Power to Win
KB1025 - Using the Multicast telemetry server
The multicast telemetry server was introduced to overcome connectivity issues when running networked telemetry under Win XP. The term multicast should not be confused with “multi-rate telemetry” which refers to a feature of the logger firmware that enables channels to be sent at different update rates. Both versions of the server support this feature.
The previous telemetry server “telemsrv.exe” was based around DCOM and required DCOM to be installed, configured and in many cases was difficult to setup. This is a bi-directional protocol and due to network security issues problems can arise. In addition, an environment where frequent disconnects and reconnects occur can also create problems.
The multicast server “telemsrv2.exe” does not require DCOM and hence is easier to setup and the connection is much more robust. The job of the server is now broken down into 2 parts namely “telemsrv2.exe” which deals exclusively with reading the serial port data, reading the channel names and calibrating the channels. The “telemadapt.dll” handles the transmission of data over the network.
The telemetry server installation is quite straight forward but these steps must be made in the correct order for the system to function correctly. Once this installation is complete the old server will not run and should no longer be used.
For the telemetry to work you must first register the telemadapt.dll. The latest install CD should perform this step for you but if not this can be done manually from the command line of the Power to Win directory.
Enter “c:\windows\system32\regsvr32.exe telemadapt.dll”
You will see a dialog box confirming that the library was successfully registered. If the message says “failed to register library” use the depends.exe program described later in this chapter to diagnose the problem.
Open the config.exe program and open the telemetry setup. Make sure that there are some channels enabled and that the bandwidth is less than 100%.
Next press “Port” and select 19200 for the baud rate. (This is the recommended baud rate for the telemetry system and the radios must be programmed to match this setting) Note: If the baud rate is changed at any time and the new setup sent to the logger the logger MUST be rebooted for the baud rate change to take effect.
Next press “Server” and in most cases just use the default settings and simply press OK to save these to the registry. The use of other settings are covered later in this chapter. The default settings are.
The server needs to be started each time you start your PC, after a reboot or if the server exits due to program crash or error. It will not run if the serial port is currently in use by another device. Run the telemsrv2.exe and check that it is running by viewing the task manager. There are several causes for the server to not start correctly.
Run the mTelem.exe application and press connect to server. After a short delay the connected message should appear in the status bar. Channels can now be added to any of the windows. If channels do not match or the data appears incorrect, is usually because the @LCU.Cal file in the logger does not match that being used by the server.
Programs using the serial port under Win XP have been shown to slow down other running applications. This occurs with both the EFI applications ECU Comms and Telemetry. There is no known fix for the problem at this time.
The depends.exe program is a utility that checks a file for dependencies with other programs and libraries. If the telemadapt.dll fails to register start the depends.exe program and then from the file menu select the telemadapt.dll. Any errors will be listed in the window.
The uarts.exe program is an EFI utility that directly read the serial port and can be used to verify that data is being correctly received at the port. The channel names and data being sent will be displayed. This allows testing of the port without the server or network running to help debug the system.
If the telemsrv2.exe fails to run the DBView.exe program can be used to check for errors. The files required can be found in the Debug.zip file. Make sure that the server is NOT running. Then run the DBView.exe application. Now start the debug version of the server and look for error messages in the DBView window. Note: The debug version of the server is much larger that the release version approx. 225K (standard version is approx. 68k) and is not for general release.
On some machines running under older versions of Windows 98 or 95 the “Multicast” setting will not work correctly. To fix this you can select the “Broadcast” option from the server setup window. Note: Changes to any of the server options mandate that the telemsrv2.exe be restarted.
The most common cause of receiving corrupted data is when the @LCU.Cal file in the logger is not the same as the one being used by the server. The most common causes of this problem are as follows.
Under Win 2000 and XP the server must have at least one connection over the network for the telemetry to work. A work around for this is to disable the media sense for TCP/IP and prevent your network adapter from detecting the link state. Use Registry Editor to view the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
Add the following new DWORD value and then restart your computer.
WARNING: If you use the Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Use the Registry Editor at your own risk.
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