WINPANEL Help

OMNI Flow Computers, Inc.

 Last updated: October 1, 2018

The WINPANEL software allows you to connect remotely to an OMNI

3000/6000 and to operate the front panel of the unit. The WINPANEL Help
describes how to make a connection and how to operate the software.

Topics
How To 3
Menus 10
Standard Interface 46
Trouble Shooting 56
Communication LEDs 65
Index 66
WINPANEL

How To
Operate the WINPANEL Program
Make a Connection
Configure Sites
Configure Units
Configure Communications Parameters
Configure Modem Settings

Menus
Setup Menu
Online Menu
View Menu
Help Menu

Trouble Shooting
Serial Communications
Ethernet Communications
Modem Connections
Exception Codes
Contact Us
 How To

How To Configure Communications Parameters 4

Topics How To Configure Modem Settings 5
How To Configure a Site 6
How To Configure a Unit 7
How To Make a Connection 8
How To Operate WINPANEL 9
WINPANEL: How To Configure Communications Parameters

How To Configure Communications Parameters

From the Setup menu, select Site.

The Setup Sites Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup Sites Screen.

To edit an existing site,

double click on a site in the list
or click once on a site in the list and press Edit Site
or click the right mouse button on a site in the list and select Edit Site from the shortcut
menu.

If there are no sites listed,

press Add Site
or click the right mouse button and select Add Site from the short cut menu.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Communications Screen.

4
WINPANEL: How To Configure Modem Settings

How To Configure Modem Settings

From the Setup menu, select Site.

The Setup Sites Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup Sites Screen.

To edit an existing site,

double click on a site in the list
or click once on a site in the list and press Edit Site
or click the right mouse button on a site in the list and select Edit Site from the shortcut
menu.

If there are no sites listed,

press Add Site
or click the right mouse button and select Add Site from the short cut menu.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Communications Screen.

If you are adding a site:

Select a media type of Modem or Satellite.
Press Modem Settings.
Follow the instructions for the Setup Modem Screen.

Note: If you do not see the ‘Modem Settings’ button, be sure you have selected a media type of
‘Modem’ or ‘Satellite’.

5
WINPANEL: How To Configure a Site

How To Configure a Site

From the Setup menu, select Site.

The Setup Sites Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup Sites Screen.

To enter a new site:

Press Add Site
or click your right mouse button and select Add Site from the short cut menu.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Communications Screen.

6
WINPANEL: How To Configure a Unit

How To Configure a Unit

From the Setup menu, select Site.

The Setup Sites Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup Sites Screen.

To edit an existing site,

double click on a site in the list
or click once on a site in the list and press Edit Site
or click the right mouse button on a site in the list and select Edit Site from the shortcut
menu.

If there are no sites listed,

press Add Site
or click the right mouse button and select Add Site from the short cut menu.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup
Communications Screen.
From the Setup Communications Screen, to edit a unit:
double click on a unit in the list
or click once on a unit in the list and press Edit Unit
or click the right mouse button on a unit in the list and select Edit Unit from the shortcut
menu.

If there are no units listed,

press Add Unit
or click the right mouse button and select Add Unit from the short cut menu.

The Setup Unit Screen is displayed. For more information see the help for the Setup Unit Screen.

7
WINPANEL: How To Make a Connection

How To Make a Connection

From the Online menu, select Connect.

The Connection Screen is displayed.

To connect:
double click on a site in the list
or select a site and press Connect.

For more information, see the help for the Connect Screen.

8
WINPANEL: How To Operate WINPANEL

How To Operate WINPANEL

Setup and Connect to a unit at a site.

You may enter a site and unit on the command line for auto connection. Use the following command
line switch: -su Site Name Unit Name.

If the connection is successful, the Flow Computer ID, Station ID, and Modbus ID displays on the
OMNI bitmap.

Use the mouse, mouse wheel, and PC keyboard presses to access the OMNI.

Hotspots on the OMNI bitmap

Click on any button to execute that function on the OMNI.

Click above and below the OMNI display to scroll up or down.
Click on a line in the OMNI display to go to that line.
Click to the left or right of the OMNI display to go left or right one space.
Click on an OMNI LED:
Diagnostic – puts the OMNI in Diagnostic Mode
Program – puts the OMNI in Program Mode
Active Alarm – same as pressing the ‘Alarms’ and ‘Enter’ buttons on the keypad
Alpha Shift – same as pressing the ‘Alpha Shift’ buttons on the keypad
Click on the Modbus ID to modify the ID and other parameters

Use the PC keyboard

ALT-B and CTRL-G - causes OMNI to beep

ALT-M - to access User Messages (remember the command line setting)
TAB - is the same as pressing ‘Prog’ button on the keypad
LEFT and RIGHT ARROW - scrolls cursor one position to left or right
UP and DOWN ARROW - scrolls display one line up or down
PAGE UP and DOWN - scrolls OMNI display 4 lines up or down
HOME and END - scrolls OMNI display to top and bottom of current list
DEL - delete character at cursor position.
BACKSPACE - remove character that is to left of cursor.
CAPS LOCK - locks Alpha Shift to red
All letters lower or upper case - automatically takes care of Alpha Shift however it takes less
time if it is set beforehand with CAPS LOCK.
All numbers are supported.

