OMNI Modbus Tester

Help
OMNI Flow Computers, Inc.
 Last Modified: January 21, 2019

Welcome to OMNI Flow Computers, Inc, Modbus Tester

Notes:
- With Modbus Tester v2.13 and higher, there is a new format to the site file. If
you were using Modbus Tester v2.12 or below, your old settings file 'OMBTSet-
tings.dat' will be automatically converted to the new file format,
'OMNISitesMBT.dat'.
OMNI Modbus Tester

- Modbus Tester limits the support for SSL with client authentication to OMNI's
SSL capable flow computers.

Topics
How To 4
Menus 10
Troubleshooting 52
Standard Interface 62
Communication LEDs 76
Index 77

How To
How to Configure Sites
How to Configure Units
How to Configure Communications Parameter
How to Configure Modem Settings
How to Make a Connection
How to Operate the Modbus Tester

Menus
Setup
Online
View
Help

Trouble Shooting
Troubleshooting - Contact Us
Troubleshooting Ethernet Communications
OMNI Modbus Tester: OMNI Modbus Tester

Troubleshooting Modem Connections

Troubleshooting Serial Communications
Exception Codes

3
 How To

How To Configure Sites 5

Topics How To Configure Units 6
How To Configure Communications Parameters 7
How To Configure Modem Settings 8
How To Make a Connection 9
OMNI Modbus Tester: How To Configure Sites

How To Configure Sites

From the Ribbon Bar, select Sites.

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.

5
OMNI Modbus Tester: How To Configure Units

How To Configure Units

From the Ribbon Bar, select Sites.

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.

6
OMNI Modbus Tester: How To Configure Communications Para-
meters

How To Configure Communications Parameters

From the Ribbon Bar, select Sites.

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.

7
OMNI Modbus Tester: How To Configure Modem Settings

How To Configure Modem Settings

From the Ribbon Bar, select Sites.

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’.

8
OMNI Modbus Tester: How To Make a Connection

How To Make a Connection

From the Ribbon Bar, 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.

9
OMNI Modbus Tester: Menus

Menus
Topics

Setup 11
Online 25
View 39
Help 47

10
 Setup

Setup Sites 12
Topics Setup Communications 13
Setup Unit 16
Setup Modem 19
Setup Log Communications 20
Setup Preferences 21
SSL Acknowledgements 22
OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Sites

Setup Sites
The Setup Sites screen is used to configure the connection sites and units. You can search for and
add, edit, delete, or reorder the units within the site.

Settings
The items listed below are descriptions of each setting option within the Sites dialog. Click on a set-
ting for more information.

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

To add a site press Add Site or click your right mouse button and select Add Site from the short cut
menu.

Edit Site

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.

Delete Site

To delete an existing 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

To re-order the site list, 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.

*Note: 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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OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Communications

Setup Communications
The Setup Communication Screen is used to configure communications parameters to establish
communications with an OMNI. Parameters include: Baud Rate, Data Bits, Stop Bits and Parity set-
tings.

WARNING: Changing the parameters for the port you are connected to will cause communications
with the flow computer to be lost.

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

Media Type

The connection media. The choices are Serial Port, Modem, Satellite, TCP/IP, Front Panel USB,
and CPU USB. The default is Serial Port.

Site Name

Enter a description of the site.

Units

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

Add Unit

To add a unit press Add Unit or click your right mouse button and select Add Unit from the
shortcut menu.

Edit Unit

To edit an existing 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.

Delete Unit

To delete an existing 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

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OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Communications

To re-order the unit list, 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.

Serial Port, Modem, and Satellite Connections

Phone or Satellite Number (Modem and Satellite only)

The number to dial for the connection. Dashes between the numbers are allowed

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

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

Parity

A 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.

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.

Modem Settings (Modem and Satellite only)

Press the button to go to the Setup Modem Screen.

485 2-Wire (only shown for Serial Port)

Check this box if you have a 2-wire 485 connection to the OMNI.

USB Connections*
Front Panel USB

The following Site items are fixed values:

14
OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Communications

Baud Rate: 230400

Parity: None
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1

All of the Unit items are fixed values:

Unit Name: OMNI Front Panel

Modbus ID: 1
Protocol: Modbus RTU (OMNI Compatible)

CPU USB

The following Site items are fixed values:

Baud Rate: 1041400

Parity: None
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1

All of the Unit items are fixed values:

Unit Name: OMNI CPU

Modbus ID: 1
Protocol: Modbus RTU (OMNI Compatible)

* Notes:
On connecting to the Front Panel or CPU USB ports, windows may prompt for a required
driver, refer to the following folders to install the proper one:
Windows XP and Vista: <Installation Folder>\OMNI USB Drivers\WinXP_Vista\
Windows 7 and Above: <Installation Folder>\OMNI USB Drivers\Win7Plus\
A PDF file step-by-step USB driver installation guide is located in the above folders.

