VSCOM ModGate Plus User manual

www.vscom.de
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
User Manual
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
ModGate Plus
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Edition: June 2018
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Web: www.visionsystems.de
Support: [email protected]

The software described in this manual is furnished under a license agreement and may be used
only in accordance with the terms of that agreement.
Copyright Notice
Copyright ©2009-2018 Vision Systems. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is
prohibited.
Trademarks
VScom is a registered trademark of Vision Systems GmbH. All other trademarks and brands are
property of their rightful owners.
Disclaimer
Vision Systems reserves the right to make changes and improvements to its product without pro-
viding notice.
Vision Systems provides this document “as is”, without warranty of any kind, either expressed or
implied, including, but not limited to, its particular purpose. Vision Systems reserves the right
to make improvements and/or changes to this manual, or to the products and/or the programs
described in this manual, at any time.
Information provided in this manual is intended to be accurate and reliable. However, Vision
Systems assumes no responsibility for its use, or for any infringements on the rights of third parties
that may result from its use.
This product might include unintentional technical or typographical errors. Changes are period-
ically made to the information herein to correct such errors, and these changes are incorporated
into new editions of the publication.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 2

Contents
Contents
1. Overview 6
2. Introduction 6
2.1. Features ........................................... 6
2.2. Product Specifications ................................... 7
2.2.1. Common Characteristics .............................. 7
2.2.2. Device specific Characteristics .......................... 8
ModGate Plus 113 ................................. 8
ModGate Plus 213 ................................. 9
ModGate Plus 413 ................................. 10
ModGate Plus 813 ................................. 11
2.3. Packing List ......................................... 12
2.4. About this Manual ..................................... 12
3. Hardware Description 13
3.1. Configuration by DIP Switch ............................... 13
3.2. Signal Assignment ..................................... 13
3.3. RS485 Electrical Configuration .............................. 14
3.3.1. Termination Resistors ............................... 14
3.3.2. BIAS Function ................................... 14
3.4. Network ........................................... 14
3.4.1. WLAN Configuration ............................... 14
3.4.2. WLAN Antenna .................................. 15
3.4.3. Ethernet ....................................... 15
3.5. LEDs ............................................ 15
3.6. Power Supply ........................................ 16
4. Setup 17
5. Configuration 19
5.1. Home ............................................ 19
5.1.1. Status ........................................ 20
5.1.2. Actions ....................................... 20
5.2. Network Settings ...................................... 21
5.2.1. Access Control ................................... 21
5.2.2. Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) ......................... 21
5.2.3. Ethernet (IP) Settings ............................... 21
5.2.4. WLAN Settings ................................... 22
WLAN Radio Cell Parameters .......................... 22
WLAN IP Settings ................................. 24
5.3. Firmware Update ...................................... 24
5.4. Online Firmware Update .................................. 25
6. Modbus Configuration 26
6.1. Configuration of Serial Ports ............................... 26
6.2. Configuration of TCP Connections ............................ 27
6.3. Modbus Gateway Settings ................................. 29
6.3.1. Devices to Serial or TCP (Direct Mapping) ................... 30
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 3

List of Figures
6.3.2. Serial to TCP (Line Mapping) .......................... 31
6.4. Advanced Configuration .................................. 32
6.4.1. General Options (general options for Gateway operation) ........... 32
6.4.2. Serial Ports (configuration of serial ports) .................... 33
6.4.3. TCP Connections (configuration of allowed TCP connections) ......... 33
6.4.4. Mappings - DirectMappingMode ......................... 34
6.4.5. Mappings - LineMappingMode .......................... 34
7. Special Implementation Features 35
7.1. Modbus/TCP Request Queueing ............................. 35
7.2. Conversion of Serial Line Parameters ........................... 35
7.3. Redirect of Modbus/TCP ................................. 35
8. Example Configurations 36
8.1. Access one serial line from multiple TCP-Masters in a Network ............ 36
How this works: .................................. 37
8.1.1. Variation: Access several serial lines from selected TCP-Masters in a Network 37
How this works: .................................. 38
8.2. Access one or more Modbus/TCP Devices from a serial Master ............ 39
How this works: .................................. 40
8.3. Using Modbus/TCP to monitor a serial Modbus Line ................. 41
How this works: .................................. 42
Alternatives: .................................... 43
8.4. Extend serial Modbus Protocol via a Network ...................... 43
How this works: .................................. 45
Alternatives: .................................... 46
9. Troubleshooting 47
9.1. Cannot find the ModGate Plus in the network ..................... 47
9.2. The green RDY LED blinks ................................ 50
9.3. The green RDY LED is off ................................ 50
9.4. The serial Slave does not response ............................ 51
9.5. Will my configuration work in practice? ......................... 52
A. History 54
B. License 54
List of Figures
1. ModGate Plus 113 on DIN Rail .............................. 8
2. ModGate Plus 213 Top, Front, Left and Back Side ................... 9
3. ModGate Plus 413 ..................................... 10
4. ModGate Plus 813 ..................................... 11
5. Connector DB9 male .................................... 13
6. Possible Modbus Setups .................................. 17
7. UPnP Device Display ................................... 19
8. Navigation Bar ....................................... 19
9. Status information ..................................... 20
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 4