9
 Menus

Setup 11
Topics Online 22
View 28
Help 37
 Setup

Setup Communications 12
Topics Setup Log Communications 14
Setup Modem 15
Setup Password 16
Mimic OMNI Panel Beeper 17
Setup Preferences 18
Setup Sites 19
Setup Unit 20
WINPANEL: Setup Communications

Setup Communications
Configure communications parameters.

Media Type

The connection media. The four choices are Direct, Modem, Satellite, and TCP/IP. The default is Dir-
ect.

Site Name

Enter a description of the site.

Units

The Setup Unit Screen is displayed if the user is adding or editing a site.

Add Unit

Press Add Unit or click your right mouse button and select Add Unit from the short cut
menu.

Edit Unit

Double click on a unit in the list or click once on a unitin the list and press Edit Unit or
click the right mouse button on a site in the list and select Edit Unit from the shortcut
menu.

Delete Unit

Click once on a unit in the list and press Delete Unit

or click the right mouse button on a unit in the list and select Delete Unit from the shortcut
menu.

Re-Order Units

Click on a unit in the list and while holding down the left mouse button, drag the item
where you would like and release the left mouse button.

Follow the instructions for the Setup Unit Screen.

Direct, Modem and Satellite Connections

Phone Number or Satellite Number – (Only shown for Modem and Satellite) - the number to dial
for the connection. You may enter dashes between the numbers.

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WINPANEL: Setup Communications

Comm Port – the serial port on the PC to be used for the connection. The program automatically
lists the available ports on your PC. The default is the first port on the list.

Baud Rate – communications speed in bits per second. The values range from 300 to 38400. The
default is 9600.

Data Bits – a group of bits used to represent a single character of data for transmission. The
choices are 7 or 8. The default is 8 for all media types except Satellite which is 7.

Stop Bits – a bit that signals the end of a character. The choices are 1 or 2. The default is 1 for all
media types except Satellite which is 2.

Parity – method of error checking the transmission. The choices are Even, Odd, and None. The
default is None for all media types except Satellite which is Even.

Modem Settings – (only shown for Modem and Satellite) press this button to go to the Setup
Modem Screen.

485 2-Wire – (only shown for Direct) – check this box if you have a 2-wire 485 connection to the
OMNI.

TCP/IP Connections

(There are no additional fields.)

13
WINPANEL: Setup Log Communications

Setup Log Communications

To enable this function, click on the Setup menu and the select Log Communications.

When the function is enabled, there is a check mark next to the item on the menu.

To view the log, click on the View menu and select Comms Log.

For more information, please see the help for the Communications Log.

14
WINPANEL: Setup Modem

Setup Modem
Configure modems.

Initialization String

The string sent to the modem to ready the modem for communications. The default string is: AT &F
E0 M1
AT – attention (if you omit this command, it is inserted for you automatically)
&F – restore factory defaults
E0 – echo off (helps to speed communications)
M1 – speaker volume is on until a connection is made

Cancel the call if not connected within XX seconds

The default is 60 seconds. After a call has been dialed, the program aborts the call process if a con-
nection was not established before the connection timeout.

Wait before redialing

The default is 10 seconds. A call has been made but a connection was not established before the
connect timeout. The program waits these number of seconds before redialing the number.

Disconnect the modem after XX minutes

The default is 15 minutes. If a connection is established via modem, the program automatically dis-
connects after this period of inactivity.

Defaults

Press Defaults to restore the default values.

15
WINPANEL: Setup Password

Setup Password
Enter in a password to be used to access the OMNI 3000/6000. For security reasons, the password
is replaced by asterisks.
The default password is OMNI.

This screen is automatically displayed if the password provided is invalid. The user has the oppor-
tunity to enter a different one. Once the password is entered, the program automatically retries the
request with the new password.

16
WINPANEL: Mimic OMNI Panel Beeper

Mimic OMNI Panel Beeper

If the site of the OMNI is not within earshot, it may be convenient to have the PC beep when the
OMNI Panel beeps.

To enable this function, click on the Setup menu and the select Mimic OMNI Panel Beeper.

When the function is enabled, there is a check mark next to the item on the menu.

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WINPANEL: Setup Preferences

Setup Preferences
The user may set up their folder preferences for files such as communications settings and log files.

Tabs
Communications

The Settings File holds all of the communication Sites configuration. If the user changes the folder
for the Settings file, 'OmniSettings.dat', the user has the option of saving their current settings to the
new folder or using the settings from the new folder. The default folder is the folder where
WINPANEL is installed.

The Communications Log folder is used to store communications logs that are periodically saved
when Log Communications is enabled. The default folder is the "CommsLogs" folder under the
folder where WINPANEL is installed.

The logs can be viewed from the Comms Log entry in the View menu. The default View Comms Log
folder is the "CommsLogs" folder under the folder where WINPANEL is installed.

Communications Statistics can be viewed from the Comms Statistics entry in the View menu. The
user has the option to clear the comms statistics whenever a connection is made. When the box is
checked, the statistics are cleared on connect. The default is checked or cleared on connection.

18
WINPANEL: Setup Sites

Setup Sites
Configure the connection sites and units.