15
OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Unit

Setup Unit
The Setup Unit Dialog is for the initial setup of a unit to be used under your site setup.

Settings
The items listed below are the settings covering each dialog within the Setup Unit. Click on the set-
ting for more information.

Unit Name

Enter a description of the unit

Modbus ID

The unit’s Modbus ID or address. Enter a number directly or click on the up arrow to increase the
number and the down arrow to decrease the number. The ID can range from 1-255. The OMNI flow
computer 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 entering a value up to 255. The default value is 1.

Modbus Type

Modbus Type is the Protocol Format: The choices are RTU or ASCII and Modbus/TCP (available
with Media Type TCP/IP). The default is RTU for all media types except serial Satellite which is
ASCII.

RTU protocol contains a CRC at the end of the message.

ASCII protocol has an LRC at the end of the message.
Modbus/TCP or "Modbus over TCP" is an RTU message proceeded by a six byte header and
no CRC. The standard port number is 502.

Modicon Compatible

The default is not compatible.

Note that for Modicon Compatible units, the user interface automatically subtracts one from the
register number and formats the protocol to conform with 16-bit integers. If float data types are
used, the float bytes are swapped from ‘aa bb cc dd’ to ‘cc dd aa bb’.

Note: Modicon compatible is not allowed with ASCII protocol.

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.

16
OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Unit

TCP/IP Connections
Connection Timeout

The amount of time in milliseconds to wait before a connection attempt is aborted. The default is
5000 ms. (Note: If VSAT communications are used with a TCP/IP connection, we suggest starting
with a connection timeout of at least 10000 ms.)

Message Timeout

After a connection is established, the amount of time in milliseconds to wait for a response from the
unit. The default is 2000 ms. (Note: If VSAT communications are used with a TCP/IP connection, we
suggest starting with a message timeout of at least 5000 ms.)

Scan Rate

The amount of time in milliseconds to wait before the next poll. The default is 1000 ms. 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 for the socket connection. The default is 7001.

Note: For Modbus over TCP protocol (Modbus/TCP), the standard port number is 502.

Use SSL

Check the box if the port is configured for SSL/TLS in the Security Screen for the DE Module. The
default is not checked. (Please see the acknowledgements for the SSL/TLS libraries used in our soft-
ware.)

Note: OMNI 4000/7000 flow computers support SSL3.0/TLS1-TLS1.2

Serial Port, Modem, or Serial Satellite Connections

Initial Character Delay

The amount of time in milliseconds the PC waits for a response from the unit. The defaults are auto-
matically set based on media type:

Serial – 1000 ms
Modem – 1500 ms
Satellite – 5000 ms

17
OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Unit

Character Delay

The amount of time in milliseconds allowed between characters in a response from the unit. The
defaults are automatically set based on media type and for Serial Port connections baud rate is also
a factor. The defaults are:

Serial - 200 ms for baud rates of 300 and 600 and 100 ms for all other baud rates
Modem - 150 ms
Satellite - 3000 ms

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OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Modem

Setup Modem
Use this menu to configure the modems.

Settings
The items listed below are the settings covering each field within the Setup Modem Screen. Click on
the setting for more information.

Initialization String

The string sent to the modem to ready the modem for communications. The default string is 'AT &F
E0 M1' where:

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 redialling

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

Restore the default values.

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OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Log Communications

Setup Log Communications

To enable the logging of the Modbus communications between the user interface and the OMNI unit,
check the box marked 'Log Comms' in the Setup category of the ribbon bar.

To view the log, click on the 'Comms Log' in the View category of the ribbon bar. For more inform-
ation, please see the help for the Communications Log.

20
OMNI Modbus Tester: Setup Preferences

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

Settings
Communications

The Settings File holds all of the communication Sites configuration. If the user changes the folder
for the Settings file, OMNISitesMBT.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 Mod-
bus Tester 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 Modbus Tester 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 Modbus Tester 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.

Register List

The Register List folders are the preferences for importing and exporting the register list files used in
Modbus Tester. The default is the "RegList" folder under the folder where Modbus Tester is
installed.)

21
OMNI Modbus Tester: SSL Acknowledgements

SSL Acknowledgements
/*
====================================================================
* Copyright (c) 1998-2016 The OpenSSL Project. All rights reserved.
*
* Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
* modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
* are met:
*
* 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
*
* 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
* the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
* distribution.
*
* 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this
* software must display the following acknowledgment:
* "This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project
* for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit. (http://www.openssl.org/)"
*
* 4. The names "OpenSSL Toolkit" and "OpenSSL Project" must not be used to
* endorse or promote products derived from this software without
* prior written permission. For written permission, please contact
* [email protected].
*
* 5. Products derived from this software may not be called "OpenSSL"
* nor may "OpenSSL" appear in their names without prior written
* permission of the OpenSSL Project.
*
* 6. Redistributions of any form whatsoever must retain the following
* acknowledgment:
* "This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project
* for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/)"
*
* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE OpenSSL PROJECT ``AS IS'' AND ANY
* EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
* IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
* PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE OpenSSL PROJECT OR
* ITS CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
* SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
* NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
* LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
* HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
* STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)

