Remotely Monitoring And Configuring The TB8100 Base Station TECHNOTE/TB8000/TN 742 S TN

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TB8100 base station

Remotely
Monitoring and
Configuring the
TB8100 Base Station

Application Note TN-742
23 September 2003

Contents
Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Site Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Setting up on the Bench. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Base Station to Modem Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Configuring the Base Station Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Configuring the Base Station for Alarm Center and Remote Service Kit
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Alarm Center PC to Modem Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Configuring the Alarm Center Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Configuring the Alarm Center PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Service Kit PC to Modem Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Preparing for Installation at Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
At Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Issuing Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Publication History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Amendment Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Tait Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Typographical Conventions
‘Configure > Communications > Alarm Center’ means ‘click the
Configure icon on the toolbar, then in the navigation pane find the
Communications group, and select Alarm Center from it’.

Page 2 of 12

TN-742
© Tait Electronics Ltd 23 September 2003

This Application Note provides information on how to install and set up
modem communications for a system of TB8100 base stations. It is intended
for system designers and integrators who need to implement remote
monitoring and configuration. For more detail or answers to specific
questions, consult the documentation for the TB8100 base station and
Service Kit or contact your nearest Tait Dealer or Customer Service
Organisation.
Figure 1 shows a small example system. Each base station has a modem link
and can dial the Alarm Center when an alarm occurs. The Alarm Center
PC is set up to use its modem to send emails via an ISP.
Figure 1

Example System

Site 1

TB8100

RS-232
Null modem

Modem

RS-232

Alarm
Center
PC

Site 2

TB8100

RS-232
Null modem

Modem

RS-232
Null modem

Modem

PSTN

Internet
Service
Provider

Internet

Site 3

TB8100

Modem

RS-232

Service Kit PC

Here’s how communications might proceed in a typical scenario when an
alarm occurs and the technician responds:
1.

An alarm occurs at one of the base stations. In response, Task Manager instructs the TB8100 to dial the Alarm Center and send either
the alarm log or a status message.

The Alarm Center receives the alarm log or the status message and
adds the new alarm to its log.

If the Alarm Center received a status message, it forms it into an email
and sends it via an ISP to the address(es) provided by the base station.

The maintenance technician receives the e-mail (via modem to the
ISP). The status message contains the status of all alarms and a record
of recent alarms.

The maintenance technician can now use the TB8100 Service Kit
software to remotely connect and log on to the TB8100. This

TN-742
© Tait Electronics Ltd 23 September 2003

Page 3 of 12

connection uses the same modem at the site. Now the technician can
use the full capabilities of the Service Kit to monitor the base station,
carry out diagnostic tests, and make configuration changes.

Site Planning
Remote sites require careful planning and implementation. The following
issues are worth thinking through prior to installation to reduce potentially
expensive trips back to site:
Issue
What types of power are available at the remote site
(AC, DC only, Generator, Batteries, Solar)

Suggestion
Will the modem run from the available power or does
it need a converter of some kind (AC-DC, DC-DC).
Consider using the TB8100’s auxiliary power output if
the modem can operate on DC power.

What happens if the Power for the site fails, is there a Before installation, test that the modem can operate
backup supply (generator)? How is this switched in
on both normal power and generator power,
(manual/automatic)?
Consider installing surge protection and smoothing
equipment.
What type of modem are you going to use at site?

For remote sites, industrial modems are recommended
as they are designed to be more rugged and cope
better with temperature variations and power
fluctuations. They also typically have more robust
watch-dog timers that reset them in case of software
error, so that you don’t need to visit the site to switch
the modem off and back on again.

Where will the modem be mounted at site?

Consider heat and other factors like dust and
humidity. Also the length of communications cables
available.

Is there more than one Base Station to be monitored
at site?

If there is only one telephone line available, consider
using a small PABX to enable the Service Kit to dial
individual base stations.

How many sites are to be monitored?

Do you need different connection scenarios for each
or can you use a standard solution?

What can you do if there are no phone lines available? Consider using a Cellular Modem (GPRS or CDMA). If
there is no cellular coverage, over-the-air alarm pips
can provide basic alarm monitoring. If your system
doesn’t use an Alarm Center, consider radio modems
or a radio that supports Computer Controlled Data
Interface Version 2 (CCDI2). CCDI2 is a proprietary
Tait interface protocol supported on most mobile and
portable radios.
How many alarms do you want to receive?

Page 4 of 12

Define Task Manager tasks only for the alarms you
want to know about.

TN-742
© Tait Electronics Ltd 23 September 2003

Setting up on the Bench
It is best to set up the equipment on the bench, configure it, and verify that
it works before installing it on site. This application note assumes that the
equipment is being set up and tested on a bench before being installed.

Base Station to Modem Connection
If the base station will dial an Alarm Center, the modem is configured by
configuring the base station using the Service Kit. If not, use a terminal
program to configure the modem.

