize” button and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Once all the above is done and if you want, you could reload the old configuration back to the device server / module. Again, we use the trusty DS Manager.
‧ Open DS Manager and select the device that you just updated and initialized and pres the “settings” button;
‧ Press the “load” button at the bottom of the menu and navigate to the configuration file that you saved at the beginning of this whole process.
‧ Please also reconfigure the IP address using the DS Manager since those setting may have been lost during the updates and initialization processes.
With all these Steps Done, we should have gone through all possible Tibbo software and firmware related problems. Of course, there might still be problems that are caused by other software or devices.
Power supply considerations:
For EM100/120 series, we recommend a power supply of:
- 5V, +/- 5% or less.
- Capable of at least 100mA at the rated voltage stability.
For EM200/202 series, we recommend a power supply of:
- 5V, +/- 5% or less.
- Capable of at least 500mA at the rated voltage stability.
For EM1000 series, we recommend a power supply of:
- 3.3V, +/- 5% or less.
- Capable of at least 500mA at the rated voltage stability.
For DS100 series, we recommend a power supply of:
- 12V. (DS100 regulates its own power, thus voltage level does not have to be as precise)
- Capable of at least 100mA at the rated voltage stability.
For DS202 series, we recommend a power supply of:
- 12V. (DS202 regulates its own power, thus voltage level does not have to be as precise)
- Capable of at least 500mA at the rated voltage stability.
Why the over-specification from the requirement stated?
- Power supply runs cooler when it is not anywhere close to the maximum specification.
- Components in the power supply stays cooler, and thus will have a much longer lifetime.
- Cooler environment allows the power supply to work more efficiently, and performs better.
- Some vendors inflate their power supply's rated power, it is always safer to have some headroom in the power supply.
If you suspect power supply is at fault, there is a way to measure the power supply to see if it is working properly.
measure the power supply's voltage without load (ie: not connected to our module). See if the voltage is within specification, and record down the voltage measured.
connect the power supply to our EM or DS series module, and measure the voltage. Please record down the voltage now and note the difference between this and the previous measured voltage when it is not connected to a load.
If #1's result is already out of
spec, then you would know that the particular power supply is already not suited to the job. If #2 resulting in voltage dropping down to below specification, then it means the power supply is unable to supply the power the module needs, and thus out of specification.
If the device / module is still not performing normally, please contact our Support Team at http://tibbo.com/support/contact detailing the problem you are encountering and please remember to mention that you have already followed the troubleshooting steps outlined in this knowledge base document.