22
OMNI Modbus Tester: SSL Acknowledgements

* ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED
* OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
* ====================================================================
*
* This product includes cryptographic software written by Eric Young
* ([email protected]). This product includes software written by Tim
* Hudson ([email protected]).
*
*/
Original SSLeay License
-----------------------
/* Copyright (C) 1995-1998 Eric Young ([email protected])
* All rights reserved.
*
* This package is an SSL implementation written
* by Eric Young ([email protected]).
* The implementation was written so as to conform with Netscapes SSL.
*
* This library is free for commercial and non-commercial use as long as
* the following conditions are aheared to. The following conditions
* apply to all code found in this distribution, be it the RC4, RSA,
* lhash, DES, etc., code; not just the SSL code. The SSL documentation
* included with this distribution is covered by the same copyright terms
* except that the holder is Tim Hudson ([email protected]).
*
* Copyright remains Eric Young's, and as such any Copyright notices in
* the code are not to be removed.
* If this package is used in a product, Eric Young should be given attribution
* as the author of the parts of the library used.
* This can be in the form of a textual message at program startup or
* in documentation (online or textual) provided with the package.
*
* Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
* modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
* are met:
* 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
* 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
* documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
* 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
* must display the following acknowledgement:
* "This product includes cryptographic software written by
* Eric Young ([email protected])"
* The word 'cryptographic' can be left out if the rouines from the library
* being used are not cryptographic related :-).
* 4. If you include any Windows specific code (or a derivative thereof) from
* the apps directory (application code) you must include an acknowledgement:
* "This product includes software written by Tim Hudson ([email protected])"
*

23
OMNI Modbus Tester: SSL Acknowledgements

* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY ERIC YOUNG ``AS IS'' AND

* ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
* IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE
* ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
* FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL
* DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE
GOODS
* OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
* HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
STRICT
* LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
* OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
* SUCH DAMAGE.
*
* The licence and distribution terms for any publically available version or
* derivative of this code cannot be changed. i.e. this code cannot simply be
* copied and put under another distribution licence
* [including the GNU Public Licence.]
*/

24
 Online

Connect Screen (Online Menu) 26

Topics Test Communications Screen (Online Menu) 27
Register List 31
Data Types (Test Comms Screen) 34
Change Comms Setup Screen (Online Menu) 36
Convertor 37
Online Disconnect 38
OMNI Modbus Tester: Connect Screen (Online Menu)

Connect Screen (Online Menu)

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.

26
OMNI Modbus Tester: Test Communications Screen (Online
Menu)

Test Communications Screen (Online Menu)

Modbus Tester Screen. This screen is only enabled in the ONLINE mode.

Note that for Modicon Compatible units, the test program automatically subtracts one from the
register number and formats the protocol to conform to 16-bit integers. If float data types are used,
the float bytes are swapped from ‘aa bb cc dd’ to ‘cc dd aa bb’.

Modbus Type

The protocol format. The choices are:

RTU
ASCII
Modbus/TCP

The default is set to what was setup for the location.

Modbus Addressing

Logical, Register, and Modicon Compatible. The default is Logical.

For example, floats using Logical Addressing, 1 register is 4 bytes of data. Floats using Register
Addressing combine 2 consecutive registers to make the float. The program automatically doubles
the number of registers entered and does the byte combination to make the float.

Note that for Modicon Compatible units, the test program automatically subtracts one from the
register number and formats the protocol to conform to 16-bit integers. If float data types are used,
the float bytes are swapped from ‘aa bb cc dd’ to ‘cc dd aa bb’.

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 0-255. The default is set to what was setup for the location.

Function Code

Select from the drop list the Function Code of the test message.

Note that there is a ‘User Defined’ function code for any non-standard functions. If the user selects
‘User Defined’, a box appears to enter the function code. The range for the user defined function
code is 1 to 127 (because of the exception response of 0x80 plus function code). The default value is
255 to remind the user to enter a code.

Data Type

27
OMNI Modbus Tester: Test Communications Screen (Online
Menu)

Select the Data Type from the drop list. This is how you would like the data to appear in the ‘Data
Values’ box – it does not affect how the data is transmitted. Only data types appropriate to the func-
tion code selected are listed. For more information, see help on Data Types.

Register Number or Diagnostics Code

Most function types require aRegister Number:

If you are using RTU, ASCII, or Modbus/TCP protocol and have not selected "Modicon Com-
patible", enter the exact target read or write Modbus Address in the range of 1 to 65535 of the
remote device.
If you are using RTU or Modbus/TCP protocol and have selected "Modicon Compatible", Mod-
bus Tester automatically subtracts one from the register address before it is sent. (Enter
registers in the range of 1 to 65535.)
If you are using ASCII protocol and have selected "Modicon Compatible", Modbus Tester
does not automatically subtract one from the register address before it is sent so you should
specify one address less than the target read or write Modbus address. (Enter registers in the
range of 0 to 65534.)