Search

The user can enter a search string (part of a name, IP address, ID number, port number, phone num-
ber, etc...) and press the Search button, press Enter, or press F3 to initiate the search. If a match is
found, the site or unit is highlighted in the site and unit tree. If it is not found, a message is displayed.

To find the next match, press the Search button, press Enter, or press F3.

Add Site

Press Add Site or click your right mouse button and select Add Site from the short cut menu.

Edit Site

Double click on a site in the list or click once on a site in the list and press Edit Site or click the
right mouse button on a site in the list and select Edit Site from the shortcut menu.

Delete Site

Click once on a site in the list and press Delete Site

or click the right mouse button on a site in the list and select Delete Site from the shortcut menu.

Reorder Sites

Click on a site or unit in the list and while holding down the left mouse button, drag the item
where you would like and release the left mouse button.

Convert Site Files

Pressing this button brings the user to a standalone Convert Site utility. The user can export the site
file to a tabbed delimited file or into a Modbus Tester file. It can also convert a tabbed delimited file
into an OMNICOM/WINPANEL site file or a Modbus Tester file into an OMNICOM/WINPANEL site
file.

The Setup Communications Screen is displayed if the user is adding or editing a site.
Follow the instructions for the Setup Communications Screen.

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WINPANEL: Setup Unit

Setup Unit
Unit Name

Enter a description of the unit.

Modbus ID

The unit’s Modbus ID or address. Click on the up arrow to increase the number and the down arrow
to decrease the number. You may also just enter in a number directly. The ID can range from 1-255.
The OMNI 3000/6000 can only accept an ID up to 247. If you enter a value greater than 247, a cau-
tion message is displayed however you are not prevented from entering a value up to 255. The
default value is 1.

Modbus Type

The protocol format. The choices are RTU or ASCII and Modbus/TCP if the Media Type is TCP/IP.
The default is RTU for all media types except Satellite which is ASCII.

Modicon Compatible

The default is not Modicon compatible.

Retries

The number of times a message is re-sent if no response or an invalid response is received by the
unit. The default is 2.

Direct, Modem and Satellite

Initial Character delay – the amount of time in milliseconds the PC waits for a response from the
unit. Defaults are automatically set based on media type and for Direct connections baud rate is also
a factor.

Character Delay – the amount of time in milliseconds allowed between characters in a response
from the unit. Defaults are automatically set based on media type and for Direct connections baud
rate is also a factor.

TCP/IP

Connection Timeout – the amount of time in milliseconds to wait before a connection attempt is
aborted. The default is 5000ms.

Message Timeout – after a connection is established, the amount of time in milliseconds to wait for
a response from the unit. The default is 2000ms.

20
WINPANEL: Setup Unit

Scan Rate – the amount of time in milliseconds to wait before the next poll. The default is 1000ms. A
setting of zero disables the scan rate and the serial rate is used.

IP Address – enter each of the four 3-digit numbers that make up the address. The default is all
zeros.

TCP Port – the port number. The default is 6000. For Modbus/TCP protocol, the port number is
502.

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 Online

Temporarily Change Comms Setup Screen 23

Topics Connect Screen 25
Disconnect 26
User Message 27
WINPANEL: Temporarily Change Comms Setup Screen

Temporarily Change Comms Setup Screen

There are times that you may want to read a different unit at the same site or temporarily modify the
timing or retry count without making those changes permanent. These changes will stay in effect
until you disconnect. This screen is only enabled in the ONLINE mode. Note that polling is tem-
porarily suspended while in this screen.

Modbus ID

The unit’s Modbus ID or address. Click on the up arrow to increase the number and the down arrow
to decrease the number. You may also just enter in a number directly.
The ID can range from 1-255. The OMNI 3000/6000 can only accept an ID up to 247. If you enter a
value greater than 247, a caution message is displayed however you are not prevented from enter-
ing a value up to 255.
The default value is 1.

Retries

The number of times a message is re-sent if no response or an invalid response is received by the
unit. The default is 2.

Direct, Modem and Satellite

Initial Character delay – the amount of time in milliseconds the PC waits for a response from the
unit. Defaults are automatically set based on media type and for Direct connections baud rate is also
a factor.

Character Delay – the amount of time in milliseconds allowed between characters in a response
from the unit. Defaults are automatically set based on media type and for Direct connections baud
rate is also a factor.

Log Communications - check the box if you would like the Modbus communications logged. It is
the same as checking Log Communications under the Setup menu.

TCP/IP

Scan Rate – the amount of time in milliseconds to wait before the next poll. The default is 1000ms. A
setting of zero disables the scan rate and the serial rate is used.

Connection Timeout – the amount of time in milliseconds to wait before a connection attempt is
aborted. The default is 5000ms.

Message Timeout – after a connection is established, the amount of time in milliseconds to wait for
a response from the unit. The default is 2000ms.

23
WINPANEL: Temporarily Change Comms Setup Screen

Log Communications - check the box if you would like the Modbus communications logged. It is
the same as checking Log Communications under the Setup menu.

24
WINPANEL: Connect Screen

Connect Screen
Establish communications with a unit. This screen is only enabled in the OFFLINE mode.

The screen displays a list of the available connection sites.

