date and time

[dgd]

How do you set the date and time on a Classic Lite?  It must obvious but I just cannot find it in the localapp or Classic manual

dgd

[Halfcrazy]

The Classic Lite as a stand alone charger would have no date or time. Now if you have an MNGP you can look at the Lite and set the Classics clock but if it is powered down it will loose that date and time setting.

Ryan

[dgd]

Ok...  its just that the local app offline report that displays dates looks strange 
So it has to a pc modbus program to set the date and time if no MNGP available?

dgd

[boB]

I wish the local app would be able to set the time and date in the Classic...  But it doesn't have that
capability at the moment.

Modbus certainly can set the time and date though which is how the MNGP does it.

The Classic ~could~ also call into NIST to set its time if it knew the time zone it was in.

Best to have it done from the local app or similar at some point.

boB

[dgd]

I have been thinking about this date/time settings in the the Lite.
I want to place several  lite 150s in remote internet repeater locations.The date/time is not essential as the daily report lines in the local app offline report are in order starting previous day to 380 days ago. The dates are usually the same, 2003.
It would be nice (wishful thinking) if the lite switch panel had a battery powered  real time clock IC that the lite could read although I presume setting up the date and time would be a challenge without those rubber buttons 

If I have a lite connected to another Classic with an  MNGP then I can see the Lite status screen (and I assume setup the lite too)
When both Classics are power cycled then the one with the MNGP will read the date/time from the MNGP's battery powered real time clock. Will the Lite also read the RTC from the other Classic's MNGP? or will its date and time settings be lost and require manual intervention?

Maybe a follow me date and time?

dgd

[Halfcrazy]

That is a good question? I suppose a "Time Master" Yes or No? Set one to master for time and the rest ask for it just like the BTS?

boB what say you?

[boB]

I really like this idea !  Of course it's possible to do.

I think that when the MNGP is addressing another Classic on the network, it should
set that Classic's time as if it were the Classic the MNGP is plugged in to.

Either being done over Follow-Me (once in a while) or, have the one MNGP set
the time of each Classic on the network every so often.

We'll see what we can do.  This will take a little while though.

boB

[dgd]

Modbus certainly can set the time and date though which is how the MNGP does
The Classic ~could~ also call into NIST to set its time if it knew the time zone it was in.

Best to have it done from the local app or similar at some point.

NIST, now thats an excellent idea.  In a previous firmware/MNGP code there was the world map where location could be specified. So timezone easily defined and with NIST then auto time/date setup 

Just looking at the MNLP I can't see why S2 is used for all those IP address options and
port number options. Since its likely the local app will be used once the lite is connected, I would lean towards just making the defaults port 502 and IP 192.168.0.223 although DHCP would be the preferred way to go.
Then the S2 dip switches, 5 of them, could be used to select the time zone. Classic lite calls NIST etc., Date/Time issue resolved


I'm assuming here that the MNLP is code updateable by uploading software just like the MNGP is.
The Classic manual mentions a wrong code error in the MNLP when 3 LEDS stay on and refer to page 71 for an explanation of the error. Sadly no explanation is there 

dgd

[Halfcrazy]

No unfortunately the MNLP is not field programmable.

Ryan

[dgd]

No unfortunately the MNLP is not field programmable.

ok, pity, as it would have been interesting..  I was thinking about a nice simple picaxe/modbus project for some of my students and a 'smarter' MNLP looks like a nice task.. (rtc, kb port, a few led 7*5 displays).

Just curious but  what is the 'wrong code' error led display on MNLP referring  to?

dgd

[Halfcrazy]

If you install the wrong Classic code (IE say 150 code in a 200) it displays "Wrong Code" in the bottom right corner of the MNGP. On the MNLP we wanted a way to show this error for troubleshooting.

Ryan

[dgd]

boB,

I am writing some code to update the Classic Lite date and time. I need an updated modbus register list for the Classic but I know you are working on this. In meantime can you confirm these modbus registers are what I think they are? I  used GSI modbus reporter on ipad to try and figure out what I needed.
4101  firmware year
4102  firmware month and day, upper byte month, lower date
mac address 4107 to 4105
unit id 4111 to 4110 (modbus registers are correct even though local app sometimes mis-reports a digit)

4209 to 4212  name assigned to Classic

4213 incrementing counter 256 steps per minute, counts from zero to 15360 for an hour
4214  upper byte day of week 1=saturday to 7=friday , lower byte hour
4215 Date upper byte month, lower day
4216 year

What is 4217?
And is the IP number in any registers, can't find it

is it still necessary to enable register writing by setting some register to a 'write' value, I remember reading something about this but can't find the message topic
thanks...

dgd

[Halfcrazy]

I cant help you with the registers but I can tell you there is a write jumper or security jumper that when OFF makes you write the password before you can write. With it on you Can write without the password. It is the 2nd set of jumpers from left to right. in the set of 4 above the blue tbb

Ryan

[dgd]

Thanks Ryan, that works.
The other method of specifying the classic's serial number as a password interests me. But where to write this password to?

Dgd

[dgd]

.. no matter, got register writing to work now 

dgd