For the Diagnostic function (08), it becomes the Diagnostics Code. Enter a value between 0 and
65535.
Note: when connected to an OMNI Flow Computer with firmware version 27.75.06 and higher, the
diagnostic code 02 will return zeros and will indicate a 'Fail'.

Number of Points/Values or Data Value

Coil type function codes ask for the Number of Points. This is defaulted to 1.

Register type function codes request the Number of Values. This is defaulted to 1.

The Diagnostic function requests the Data Value to be sent.

String Size

The ASCII String data type also requests the String Size. For example if you had three 8-character
ASCII strings to read, you would enter a "3" for the Number of Values field and an "8" for the
String Size field.

Data Values

The Data Values box is used to enter/display the values transmitted/received from the unit in the
format previously selected in the data type field.

Separate multiple data values using the symbol displayed in the label (it is the list separator con-
figured for your system - in most cases it is a comma).

Repeat Delay

If an item is going to be transmitted repeatedly, this would be the approximate amount of time after
the response has been received that the system will wait before repeating the transmission.

28
OMNI Modbus Tester: Test Communications Screen (Online
Menu)

It can also be used in conjunction with the Register List. This is the approximate amount of time that
the system will wait before transmitting the next item in the list. If it is the last item in the list and list
repeat is enabled, it is the amount of time the system waits before re-transmitting the first item in the
list.

CRC/LRC

The user may select how the CRC/LRC is calculated.

Automatic means the system calculates it automatically and appends it to the transmit message.

If the user selects User Defined, a box appears for the user to enter the CRC/LRC in two hex bytes
(with no space in between). For example if you wanted to send a CRC of ‘E2 9D’, enter it as ‘E29D’.

No CRC/LRC is sent if a setting of Not Used is selected.

The Modbus type, Modicon Compatibility, and Modbus ID can be configured permanently in
the Setup Screen. For more information on configuring those items, please see the help for the
Setup Communications Screen.

Transmit

Press Transmit to send the test message to the unit.

The actual message sent is shown in the Transmit Message box.

The response message is displayed in the Receive Message box.

If the Modbus type is ASCII, for convenience the actual ASCII character is also shown on a separate
line.

Repeat/Stop

Press Repeat to send the test message continuously. Press the Stop button to terminate the send.

Register List/Add to List/Apply Edit

The Register List allows you to set up a list of registers for transmission. See the help for Register
List for more information.

If the Register List dialog is already open, set up a register item in the Test Communications Screen
and press Add to List to add a new register to the list.

If the Register List dialog is already open and an item on the Register List dialog is selected for edit-
ing, make any changes in the Test Communications Screen and press Apply Edit to amend the list
item.

29
OMNI Modbus Tester: Test Communications Screen (Online
Menu)

Convertor

A handy number convertor is available by pressing Convertor.

Note this screen can be moved around and remain up while more testing is done.

For more information, see the help for Convertor.

Comms Log

You can view the Communications Log by pressing Comms Log.

Note this screen can be moved around and remain up while more testing is done. For more inform-
ation, see the help for Communications Log.

Comms Stats

You can view the Communications Statistics by pressing Comms Stats.

Note this screen can be moved around and remain up while more testing is done. For more inform-
ation, see the help for Communications Statistics.

Settings

If you would like to modify some of the temporary communications parameters, press Settings. For
more information, see the help for Temporarily Change Comms Settings.

30
OMNI Modbus Tester: Register List

Register List
The Register List screen allows you to set up a list of items to be transmitted in succession to the con-
nected unit. The list can be repeatedly sent based on a number of times or a date/time range. The
register list can be saved to a file on disk.

The Register List screen can only be enabled by pressing the Register List button in the Test Com-
munications screen. Set up a register transmission in the Test Communications screen and then add
the register to the register list by pressing the Add to List button in the Test Communications
screen.

To edit an item, double click on the item in the register list - or - select the item or items and press the
Edit button. The first selected item's information is displayed in the Test Communications screen.
Make any changes to the item in the Test Communications screen and then press the Apply Edits
button in the Test Communications Screen. The information changed is updated in the register list
for all the selected items.

You may drag and drop items in the register list to change the list order.

The following is description of the fields on the screen:

Register List

The register list shows a summary of a transmission item in the list that was set up in the Test Com-
munications screen:
Modbus ID
Function Code
Register
Register Count
Data Type
- if the function code is "User Defined" the data type is "User Def".
- if the data type is a string, the data type is "ASCII-x" where 'x' is the string size.
Delay - the repeat delay selected for that entry
Protocol - the protocol is a combination of the Modbus Type and the first character of the
Addressing Mode.
Error % - an error percentage is provided for each item in the list. The error count is incre-
mented for every communications or data processing error encountered during the trans-
mission. A transmission count for each item is also stored. The error percentage is the number
of errors divided by the number of transmissions times 100%.
Data Values - either the values received if the function is a read-type function or the data sent
if the function is a write-type function. If the function code is "User Defined" the data values
are always the data sent.