To search for a particular site or unit:

The user can enter a search string (part of a name, IP address, ID number, port number,
phone number, etc...) and press the Search button, press Enter, or press F3 to initiate the
search.
If a match is found, the site or unit is highlighted in the site and unit tree.
If it is not found, a message is displayed.
To find the next match, press the Search button, press Enter, or press F3.

To Connect with the unit at that site:

Double click on a site in the list
or click once on a site and press Connect.

When a connection is made successfully, the screen goes away. The program begins polling the unit
at that site. The Online menu changes from ‘Connect’ to ‘Disconnect’.

For Modem and Satellite connections:

The modem connection progress is shown
the responses from the modem are also shown
an Abort button appears when dialing has commenced. The user may abort the dialing pro-
cess by pressing this button.

Press Cancel to exit without connecting.

25
WINPANEL: Disconnect

Disconnect
Disconnect communications from the unit.

You may use this when you want to go to another unit at a different location or to re-establish com-
munications because port settings may have changed at the location you were connected to .

26
WINPANEL: User Message

User Message
Send a message to the OMNI panel display.

Enter the message you’d like to be displayed on the OMNI panel display.
Press Send.
Press Exit and Keep Message if you want to leave the message up on the display.
Press Cancel to exit.

27
 View

View Communications Log 29

Topics View Communications Statistics 31
View OMNI Keypad 33
View Site List 34
View Status Bar Command 35
View Toolbar Command 36
WINPANEL: View Communications Log

View Communications Log

The Communications Log is for viewing the Modbus communications between the OMNI and
WINPANEL. Note: Communications are only recorded when the ‘Log Communications’ setting is
enabled from the Edit menu. For more information, see the help for Log Communications in the
Setup Menu.

The current log in progress is displayed when the user first enters the screen. After approximately
20,000 logs (about 15 minutes worth of normal communications), the log is saved to file. The files are
stored in a "Comms Log" folder found under the install folder. The file name is "CL_YYMMDD_
HHMMSS.olg" where YYMMDD is the year, month, and day and HHMMSS is the hours, minutes,
and seconds of the first log in the group. Historical Log files can be viewed in this screen.

The logs are sorted by index number and by date and time. Click on a column heading to sort the log
for a different item.

To see the time difference in milliseconds between two entries, select two log entries. Click on a log
to select the first one. To select the second log, press and hold Ctrl on the PC keyboard and click on
a log. (If more than two logs are selected, it uses the first two selected logs to compute the time dif-
ference.)

Settings
The items listed below are descriptions of each setting option within the Communications Log dialog.
Click on a setting for more information.

Refresh

Displays the current log in progress and retrieves any entries that have occurred since the last dis-
play. If the display was showing a historical log, the display is replaced with the current log in pro-
gress.

Save to File

Saves the current log in progress to a file. Normally, the logs are saved to file when there are approx-
imately 20,000 logs. The Save to File button provides a means to save the current log in progress to
file at any time.

The files are stored in a "Comms Log" folder found under the install folder. The file name is "CL_
YYMMDD_HHMMSS.olg" where YYMMDD is the year, month, and day and HHMMSS is the
hours, minutes, and seconds of the first log in the group.

Save As Text

The current log in progress or a historical log can be saved to a pre-formatted text file by pressing
Save As Text. After it is saved, it is automatically opened in a text editor for convenience.

29
WINPANEL: View Communications Log

The user may specify a save file name for the text file. The default folder is the "Comms Log" folder
under the install folder. The default file name for the current log in progress is "WINPANELLog.txt"
and the default file name for a historical log is the historical log's name with the ".txt" extension.

View Historical

Use this button to view historical logs that were saved to disk. The sorting and time difference fea-
tures are still available when viewing historical logs.

Clear Log

The clear log function deletes all entries in the current log in progress. It does not delete any entries
for the historical logs.

Cancel

Press Cancel to exit the Comms Log view screen.

30
WINPANEL: View Communications Statistics

View Communications Statistics

Statistics
Transmissions Sent

The total number of transmissions (including broadcasts where Modbus ID = 0).

If the count exceeds the size of a 32-bit unsigned integer, the rollover value is incremented.

Note: The percentage calculations will no longer be valid when a rollover occurs.

Responses Received

The total responses received (including invalid responses).

If the count exceeds the size of a 32-bit unsigned integer, the rollover value is incremented.

Note: The percentage calculations will no longer be valid when a rollover occurs.

Rollover

A rollover value is shown for Transmissions and for Responses. A rollover occurs when the number
of transmissions or responses exceeds the value of an unsigned 32-bit integer (4,294,967,295).

Broadcast Transmissions

The number of broadcast (Modbus ID = 0) transmissions sent.

Invalid Responses

The number of invalid responses received not including time outs (no response) or Exception Code
05 - password required messages.

No Responses

The number of no responses when a response was expected (i.e. not a broadcast transmission).

Flushes

Typically, before transmitting a new message the buffer is checked for any data remaining in the
receive buffer. If there is data, the buffer is flushed.

31
WINPANEL: View Communications Statistics

Percents
Response Success

This is the percent of success of responses to messages sent calculated as:

( (Responses Received - Invalid Responses) / (Transmissions Sent - Broadcast Transmissions) ) *
100.