TB8100

Equipment
Required

RS-232
Null modem

Modem

PSTN

Important

You must save all modem configuration strings into internal
NVRAM using the appropriate AT commands. This will
ensure the modem is correctly configured after a powerup/reset.

Important

Check the documentation that applies to your modem to
make sure the modem commands used in this TN match
the commands needed to carry out the required task. Some
AT commands appear to have been implemented differently in a small number of modems.

■

Base Station (with an Alarm Reporting license if you want it to
communicate with an Alarm Center and possibly also with an Advanced
Profiles and Task Manager license if a total of more than 40 tasks are
needed)

■

Modem (for the base station)

■

Two phone lines

■

Straight through cable: D9 (female) to D9 (male)

■

Null modem cable: D9 (male) to D9/D25 (male)

A null modem cable is NOT the same as the cable normally distributed with
a modem. The configuration and pin allocations for a null modem cable are
shown in Figure 2.
Note

TN-742
© Tait Electronics Ltd 23 September 2003

Some external modems use a D25 connector, others a D9 connector. Obtain the appropriate cable/converter for your setup.

Page 5 of 12

Figure 2

Null Modem Cable Configuration

DTE

DCE
TD

Code

Configuring the
Base Station
Modem

RTS

CTS

DTR

DSR

Signal Name

D9 Pin No.

D25 Pin No.

transmitted data

received data

RTS

request to send

CTS

clear to send

DSR

data set ready

signal ground

carrier detect

DTR

data terminal ready

ring indicator

Follow these instructions to configure the modem which will be connected
to the base station. You will need to carry out these instructions whenever
the modem is replaced or if the ‘restore factory defaults’ Haytes AT
command (AT&F0) is used.
1.

Connect the modem to one of the PC’s COM ports using a straight
through cable.

Open a terminal program (such as HyperTerminal) and configure the
communications settings to:

Page 6 of 12

■

data bits - 8

■

stop bit - 1

■

parity - none

■

baud rate - 115200.

Connect to the modem and type ‘AT’. This should return ‘OK’ or
‘0’.

TN-742
© Tait Electronics Ltd 23 September 2003

The modem needs to be configured so that the base station will
understand responses from the modem correctly, so complete the
following:
AT&F0 [Enter]
(Reset the modem to factory defaults)
ATV0 [Enter]
(Enable numeric responses to the base station)
ATE0 [Enter]
(Disable the modem’s echo feature)
ATX0 [Enter]
(Report basic call progress result codes)
AT&D0 [Enter] (Ignore the DTR line - assume it is always on)

If the modem is also to auto-answer remote log-in requests from the
Service Kit, enter the following:
ATS0=3 [Enter] (Auto-answer ‘On’ and set to pick up after 3 rings)

Save the new configuration so it is used from power-up:
AT&Y0&W0 [Enter
(Save the configuration and start up on it at
power-up)

Note

Configuring the
Base Station for
Alarm Center and
Remote Service Kit
Operation

It is possible to do all these commands at once by entering
AT&F0V0E0X0&D0&Y0&W0.

Follow these instructions if the remote connection will be used by the
Service Kit to dial the base station, and by the base station to dial the Alarm
Center.
1.

Install the Service Kit on the PC.

Power up the base station and connect the serial port on the control
panel to the PC’s available serial port using the straight through cable
supplied.

Load the Service Kit and connect to the base station using the direct
connection configured for the serial port you used.

Read the base station’s configuration (do not work directly from a
configuration file).

Select Configure > Communications > Alarm Center.

In the Alarm Center form, enable the Alarm Center connection and
fill in the details (use the on-line help system if required). In the
Modem Command String field, enter ‘ATS0=3&D0E0&Y0&W0’.
This means:
S0=3
(Auto Answer on and set to pick up after 3 rings)
&D0
(Ignore the DTR line – assume it is on)
E0
(Disable the modem’s command echo feature)
&Y0&W0
(Save the configuration and use it at power up)

TN-742
© Tait Electronics Ltd 23 September 2003

Page 7 of 12

If you also want email notification, select Configure >
Communications > Email.

Enable email and fill in the details (use the on-line help system if
required).

Select Configure > Base Station >Task Manager and add suitable
tasks that configure the notification of alarms. For example:
IF Base station alarm on THEN Send alarm log now
OR:
IF Base station alarm on THEN Email status now

Page 8 of 12

10.

Save the configuration then program it into the Base Station.

11.

Connect the modem to the Base Station using the null modem cable.

12.

Use a phone to ring the modem’s number and check that it answers
after three rings and attempts to make a connection.