The information saved from the Test Communications screen but not shown in the register list
includes:

31
OMNI Modbus Tester: Register List

CRC Type
User Defined CRC

Repeat Duration

The user may select one of two methods to indicate when the repeat process should stop:

Number of Times - enter the number of times you would like the list to be transmitted. If a
zero is entered, the list will be transmitted indefinitely.
Date/Time Range - enter a start date and time and a stop date and time. The dates and times
are based on your PC"s date and time.
Use the drop down on the date fields to see a calendar. Click on "Today" at the bottom
of the calendar to select the current date or click on the date you wish to use.
Use the up and down arrows on the time fields to set the hour and minute based on a 24
hour clock where 00:00 is midnight. You may also enter a number in each of the fields.

Ignore Errors

If the box is not checked and there are any errors in the transmission of an item in the register list, the
message is displayed and all transmissions are stopped.

If the box is checked and there are errors in the transmission of an item in the register list, no mes-
sages are displayed and transmissions continue as normal.

An error count is provided in the register list and is updated as errors occur.

The following is a description of the buttons on the screen:

Open File

Pressing the Open File button brings up the standard Open File dialog. You may open an existing
Register List file (default extension ".orl") for editing. The contents of the file are displayed in the
register list and the file name is displayed in the screen's title.

Save File

You may save the contents of the register list by pressing the Save File button. This brings up the
standard File Save dialog. (The default file extension is ".orl".) The file name is displayed in the
screen's title.

Edit

To edit an item, double click on the item in the register list - or - select the item or items and press the
Edit button or select Edit from the right-click menu. The first selected item's information is displayed
in the Test Communications screen.

32
OMNI Modbus Tester: Register List

Make any changes to the item in the Test Communications screen and then press the Apply Edits
button in the Test Communications screen. The information changed is updated in the register list for
all the selected items.

Copy

To copy register list entries, click or select the items in the register list. Press the Copy button or
select Copy from the right-click menu.

If there are more than one register list entries, you will be asked if you want to append the copied
items to the end of the list. If you select Yes, all the selected items are copied and placed at the end
of the list. If you select No, each copy is placed directly after the selected item in the list. If you select
Cancel, no action is taken.

Delete

To delete items, click on the item or items in the list and press the Delete button.
You will be asked to confirm each item to be deleted.

Transmit

Pressing the Transmit button, transmits the items in the list in order one time.

Note: It is probably a good idea to transmit the list one time to test if all items in the list are valid before
using the Repeat button.

Repeat

Pressing the Repeat Button transmits the list continuously in sequence until the number of times is
reached (if non-zero), the stop date and time is reached or the Stop Button is pressed.

Note: the Repeat button becomes the Stop button when active.

Clear Errors

The user may select items and click on Clear Errors to reset the error count to zero for all the selec-
ted items. If no items are selected when Clear Errors is pressed, all the error counts are reset to
zero.

Note: There is a right-click menu that provides an alternative to using the buttons.

33
OMNI Modbus Tester: Data Types (Test Comms Screen)

Data Types (Test Comms Screen)

In the Test Comms Screen, the data types represents the format of the data when it is entered for a
write or how it is displayed for reads. The following is a description of each type:

Boolean

Enter Booleans as 1’s and 0’s. For example if you wanted to Force One Coil and set the value to be
‘on’, then enter the data value as a ‘1’. For the Force Multiple Coils, enter the values beginning with
the first point. For example register 1001 we would like to set 1001, 1004, and 1005. In the Data Val-
ues, enter ‘1,0,0,1,1’. If you were to read those coils back using a Read Coil Status function, the data
would be received back as a 0x19 but is displayed as ‘1, 0, 0, 1, 1’ showing coils 1001, 1004, and
1005 are set.

Integers

Integers can be signed or unsigned based on what has been selected. Enter the number as an
integer.

Floats

Floats are entered as numbers with up to 7 significant digits.

Floats can also be displayed in exponential notiation.

Note that for Modicon Compatible units, the test program automatically subtracts one from the
register number and formats the protocol to conform with 16-bit integers. Float bytes are swapped
from ‘aa bb cc dd’ to ‘cc dd aa bb’.

For example: The float number 300.0 is converted to:

RTU (to/from OMNI) 43 96 00 00

Modicon (to/from OMNI) 00 00 43 96

Doubles

Doubles can have 15-17 significant digits selectable by the user.

Doubles can also be displayed in exponential notiation.