Note: The percentage calculations will no longer be valid when a rollover occurs.

Response Error Percent

This is the error percent of responses to messages sent calculated as:

( (Invalid Responses + No Responses) / (Transmissions Sent - Broadcast Transmissions) ) * 100.

Note: The percentage calculations will no longer be valid when a rollover occurs.

32
WINPANEL: View OMNI Keypad

View OMNI Keypad

Click on this item to show the entire OMNI panel with keypad.

To enable this function, click on the View menu and the select OMNI Keypad.
When the function is enabled, there is a check mark next to the item on the menu.

There may be times when you just want to monitor the unit’s display. To disable the keypad, click
again. There is no check mark if the item is disabled.

33
WINPANEL: View Site List

View Site List

View and print the configured communications sites and units.

Press Save to File to save the site list on disk.

Press Print to make a hard copy of the information.

34
WINPANEL: View Status Bar Command

View Status Bar Command

Use this command to display and hide the Status Bar, which describes the action to be executed by
the selected menu item or depressed toolbar button, and keyboard latch state. A check mark
appears next to the menu item when the Status Bar is displayed.

See Status Bar for help on using the status bar.

35
WINPANEL: View Toolbar Command

View Toolbar Command

Use this command to display and hide the Toolbar, which includes buttons for some of the most com-
mon commands in the program, such as File Open. A check mark appears next to the menu item
when the Toolbar is displayed.

See Toolbar for help on using the toolbar.

36
 Help

About Command 38
Topics Check For Updates 39
Release Notes 40
Help User Notes 41
License Agreement 42
Context Help Command 43
Index Command 44
Using Help Command 45
WINPANEL: About Command

About Command
Use this command to display the copyright notice and version number of your copy of the program.

38
WINPANEL: Check For Updates

Check For Updates

Compares the current running version of the program to the latest version released on the OMNI
web site. A message is displayed to tell the user whether or not an update is available.

Click on the following link and navigate to the download page to obtain updates.

www.omniflow.com

39
WINPANEL: Release Notes

Release Notes
Use this command to display the readme.txt file in Notepad. The file contains the updates and
release notes for the program.

40
WINPANEL: Help User Notes

Help User Notes

Opens a file in Notepad to allow the user to enter their own WINPANEL notes.

41
WINPANEL: License Agreement

License Agreement
Use this command to view the OMNI Flow Computers, Inc., License Agreement for WINPANEL.

42
WINPANEL: Context Help Command

Context Help Command

Use the Context Help command to obtain help on some portion of the program. When you choose
the Toolbar's Context Help button, the mouse pointer changes to an arrow and question mark. Then
click somewhere in the program window, such as another Toolbar button. The Help topic is shown
for the item you clicked.

Shortcuts
Keys:SHIFT+F1

43
WINPANEL: Index Command

Index Command
Use this command to display the opening screen of Help.

From the opening screen, you can jump to step-by-step instructions for using the program and vari-
ous types of reference information.

Once you open Help, you can click the Contents button whenever you want to return to the opening
screen.

44
WINPANEL: Using Help Command

Using Help Command

Use this command for instructions about using Help.

45
 Standard Interface

Close Command 47
Topics File Exit Command 48
Maximize Command (System Menu) 49
Minimize Command (Application Control Menu) 50
Restore Command (Control Menu) 51
Status Bar 52
Title Bar 54
Toolbar 55
WINPANEL: Close Command

Close Command

Use this command to close the active window or dialog box.

Double-clicking a Control-menu box is the same as choosing the Close command.
Note: If you have multiple windows open for a single document, the Close command on the doc-
ument Control menu closes only one window at a time. You can close all windows at once with the
Close command on the File menu.

Shortcuts
Keys: CTRL+F4 closes a document window
ALT+F4 closes the window or dialog box

47
WINPANEL: File Exit Command

File Exit Command

Use the Close command on the application Control menu to end your Program session.

Shortcuts
Mouse: Double-click the application's Control menu button.
Keys: ALT+F4

48
WINPANEL: Maximize Command (System Menu)

Maximize Command (System Menu)

Use this command to enlarge the active window to fill the available space.

Shortcuts
Mouse: Click the maximize icon on the title bar; or double-click the title bar.
Keys: CTRL+F10 enlarges a document window.

49
WINPANEL: Minimize Command (Application Control Menu)

Minimize Command (Application Control Menu)

Use this command to reduce the program window to an icon.

Shortcuts
Mouse: Click the minimize icon on the title bar.
Keys: ALT+F9

50
WINPANEL: Restore Command (Control Menu)

Restore Command (Control Menu)

Use this command to return the active window to its size and position before you chose the Maximize
or Minimize command.

51
WINPANEL: Status Bar

Status Bar

The status bar is displayed at the bottom of the program window. To display or hide the status bar,
use the Status Bar command in the View menu.

The left area of the status bar shows how to access help for any screen you are in.

The middle area shows the communications LEDs reflecting the communications activity. The Red
LED indicates transmission while the Green LED indicates reception.

