Diagnostics Module

The Diagnostics Module provides real-time information about the status of the meter.

Module icon

Overview

The module keeps track of various operating parameters and updates its output registers with the current values read from the meter. Some of the Diagnostics Module’s output registers provide information that can assist you with the application and maintenance of your meter. Most of the module’s outputs contain advanced diagnostic information that is useful only when a Technical Support Engineer is assisting you in troubleshooting your meter.

NOTE: The registers and settings available in this module depend on the device or node you are configuring, as well as its firmware and template versions. Not all registers or settings are available on all devices or the Virtual Processor, and labels may vary.

Only a subset of the output registers are illustrated in the module diagram. Additional Diagnostics module outputs intended for use by Technical Support are not shown on this diagram, but are listed in the module description.

Inputs

The Diagnostics Module has no programmable inputs.

Setup registers

Opt Mod A/B/C/...Type String

This register is read-only, and is automatically populated with a text description of the attached hardware option module. Option modules are identified based on the physical order of the attached modules. The option module attached directly to the device is module A, the module attached to module A is module B, and so on.

Output registers

(Percent) Battery Remaining

This register contains an approximation of the time remaining in the service life of the device’s clock battery. The accuracy of the estimated time remaining will vary based upon the product’s powered up and powered down time, and environmental conditions. Depending on the meter, battery remaining is indicated in percentage units or battery remaining in minutes.

TotalLogMemory (TotalInternalMemory)

This register indicates the total amount of on-board memory, in kilobytes (kB), that is available in the device for Event, Data Recorder and Waveform Recorder logs.

FreeLogMemory (FreeInternalMemory)

This register indicates what amount of the TotalLogMem (TotalInternalMemory), in kilobytes (kB), is currently unused and available for new logging operations.

Total Other Memory

This register indicates the total amount of additional memory, in bytes (B), that is not allocated to logging or your device’s operating system. An example of Total Other Memory is the storage capacity of your device’s internal FTP or SFTP server.

Free Other Memory

This register indicates what amount of the Total Other Memory, in bytes (B), is currently unused and available for file storage.

Total Buffer

This register indicates the total amount of memory, in bytes (B), available for all log buffers.

Free Buffer

This register indicates what amount of the Total Buffer , in bytes (B), is currently unused and available for log buffering.

Memory Used By Uploaded Files

This register indicates the total amount of memory, in bytes (B), used by files that have been uploaded into the device’s internal FTP or SFTP server.

# Unused Labels (number of unused labels)

This register indicates how many unused (available) labels there are in the device. For example, the ION7330 allows a maximum of 200 custom labels.

Prc Pwr Used (processing power used)

This register indicates what percentage of the device’s processor power is being used by functioning ION modules.

Time Sync Source

This register is on if the internal clock synchronizes with the line frequency and off if the internal clock synchronizes with its own internal crystal.

Hardware Lockable

This register is on if the device is hardware lock capable.

Password Enabled

This register is on if the Password security is enabled.

Hardware Locked

This register is on if the device is hardware lockable and it currently has the hardware lock enabled.

Optical Port Locked

If the device’s optical port lock is enabled, this register is on, and configuration via the optical port is disabled. If the device’s optical port lock is disabled, this register is off, and configuration via the optical port is enabled.

Time Set Count

This register indicates how many times a discrete time change event has occurred in the device.

Time Sync Count

This register indicates how many times synchronization signals have been received. The value increases with each signal received. If the time sync value differs from the meter time by less than one second, the meter time is not updated, but the time sync is counted.

Time Since Last Time Sync

This register displays the amount of time, in seconds, since the last time synchronization signal was received.

Time Sync Diag (time sync diagnostics)

This register displays the difference, in microseconds, between a time synchronization signal and the time in the device’s clock. The value displayed is a sliding window average over the last five time synchronization signals received. If no GPS signal is connected, this register value is not available.

GPS Receiver Status

This register is on if the GPS receiver is locked onto a time source and off if the lock is lost. This information is based on the GPS Quality Flag received directly from the GPS receiver. This register is not available if GPS time synchronization is not used, if the signal is lost, or if the Clock module’s Time Sync Source is set to irig-b.