ASCII Strings

For strings you need to enter the length of one string. For example if you had three 8-character
ASCII strings to read, you would enter a "3" for the "Number of Values" field and an "8" for the
"String Size" field.

34
OMNI Modbus Tester: Data Types (Test Comms Screen)

IP Address (IPv4)

The IP Address is entered/displayed in IPv4 dotted decimal notation. The value read/written to the
associated register is a four byte unsigned integer in Motorola (Big-Endian) format.

For Example:
IPv4 in dotted decimal = 216.136.87.229
Unsigned integer in Motorola hex = D8 88 57 E5

35
OMNI Modbus Tester: Change Comms Setup Screen (Online
Menu)

Change Comms Setup Screen (Online Menu)

There are times that you may want to 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.

Serial Port, 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 Serial Port and Modem 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 Serial Port connections
baud rate is also a factor.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

36
OMNI Modbus Tester: Convertor

Convertor
Number Convertor to convert numeric data types to Hexadecimal format and back.
Note this screen can be moved around and remain up while more testing is done.

Select the data type you would like convert to or from.

Select the hexadecimal format you would like to convert to or from.

Note: Modicon format is only available for floats and doubles.

Motorola (Big Endian)

Intel (Little Endian)
Modicon

Enter the data you would like converted and press Enter or [Convert] and the converted number is
displayed.

Note that for 'Double' or 'Double in Exponent Format' types support leading '0X' characters and may
also be entered with no spaces between bytes.

For example: The float number 300.0 is converted to:

Motorola 43 96 00 00
Intel 00 00 96 43
Modicon 00 00 43 96

For example: The IP Address 216.136.87.229 is converted to:

Motorola D8 88 57 E5
Intel E5 57 88 D8

37
OMNI Modbus Tester: Online Disconnect

Online 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 .

38
 View

Communications Log (View) 40

Topics View Communications Statistics 42
View Status Bar Command 44
View Toolbar Command 45
View Site List 46
OMNI Modbus Tester: Communications Log (View)

Communications Log (View)

The Communications Log is for viewing the Modbus communications between the OMNI and the
user interface. Note: Communications are only recorded when the ‘Log Communications’ setting is
enabled from the ribbon bar. For more information, see the help for Log Communications.

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.

40
OMNI Modbus Tester: Communications Log (View)

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 "XXXLog.txt" , wehre
XXX is the user interface program name, 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.

41
OMNI Modbus Tester: View Communications Statistics

View Communications Statistics

Statistics that are accumulated during Modbus communications as well as response percents are
presented in this screen.

Statistics
Transmissions Sent

The total number of transmissions (including broadcasts where Modbus ID is zero).

If the count exceeds the size of a 32-bit unsigned integer, the rollover value is increased.
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 increased.
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 transmissions sent where the Modbus ID is zero.

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.

42
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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) ) x
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) ) x 100.

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

43
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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.

44
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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.

45
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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.

46
 Help

Release Notes 48
Topics Help License Agreement 49
Check For Updates 50
About Command 51
OMNI Modbus Tester: Release Notes

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

48
OMNI Modbus Tester: Help License Agreement

Help License Agreement

Displays the License Agreement that is shown on install.

49
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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

50
OMNI Modbus Tester: About Command

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

51
 Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting - Contact Us 53
Topics Troubleshooting Ethernet Communications 54
Modem Connections Troubleshooting 56
Troubleshooting Serial Communications 57
Exception Codes 58
OMNI Modbus Tester: Troubleshooting - Contact Us

Troubleshooting - Contact Us
You may contact us via the web at www.omniflow.com.

email us at: [email protected]

OMNI Flow Computers, Inc.

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

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

53
OMNI Modbus Tester: Troubleshooting Ethernet Communications

Troubleshooting Ethernet Communications

If you are trying to communicate to an OMNI product, use OMNI's Network Utility to see if the
OMNI is displayed in the list. Otherwise, use “Telnet” or “Ping” to see if there is a response. If there
is a response, the connection is OK. If not then go to Board Checks.

Use this Modbus Tester and try to communicate. If you are able to communicate but the response
is not correct, verify the communications setup matches the unit i.e Modicon compatibility and pro-
tocol. 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 OMNI 4000/7000

Look at the TX and RX lights on the Ethernet board for activity.
Check the LNK ACT lights on the Ethernet board for activity.

The number of bytes returned from the unit is not correct

The Data Type does not match the data returning from the unit i.e reading a 32-bit integer
register but it is set up for 16-bit integers.
The configuration may not match the protocol of the Modbus Tester site. For example: the
device port is not Modicon Compatible but the Modbus Tester site is configured for Modicon
Compatible.
May be caused by too short a Message Time Out. Go to Setup Sites. Edit the unit and
increase the "Message Timeout" setting. For more information see the help for TCP/IP Con-
nections in Setup Unit.

If it is an OMNI product, run the Ethernet card 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.