The right area of the status bar provides connection information:

Direct

Site Name
Unit Name
Modbus ID
Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
Comm Port
Baud Rate
Number of Data Bits
Number of Stop Bits
Parity
Initial Character Delay
Character Delay
Retries

Modem and Satellite

Site Name
Unit Name
Site Number
Modbus ID
Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
Comm Port
Baud Rate
Number of Data Bits
Number of Stop Bits
Parity
Initial Character Delay
Character Delay
Retries

TCP/IP

52
WINPANEL: Status Bar

Site Name
Unit Name
IP Address
TCP Port
Modbus ID
Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
Scan Rate
Connection Timeout
Message Timeout
Retries

53
WINPANEL: Title Bar

Title Bar
The title bar is located along the top of a window. It contains the name of the application and doc-
ument.
To move the window, drag the title bar. Note: You can also move dialog boxes by dragging their title
bars.

A title bar may contain the following elements:

Application Control-menu button
Document Control-menu button
Maximize button
Name of the application
Name of the document
Restore button

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WINPANEL: Toolbar

Toolbar

The toolbar is displayed across the top of the application window, below the menu bar. The toolbar
provides quick mouse access to many tools used in the program.

To hide or display the Toolbar, choose Toolbar from the View menu (ALT, V, T).

Tools

Setup Sites
Password
Connect to an OMNI
Temporarily Change Communications Parameters
View Comms Log
About
Context Help

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 Trouble Shooting

Exception Codes 57
Topics Trouble Shooting Contact Us 60
Trouble Shooting Ethernet Communications 61
Trouble Shooting Modem Connections 62
Trouble Shooting Serial Communications 63
WINPANEL: Exception Codes

Exception Codes
The OMNI sets the high bit of the function code in the return message to differentiate a normal
response from an exception response. The following exception codes are supported by the OMNI
flow computer:

Exception Code 01

There are two reasons you might see this exception code:
an illegal function code was sent to unit
too many data points

The following function codes are supported by the OMNI flow computer:
01 - Read Coil Status
02 - Read Input Status
03 - Read Holding Registers
04 - Read Input Registers
05 - Force Single Coil
06 - Preset Single Register
07 - Read Exception Status
08 - Diagnostics
15 - Force Multiple Coils
16 - Preset Multiple Registers
65 - OMNI Specific Read
66 - OMNI Specific Write

Example of illegal function code 20:

TX: 01 14 00 01 80 1C
RX: 01 94 01 8F 00

Example of too many data points - read 300 16-bit integers:

TX: 01 03 0D AD 01 2C D6 CA
RX: 01 83 01 80 F0

Exception Code 02

There are several reasons you might see this exception code:
an illegal data address was sent to unit
the number of registers does not agree with data type
if the message occurs during connection, a possible cause is that the connection port at the
OMNI is set for Modicon compatible but the site is not set up for Modicon protocol.
a connection is attempted to something other than an OMNI 3000/6000.
the physical connections between the PC and the OMNI may be incorrect or faulty.

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WINPANEL: Exception Codes

Example of an illegal address - Use function code 01- read coil status with 16-bit integer address
3501:

TX: 01 01 0D AD 00 01 6E 87
RX: 01 81 02 C1 91

Example of the number of registers not agree with data type - Modicon compatible protocol reading
float register 7501 however only asking for one register:

TX: 01 03 1D 4C 00 01 43 B1
RX: 01 83 02 C0 F1

Exception Code 03

An illegal data value was sent to the unit.

Example: Force one coil (register 1501) using a data value of 01 00 (data value should be FF 00 or
00

TX: 01 05 05 DD 01 00 5C AC
RX: 01 85 03 02 91

Exception Code 04

The data sent to the unit was not written. There may be several causes:
a write attempt is made to a read only register
the lockout switch on the OMNI is set in the locked position and the lockout flag is set for the
communications port

Example of data not written: Attempt a write to register 5144 which is a read only register:

TX: 01 06 14 18 00 00 04 24 C6 0A
RX: 01 86 04 43 A3

Exception Code 05

A password entry is required for this function. Here are some possible reasons for this exception
code:
a serial password is set in the OMNI's Password menu for the port and a valid password has
not been sent to the OMNI yet
a TCP password is set in the SE Module's Ethernet configuration and a valid password has
not been sent yet
a Level B user is attempting a configuration register read or write
a Level C user is attempting a register write

Example: Level C user writes to register 3501

TX: 01 06 0D AD 00 01 DB 47
RX: 01 86 05 82 63

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WINPANEL: Exception Codes

Exception Code 06

Downloads are disabled for this unit. This exception occurs when the "Disable Download" field is set
in the Password menu on the OMNI and a read of a register is performed.

Example:

TX: 01 03 33 12 00 01 2B 4B
RX: 01 83 06 C1 32

If you are getting an exception code and would like to see the specific message causing the problem:
Click on the Log Communications entry on the Setup menu.
Run WINPANEL again to re-create the error.
Go to the View menu and click on Comms Log.
Sort the messages by type by clicking on the "Type" column header.
Find the Exception Code error message and select it by clicking anywhere on the line.
Sort the messages again by index number by clicking on the "Index" column header.
Scroll down until you find the highlighted line.
Look at the transmit/receive messages occurring just before the logged error message.

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WINPANEL: Trouble Shooting Contact Us

Trouble Shooting Contact Us

You may contact us via the web at www.omniflow.com.

email us at: helpdesk@omniflow.com

OMNI Flow Computers, Inc.