TN-742
© Tait Electronics Ltd 23 September 2003

Alarm Center PC to Modem Connection

PSTN

Modem

RS-232

Alarm
Center
PC

Configuring the
Alarm Center
Modem

Follow these instructions if the modem will be connected to an Alarm
Center and will answer incoming emails.
1.

Connect the modem to one of the PC’s COM ports using a straight
through cable.

Open a terminal program (HyperTerminal or similar) and configure
the communications settings to:
■

data bits - 8

■

stop bit - 1

■

parity - none

■

baud rate - 115200.

Connect to the modem and type ‘AT’. This should return ‘OK’ or
‘0’.

Configure the modem as follows:
AT&F0 [Enter]
(Reset the modem to factory defaults)
ATE0 [Enter]
(Disable the modem’s echo feature)
ATV1 [Enter]
(Word responses)
ATX4 [Enter]
(All response and dial tone and busy signal detection)
ATL0 [Enter]
(Low speaker volume)
ATS0=0 [Enter] (Auto-answer ‘Off’; the Alarm Center will answer
when required)

If the user does not want the speaker left on, use the following
command:
ATM0 [Enter]
(Internal speaker ‘Off’)

Save the configuration so it is used from power-up:
AT&Y0&W0 [Enter]
(Save the configuration and start up on it at
power-up)

Each command should return ‘OK’ (word response) or ‘0’ (numeric
response). If it doesn’t, check the modem’s manual to see if the command
is supported.
7.

Close the terminal program and start the Alarm Center.

Use a phone to ring the modem’s number and check that it answers
after three rings and attempts to make a connection.

Page 9 of 12

Configuring the
Alarm Center PC

Have the base station send an alarm message to the Alarm Center.
Check that the Alarm Center receives and processes it correctly.

Install the modem software drivers following the manufacturer’s
instructions (either an external or internal modem is suitable).

Connect the modem to the PC and to a telephone line, using the
cables provided with the modem.

Select Start > Programs > Tait Programming Applications > TB8100
Alarm Center.

Configure the Alarm Center to use the modem installed (use the
online Help if required).

Set up the PC’s Internet settings to dial out for a connection (Control
Panel > Internet Settings)

Verify that the Alarm Center is operating by using a phone to call the
Alarm Center. It should pick up after a few rings and attempt to make
a connection.

Get a base station to send a test email (Diagnose > Reciter > Misc I/O)
to check the communications path.

Confirm that the email was received.

Service Kit PC to Modem Connection

PSTN

Modem

RS-232

Service Kit
PC

Page 10 of 12

In the Service Kit PC, install the modem software drivers following
the manufacturer’s instructions (either an external or internal modem
is suitable).

Run the Service Kit, select File > Configure Connections and use the
New button to set up modem dialup connections for each base
station system. Make sure that you enter the correct phone number.

Using these connections, connect and log on to each base station in
turn. Verify that the Base Station information can be viewed over the
modem link.

Preparing for Installation at Site
1.

If the Alarm Center’s permanent phone number is different to the
one you used when setting up on the bench, connect the Service Kit
PC to the base station. Using the modem connection or a direct connection, program the base station with the correct Base Station dial
out phone number (under Configuration > Communications >
Alarm Center).

Set up the Alarm Center before installing any sites. This way you can
verify each site is dialing and getting an answer before continuing.

Install the equipment, making sure that you have a null modem cable
between the modem and the base station.

If you have a laptop with an internal modem, verify modem
operation by dialing the phone number of the Base Station
(otherwise, use a phone to verify that the modem is at least
answering).

Verify alarm dial-out by generating an alarm and verifying that the
modem is used to dial the Alarm Center PC (if possible, have a
colleague available to confirm that the email or the alarm log arrives).

At Site

Page 11 of 12

Issuing Authority
This TN was issued by:

John Crossland
Technical Publications Manager

Publication History
Publication Date

Author

23 September 2003

D Reynolds

Amendment Record
Publication Date

Page

Amendment

1 June 2003

First release

23 September 2003 2

‘Contents’ and ‘Typographical Conventions’ added

CCDI2 description added

‘Important’ alerts added

Figure 2 added
‘Configuring the Base Station Modem’ added

Step 6: Modem Command String corrected

‘Email Notification’ screen shot corrected

‘Configuring the Alarm Center Modem’ added
minor layout changes

Tait Contact Information
Corporate Head
Office
New Zealand

Tait Electronics Ltd, P.O. Box 1645, Christchurch, New Zealand
E-mail (Marketing): taitnet@taitworld.com
E-mail (Sales): sales@taitworld.com

Technical Support

Technical Support Manager
Tait Electronics Ltd, P.O. Box 1645, Christchurch, New Zealand
E-mail: support@taitworld.com

Internet

http://www.taitworld.com

Page 12 of 12

Remotely Monitoring And Configuring The TB8100 Base Station TECHNOTE/TB8000/TN 742 S TN

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