Time Sync Status

This register is on if a time synchronization signal has been acquired and off if the signal has been lost. The Diagnostics module calculates the average interval for the last five signals received, and considers the signal lost if no signals are received in two times the average interval. If no GPS signal is connected, the register value will be on after a time sync has been received from the time sync source.

RMD State

This register indicates whether the device is able to communicate to a remote display.

Security State

This register indicates the security configured on the device.

Power Down Time

This register contains the number of seconds the meter was previously powered down for.

Power Up Pulse

This register outputs a pulse after the meter has powered up.

IEC61850 State

This register indicates whether the device is able to communicate using the IEC 61850 protocol.

Setup Count

This register indicates when a setup change has been made on the device.

Opt Mod A/B/C/... Type

This register indicates the type of option modules attached to the device. Option modules are identified based on the physical order of the attached modules. The option module attached directly to the device is module A, the module attached to module A is module B, and so on.

Opt Mod A/B/C/... Status

This register indicates the status of the option modules attached to the device. Option modules are identified based on the physical order of the attached modules. The option module attached directly to the device is module A, the module attached to module A is module B, and so on.

Event

All events are recorded in the Event register.

Possible events and their associated priority numbers are:

Event priority groupPriorityDescription
Setup Change10Input links, setup registers or labels have changed.
Warning30A link to a deleted register was detected at startup.
Failure255 Internal data structure corruption detected at start-up; serial EEPROM corruption detected; Xpress Card failure detected; DSP problem detected; Watchdog Timer reset has occurred.

The Event output register stores the following information for each ION event: time stamp, priority, cause, effect, and any values or conditions associated with the cause and effect.

ION nodes in Power Monitoring Expert also support the following output registers.

Client Period

This register indicates how much time (in milliseconds) the Virtual Processor’s Client Polling Period has taken to process responses from the server nodes.

Client Load

This register indicates the percentage of the Virtual Processor’s Client Polling Period was used to process responses to updates from the server nodes.

Client Update

This register generates a pulse every time the Virtual Processor’s Client Polling Period responds to an update from a server node.

Client Timeout

This register generates a pulse whenever a timeout occurs on the Virtual Processor’s Client Polling Period.

Client CommError

This register generates a pulse every time a communication error occurs between a server node and the Virtual Processor Client subsystem.

Server Period

This register indicates the period (in milliseconds) at which the Virtual Processor’s Server Polling Period sends updated information to client nodes.

Server Load

This register indicates the percentage of the Virtual Processor’s Server Polling Period was required to process updates for the client nodes.

Server Update

This register generates a pulse every time the Virtual Processor’s Server Polling Period sends updates to all of its client nodes.

Module Period

This register indicates the time between successive updates of Virtual Processor Module Update Period, which updates ION modules inside the Virtual Processor.

Module Load

This register indicates the percentage of the Virtual Processor’s Module Update Period required to run all its ION modules.

Module Update

This register generates a pulse every time the Virtual Processor’s Module Update Period starts updating its modules.

Saver Period

This register indicates the Virtual Processor’s Configuration Saver Period, in seconds, in which VIP.CFG and VIP.BAK are alternately updated.

Saver Load

This register indicates the percentage of the Virtual Processor’s Configuration Saver Period required to save the entire Virtual Processor configuration.

Saver Update

This register generates a pulse every time the Virtual Processor’s Configuration Saver Period backs up the configuration files.

Insert Efficiency

The Log Inserter uses a cache to minimize the overhead of inserting records into the database. Insert Efficiency is a measure of the cache’s effectiveness, expressed as a percentage. If the Log Inserter’s performance is becoming poor and the Insert Efficiency value falls below 65%, you may want to increase the cache size (See Insert Cache Size register).

Insert Cache Size

The default size of the cache, mentioned above, is 100. This value can be increased to accommodate large systems. To do this, use the —C<number> command line argument when starting the Log Inserter. Note that increasing the cache size increases the memory consumption by both the Log Inserter and the database server.