12320 Cardinal Meadow, Suite 180
Sugar Land, TX 77478 USA

281-240-6161 - telephone
281-240-6162 - fax

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WINPANEL: Trouble Shooting Ethernet Communications

Trouble Shooting Ethernet Communications

Use OMNI's Network Utility (valid for Ethernet firmware v1.22 and up) to see if the OMNI is dis-
played in the list or use “Telnet” or “Ping” to see if there is a response. If there is a response, the con-
nection is OK. If not then go to Board Checks.

If the connection is OK, use OMNI's Modbus Tester and try to communicate. If you are able to com-
municate, check the site setup to see if it matches the OMNI unit. If you are not able to communicate
but you get errors, check the WINPANEL site setup to see if it matches the OMNI unit - i.e. Modicon
compatibility and protocol. If you are not able to communicate, check the Modbus ID set up in the unit
on the Ethernet port is the same as the Modbus ID set up in the Ethernet card.

Board checks
If the firmware is older than 74.10, the SE card is going to be shown as an S card. Check the
baud rate set up in the OMNI for the Ethernet port is the same as the baud rate set up in the
Ethernet card (defaults to 38400).
If the firmware is v74.10 and up, make sure the “SE Firmware >2.0” is set to ‘N’ (unchecked).
If it is an OMNI, make sure the repeater lights are not blinking.
Look at the TX and RX lights on the Ethernet board for activity.
Check the interrupt level on the board matches your board configuration. (Interrupt Level on S
& SE Modules must be on IRQ 2. If an SV Module is also installed in the system, all S & SE
Modules must have their IRQ set to 3 and the SV IRQ must be set to 2).

Ethernet Debug Mode

Run the Ethernet card (SE Module) in Debug Mode using OMNI's Network Utility or Telnet:
Press “9” to enter debug mode. (If you do not see a “9” on your menu, then press “SHIFT Z”.)
If you pressed “9” then press “A” for "Debug All".
The times on the left hand side are relative timings. (For example if the time on the first line is 1
and the time on the next line is 3 then there were 2ms between the lines.)
Messages from the Ethernet card are preceded by an “E”.
Messages from the Host are preceded by an “H”.
Messages from the Repeater are preceded by an "R".
Press any key or “SHIFT Z” to exit debug mode.

Exception Codes
See the help for Exception Codes.

Communications Log
One of the best methods to aid in trouble shooting is to check the 'Log Communications' entry
on the Edit menu. You may view the communications log by selecting 'Comms Log' from the
View menu. The log may give you some hints as to what is happening and where it occurs.

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WINPANEL: Trouble Shooting Modem Connections

Trouble Shooting Modem Connections

Starts to initialize but quits before dialing:

Check the physical cable connections.
Was a Modem or Satellite site selected to connect to?
Is the correct COM port configured for the site? See the Setup Communications Screen.
Check the Modem Initialization String has commands that are valid for your modem. See
the Setup Modem Screen.
Some modems require the baud rate of the COM port matches the modem’s baud rate. See
the Setup Communications Screen.

Dials the number but does not connect:

Is the Connect Wait Time set for long enough to allow the modems to connect? See the
Setup Modem Screen.
Has the modem at the OMNI been properly configured and connected?
Continuous Tone - No Carrier

We have found there is a connection problem with some modems that are built in to the Dell
laptops and the white US Robotics 56K Model 701 on the OMNI side.

The modems do not connect - dials, rings, answers, but has continuous tone - no carrier
To correct this problem, change the modulation control to V34 instead of V90 or V92 by
adding this command to the initialization string:
+MS=V34,0

Go to Edit - Sites. On the Setup Sites screen press the Modem Settings button. Add the ini-
tialization command to the end of your existing string.

Additionally, there are some changes to the configuration of the US Robotics modem at the
OMNI side:
First set the switch settings up to 1, 3, and 8 down. (Switch 7 was incorrectly listed as down
but should be up - this loads from NVRAM on power up).

Using Hyperterminal, configure the modem to:

AT &D0 &H0 &K0 &N6 &U6 &R1 S0=1 Y0 &W0
(Note the &U6 (upper limit baud rate) and Y0 (load NVRAM 0) have been added along with a
zero after the &W.)

If the above does describe the problem, please check the Trouble Shooting for Serial Connections.

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WINPANEL: Trouble Shooting Serial Communications

Trouble Shooting Serial Communications

No Connection or Timed Out

Check the physical cable connections.
Is the correct COM port configured for the site? See the Setup Communications Screen.
Baud Rate of the OMNI port does not match the PC port. See the Setup Communications
Screen.
The OMNI's port protocol configuration may not match the protocol of the site. For example:
the OMNI port is not Modicon Compatible but the site is configured for Modicon Compatible.
See the Setup Unit Screen.
Jumpers on the serial card do not match the type of communications required (i.e. wired for
RS-232 but jumpers indicate RS-485 - or - wired for RS-485 but jumpers indicate RS-232).
Site configuration doesn't match the type of communications required (i.e. box checked for
RS-485 2-wire but wired for RS-232 or RS-485 4-wire - or - box not checked for RS-485 2-
wire but wired for RS-485 2-wire). See the Setup Communications Screen.