Communications
One of the best methods to aid in trouble shooting is to check the 'Log Communications' entry
on the Setup menu. You may also check the box using the Settings button on the Modbus
Tester screen if you are already connected. You may view the communications log by select-

54
OMNI Modbus Tester: Troubleshooting Ethernet Communications

ing 'Comms Log' from the View menu. The log may give you some hints as to what is hap-
pening and where it occurs.

55
OMNI Modbus Tester: Modem Connections Troubleshooting

Modem Connections Troubleshooting

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 Site 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

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

56
OMNI Modbus Tester: Troubleshooting Serial Communications

Troubleshooting 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.
Modbus ID, Protocol, or Baud Rate of the unit's port does not match the Modbus Tester
setup. See the Setup Communications Screen.
Increase the initial delay in Setup Communications.
Increase the retry count in Setup Communications.

Invalid CRC errors

Baud Rate of the unit's 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 Locations, edit the loc-
ation, and increase the "Character Delay" timing. For more information see the Setup Com-
munications Screen.

The number of bytes returned from the unit is not correct errors
The Data Type does not match the data returning from the unit i.e reading a 32-bit integer
register but it is set up for 16-bit integers.
Modicon compatibility mismatch between the Modbus Tester setup and the port on the
unit.
Protocol mismatch between the Modbus Tester setup and the port on the unit (i.e RS-485 2-
wire with echo vs 4-wire).
May be caused by too short an inter-character delay. Go to Setup Locations, edit the loc-
ation, and increase the "Character Delay" timing. For more information see the Setup Com-
munications Screen.

Communications
One of the best methods to aid in trouble shooting is to check the 'Log Communications' entry
on the Setup menu. You may also check the box using the Settings button on the Modbus
Tester screen if you are already connected. You may view the communications log by select-
ing 'Comms Log' from the View menu. The log may give you some hints as to what is hap-
pening and where it occurs.

57
OMNI Modbus Tester: Exception Codes

Exception Codes
The high bit of the function code in the return message is set to differentiate a normal response from
an exception response.

Exception Code 01

Exception Code 01 - an illegal function code was sent to unit.

For an OMNI 4000/7000, you may get this exception if too many data points are requested.

For example, the following function codes are supported by the OMNI 4000/7000 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

Exception Code 02 - an illegal data address was sent to the unit

For an OMNI 4000/7000, 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 to an OMNI 4000/7000, a possible cause is that the
connection port at the OMNI is set for Modicon compatible but the location is not set up for
Modicon protocol.
a connection is attempted to something other than an OMNI 4000/7000.
the physical connections between the PC and the OMNI may be incorrect or faulty.

58
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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

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 00):

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

Exception Code 04

Exception Code 04 - failure in associated device.

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

Exception Code 05 - acknowledge

For an OMNI 4000/7000 flow computer, 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

59
OMNI Modbus Tester: Exception Codes

Example: Level C user writes to register 3501

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

Exception Code 06

Exception Code 06 - busy, rejected message

For an OMNI 4000/7000, downloads are disabled for this unit. This exception occurs when the "Dis-
able Download" field is set in the Password menu on the OMNI and a read of a register is per-
formed.

Example:

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

Exception Code 07

Exception Code 07 - negative acknowledgement

The OMNI 4000/7000 does not support this exception code.

Exception Code 08

Exception Code 08 - memory parity error

The OMNI 4000/7000 does not support this exception code.

Exception Code 0A

Exception Code 0A - gateway path unavailable

The OMNI 4000/7000 does not support this exception code.

Exception Code 0B

Exception Code 0B - gateway target device failed to respond.

The OMNI 4000/7000 does not support this exception code.

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 Modbus Tester 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.

60
OMNI Modbus Tester: Exception Codes

Scroll down until you find the highlighted line.

Look at the transmit/receive message occurring just before the logged error message.

61
 Standard Interface

Toolbar 63
Topics Title Bar 64
Status Bar 65
Close Command (Control Menus) 67
Exit Command 68
Index Command (Help Menu) 69
Maximize Command (System Menu) 70
Minimize Command (Application Control Menu) 71
Move Command (Control Menu) 72
Restore Command (Control Menu) 73
Size Command (System Menu) 74
Using Help Command (Help Menu) 75
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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

Monitor
World
Disconnected Circuit
Clock
OMNI Ball
Log
10/A
Question Mark
Arrow + Question Mark - Context sensitive help. Click on this and then an item you would
like help on.

63
OMNI Modbus Tester: Title Bar

Title Bar
OMNIMBT - Modbus Tester

The title bar is located along the top of a window. It contains the name of the application.
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

Maximize button
Minimize button
Name of the application
Close button

64
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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 describes actions of menu items as you use the arrow keys to navigate
through menus. This area similarly shows messages that describe the actions of toolbar buttons as
you depress them, before releasing them. If after viewing the description of the toolbar button com-
mand you wish not to execute the command, then release the mouse button while the pointer is off
the toolbar button.