Diagnostics Schema

This schema output provides three database tables that describe the nodes and logs in your system. The tables are:

NODEPERF

This setting provides aggregated performance statistics on a per-node basis. Many of the statistics provided are the same as those available from the Log Monitor Module. Additional statistics are as follows:

Column name

Value

Description

Node

name

The name of the node

Responding

YES/NO

Will be YES if the node is responding to communications; NO if it is not. Also, the value will be NO if any node it depends on is not responding (for example, a Virtual Processor Data Recorder with remote inputs).

recordID

number

The record’s identification number (this can be ignored by user)

NODEINFO

This setting provides basic information about a node, and the current status of any communications initiated by the Log Inserter. The columns in the NodeInfo table are:

Column name

Value

Description

Node

name

The name of the node

Device Type

name

The type of device

Serial Number

number

The device’s serial number

Average Update Interval

time in seconds

The average time between updates for the node

Time Since Update

time in seconds

The time since the Log Inserter received its last update from the node OR the time since the last request was sent

Comm Status

see description

The Log Inserter’s view of a node’s state:

SENT – a new or altered request has been sent to the node
ALIVE – regular polling updates are being received
UNKNOWN – Log Inserter has not yet determined comm status
RE-SENT – update from node not received in allotted time, request has be sent again and the Log Inserter is waiting for response
DEAD – resent request timed out (or comm error has occurred)
ERROR – node responded with “bad request”
TIMEOUT – node responded with “timeout”
INVALID PID – node responded with “invalid PID”
FAULT – node responded with unrecognized error condition

Aggregate Setup Count

number

The most recent setup count received

Requested IONs

number

The number of ION objects that have been requested; can return NONE, a number, or CACHE, meaning that only the contents of the cache have been requested

Request Status

see description

The status of the request (see next row for R.U.T. description):

READY – no request pending, R.U.T. seconds since last update
REQUESTING – request sent R.U.T. seconds ago
RETRYING – request failed, will retry in R.U.T. seconds
BLOCKED – resource unavailable, will send when resources freed (request has been BLOCKED for R.U.T. seconds)
PROCESSING – request being processed for R.U.T. seconds
ABANDONED – request took too long and has been abandoned
UNKNOWN – Log Inserter is in an unknown state

Request Update Time (R.U.T.)

time in seconds

The amount of time since Request Status changed OR the amount of time until Request Status changes (reference depends on Request Status value)

Request Details

text

If applicable, a description of a node problem

Record ID

number

The record’s identification number (this can be ignored by user)

LOGPERF

This setting provides performance statistics for individual logs. Many of the statistics provided are the same as those available from the Log Monitor Module. Additional statistics are as follows:

Column name

Value

Description

Node

name

The name of the node

Log Handle

number

Internal log identifier

Responding

YES/NO

YES if the node is responding to communications; NO if it is not. Also, the value will be NO if any node it depends on is not responding (for example, a Virtual Processor Data Recorder with remote inputs).

recordID

number

The record’s identification number (this can be ignored by user)

Output registers for Technical Support use

The following output registers contain diagnostic information for use by Technical Support only. Some of these registers are not available on all devices.

AD Status
BIST Status
Cal Period
Calc Time
CalConst
Carrier Detect Status
CPU Temp
Cyc Period
Cycle Time
Contingency Fund
Display Temp
External Temp
Factory
Free Task Stack
FreeContLogMemory
Internal Temp
Magnitude CRC
Main Board Temp
Meter Clock Ticks
Meter Status
Offset CRC
OneSec Time
Outage Dialback Status
Partials
Phase CRC
Power Ups
PTP State
RMD Temp
Sec Period
Task Number
v50Av1s
v50AvHS
v50Cnt
v50Mn1s
v50MnHS

Responses to special conditions

The following table summarizes how the module behaves under different conditions.

ConditionResponse of output registers
When a meter is started or powered-upOutput registers are updated from the meter.
When a Virtual Processor is started All Output registers are Not Available.

Detailed module operation

You can link the output registers of the Diagnostics Module to the inputs of other modules. For example, you may want to display a warning message when a communication error occurs between the Virtual Processor client subsystem and a server node. To generate this warning, you can connect the Client Communications Error output register to the input of a Launching module, specifying in the Launching module which program displays the warning message.