Timed out waiting for a response messages

Increase the retry count in Setup Unit.
Increase the Initial Character Delay in Setup Unit.

Invalid CRC errors

Baud Rate of the OMNI port does not match the PC port. See the Setup Communications
Screen.
May be caused by too short an inter-character delay. Go to Setup Sites. Edit the unit and
increase the "Character Delay" timing. For more information see Setup Unit.

The Number of Bytes Returned from the Unit is not Correct errors
The OMNI's port protocol configuration may not match the protocol of the WINPANEL site.
For example: the OMNI port is not Modicon Compatible but the WINPANEL site is configured
for Modicon Compatible.
May be caused by too short an inter-character delay. Go to Setup Sites. Edit the unit and
increase the "Character Delay" timing. For more information see Setup Unit.
Jumpers on the serial card do not match the type of communications required (i.e. wired for
RS-232 but jumpers indicate RS-485 - or - wired for RS-485 but jumpers indicate RS-232).
Site configuration doesn't match the type of communications required (i.e. box checked for
RS-485 2-wire but wired for RS-232 or RS-485 4-wire - or - box not checked for RS-485 2-
wire but wired for RS-485 2-wire).

Exception Codes
See the help for Exception Codes.

63
WINPANEL: Trouble Shooting Serial Communications

Communications Log
One of the best methods to aid in trouble shooting is to check the 'Log Communications' entry
on the Edit menu. You may view the communications log by selecting 'Comms Log' from the
View menu. The log may give you some hints as to what is happening and where it occurs.

64
WINPANEL: Communication LEDs

Communication LEDs

The RED LED indicates data transmission from the WINPANEL PC program to the OMNI (sending
to OMNI).

The GREEN LED indicates data reception from the OMNI to the WINPANEL PC (receiving from
OMNI).

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 About – Display

A
About 38
Active Alarms 9
Add Site 4, 6-7, 19
Add Unit 7
Alpha Shift 9
ALT Commands 9
Arrows 9
Automatic Disconnect 5, 15
B
Baud Rate 4, 13
Beep 9
Beeper 17
C
Caps Lock 9
Character Delay 12, 23
Check For Updates 39
Index

COM Port 4, 12
Communication LEDs 65
Communications Log 14, 18, 29
Communications Parameters 4-5, 12, 15, 19, 23
Communications Setup 23
Communications Statistics 18, 31
Configure 4-6, 12, 15
Configure Site 19
Connect 8, 23, 25
Connect Wait 5, 15, 62
Connection 19, 62
Connection Screen 8
Connection Timeout 12, 23
Contact Information 38
Context Help 43
Context Sensitive Help 55
D
Data Bits 4, 13
Delay 12, 23
Delete Site 19
Diagnostic 9
Dial 25
Dialing 62
Direct 4, 12, 19, 25
Disconnect 26
Display 9, 33

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Index: Display Message – Stop Bits

Display Message 27 O
E OMNI Beeper 17
OMNI Display 27, 33
Edit Site 4, 7, 19 OMNI Flow Computers 38
Edit Unit 7 OMNI Keypad 33
End 9 OMNI Panel 33
Exception Codes 57 OMNI Password 16
Exit 48 OmniSettings 18
F Online 23, 25, 29
Online Menu 8
F1 43
P
H
Page Down 9
Help User Notes 41 Page Up 9
Helpdesk@omniflow.com 60 Panel 33
Home 9 Parity 4, 13
Hotspots 9 Password 16
PC Beeper 17
I Port 4, 13
Program 9
Initial Character 23
Program Version 38, 40
Initial Character Delay 23
Protocol 29
Initialization String 5, 15, 62
IP Address 12 R
K Redial Wait 5, 15
Release Date 38
Keypad 9, 33
Release Notes 40
L Retry Count 12, 23

Log Communications 14, 29 S

M Satellite 4-5, 12, 15, 19, 25, 62

Scan Rate 12, 21, 23
Media Type 4, 13 Settings File 18
Message 27 Setup Communications 6, 23
Message Timeout 12, 23 Setup Communications Screen 4-5
Mimic Beeper 17 Setup Menu 6
Modbus 29 Setup Sites 19
Modbus ID 23 Setup Sites Screen 4, 6, 12
Modbus Type 4, 12 Setup Unit 20
Modem 4-5, 12, 19, 25, 62 Setup Unit Screen 12
Modem Settings 4-5, 13, 15 Site 6, 8, 25
Modem Setup 19 Sites 4, 12, 19
Modicon 4 Software Version 38, 40
Modicon Compatible 12 Status Bar 35, 52
Stop Bits 4, 13

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Index: TCP Port – WinPanel Help

T
TCP Port 12
TCP/IP 4, 19, 25
TCP/IP Initial Character Delay 12
Temporarily Change Comms Setup
Screen 23
Temporary Settings 23
Time Difference 29
Timing 4, 12
Timings 23
Toolbar 36, 55
Transmissions 31
Trouble Shooting Contact Us 60
Trouble Shooting Ethernet
Communications 61
Trouble Shooting Modem
Communications 62
Trouble Shooting Serial
Communications 63
U
User Message 27
V
Version 38, 40
View Site List 34
W
WinPanel Help 2

68