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

The right area of the status bar provides connection information:

Serial Port

Site and Unit Name

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

Modem and Satellite

Site and Unit Name

Phone Number
Modbus ID
Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
COM Port
Baud Rate
Number of Data Bits
Number of Stop Bits
Parity
Initial Character Delay

65
OMNI Modbus Tester: Status Bar

Character Delay
Retries

TCP/IP

Site and Unit Name

IP Address
TCP Port
Modbus ID
Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
Connection Timeout
Message Timeout
Retries

USB

Site and Unit Name

Modbus ID
Protocol
Modicon Compatible (Y/N)
COM Port
Baud Rate
Number of Data Bits
Number of Stop Bits
Parity

66
OMNI Modbus Tester: Close Command (Control Menus)

Close Command (Control Menus)

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 exits the screen.
ALT+F4 closes the dialog box.

67
OMNI Modbus Tester: Exit Command

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

68
OMNI Modbus Tester: Index Command (Help Menu)

Index Command (Help Menu)

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 various types of reference information.

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

69
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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.

70
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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

71
OMNI Modbus Tester: Move Command (Control Menu)

Move Command (Control Menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can move the active window or dialog box
with the arrow keys.

Note: This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcuts
Keys: CTRL+F7

72
OMNI Modbus Tester: 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.

73
OMNI Modbus Tester: Size Command (System Menu)

Size Command (System Menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can size the active window with the arrow
keys.

After the pointer changes to the four-headed arrow:

1. Press one of the DIRECTION keys (left, right, up, or down arrow key) to move the pointer to
the border you want to move.
2. Press a DIRECTION key to move the border.
3. Press ENTER when the window is the size you want.

Note: This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcuts
Mouse: Drag the size bars at the corners or edges of the window.

74
OMNI Modbus Tester: Using Help Command (Help Menu)

Using Help Command (Help Menu)

Use this command for instructions about using Help.

75
OMNI Modbus Tester: Communication LEDs

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

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

76
 2-wire RS-485 – Data Bits

2
2-wire RS-485 13
A
Add Site 5-8
Add Unit 6
ASCII 16
AT 19, 56
Automatic Disconnect 8, 19
B
Baud Rate 7, 13
C
Cardinal Meadow 53
Character Delay 13
Check For Updates 50
COM Port 7, 13, 56
Index

Comm 13
Comms Log 20
Comms Statistics 42
Communication LEDs 76
Communications 19
Modem 19
Communications Log 20, 40
Communications Log Dialog 40
Communications Parameters 7-8, 12-13, 19
Communications Screen 56
Configure 5, 7-8, 13, 19
Configure Site 12
Connect 9, 26
Connect Screen 9
Connect Wait 8, 19
Connect Wait Time 56
Connection 9, 12, 19, 56
To Make 9
Connection Problem 56
Connection Screen 9
Connection Timeout 13
Contact Us 53
Control 56
CPU USB 13
D
Data Bits 7, 13

77
Index: Delay – USB

Delay 13 P
Dial 26
Parity 7, 13
E Port 7, 13, 56
Program Version 48
Edit Communications 5, 13 Protocol 16, 40
Edit Log Communications 20 Protocol Format 16
Edit menu 5
Edit Menu 6-8, 20 R
Edit Modem 19
Edit Sites 6-8, 12 Redial Wait 8, 19
Edit Unit 6, 16 Release Notes 48
Exception Code 58 Retry Count 13
RTU 16
F
S
Factors 16
Font Panel USB 13 Satellite 7-8, 12-13, 16, 19, 26
Scan Rate 13
H Serial Port 7, 12-13, 26
Setup Communications Screen 5-8, 12-13
Help Release Notes 48 Setup Menu 5
I Setup Modem Screen 8, 19
Setup Sites 12-13, 56
Initialization String 8 Setup Sites Screen 5-8
IP Address 13 Setup Unit 16
Setup Unit Screen 6
L Site 5, 9, 26
Log Communications 20, 40 Site Screen 56
Sites 7, 12-13
M Software Version 48
Statistics 42
Media Type 7 Stop Bits 7, 13
Message Timeout 13 Sugar Land 53
Modbus 40
Modbus Type 7, 13 T
Modbus/TCP 16
Modem 7, 12-13, 26 TCP 16
Modem Initialization String 56 TCP Port 13
Check 56 TCP/IP 7, 12-13, 16, 26
Modem Screen 56 TCP/IP Initial Character Delay 13
Modem Settings 7-8, 19 Time Difference 40
Modem Setup 12 Timing 7, 13
Modicon 7 Troubleshooting 53
Modicon Compatible 13 Troubleshooting Modem Connections 56

O U

Omni Flow Computer 53 Updates 50

Online 26, 40 US Robotics 56
USB 26

78
Index: Version – WARNING

V
Version 48
View Communications Log 40
View Site List 46
W
WARNING 13

79