List of Tables
10. Possible Actions ...................................... 20
11. Access Control ....................................... 21
12. Universal Plug and Play .................................. 21
13. Ethernet Settings ...................................... 21
14. WLAN Radio Cell Settings ................................ 22
15. WLAN IP Settings ..................................... 24
16. Update Firmware ...................................... 24
17. Update Firmware ...................................... 25
18. Serial Settings ........................................ 26
19. Edit Serial Parameters ................................... 27
20. TCP Connections ...................................... 28
21. Edit TCP Connections ................................... 28
22. Gateway Settings ...................................... 29
23. Direct Mapping Table ................................... 30
24. Edit Direct Mappings ................................... 30
25. Line Mapping Table .................................... 31
26. Edit Line Mappings .................................... 31
27. Manual Edit - General Options .............................. 32
28. Advanced Configuration - Configuration of Serial Ports ................. 33
29. Manual Edit - Configuration of TCP Connections .................... 33
30. Manual Edit - DirectMappingMode ............................ 34
31. Manual Edit - LineMappingMode ............................. 34
32. One serial line setup .................................... 37
33. Line mapping for TCP-Masters .............................. 38
34. Serial Master using TCP-Slaves ............................. 41
35. Dual Master ......................................... 43
36. Tunnel setup ........................................ 46
37. Network View (Windows 7) ................................ 47
38. Network and Sharing Center ............................... 48
39. Local Area Connection Status ............................... 48
40. Local Area Connection Properties ............................ 49
41. IPv4 Properties ...................................... 49
42. ModGate logfile ....................................... 52
List of Tables
1. Specifications, common .................................. 7
2. Characteristics of ModGate Plus 113 ........................... 8
3. Characteristics of ModGate Plus 213 ........................... 9
4. Characteristics of ModGate Plus 413 ........................... 10
5. Characteristics of ModGate Plus 813 ........................... 11
6. Switch Configurations ................................... 13
7. Signal Assignment DB9 male ............................... 13
8. Ethernet LED Function .................................. 15
9. Red LED Function ..................................... 15
10. Blue LED Function ..................................... 16
11. Green LED Function .................................... 16
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 5

2 Introduction
1. Overview
The ModGate Plus devices are designed to connect serial connection lines running Modbus protocol
to networks running Modbus/TCP. The network interface of ModGate Plus is implemented as Fast
Ethernet 10/100 Mbit/s. The ModGate Plus Gateways are also available with a second network
interface as WLAN (802.11b/g/n), this will be used in parallel with the standard Ethernet.
The network transport is implemented via TCP/IP protocol. Therefore control is available via
WLAN, Ethernet, Intranet and Internet. The serial data transmission uses Modbus/RTU and
Modbus/ASCII, physical on RS232 and RS485 connection lines. As an extension to the standard
RS422 is also available.
2. Introduction
This manual covers several models of ModGate Plus devices, in particular the ModGate Plus 113.
In general the operation is the same on all models, except where explicitly noted otherwise.
The devices come with a steel case well suited for industrial environments. The models provide
one, two, four and eight serial ports. Power-over-Ethernet may be ordered on the four and eight
port models.
The ModGate Plus Gateways support serial speed up to 115200 bps, which is a restriction of
Modbus. In RS232 mode the technical limit is 1000 kbps, used as RS485 the serial port can
operate up to 3 Mbps. In RS485 mode the serial ports use the Automatic Receive Transmit (ART)
control logic to follow the RS485 specifications for transmitting data.
2.1. Features
•Single power supply
DC 9-54V, 300-500 mA@12V
•Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n (optional with integrated module or USB expansion)
•Ethernet 10/100BaseT/Auto-MDI(X) for auto-configuration
•Serial port interfaces: RS232, RS422 and RS485
•Max. 115.200 bps, half- and full-duplex
•TCP/IP configuration fixed or by DHCP
•Easy remote configuration via HTTP (browser)
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 6

2 Introduction
2.2. Product Specifications
Most of the hardware characteristics are common for all ModGate Plus models. However some
must differ from model to model, they are shown in dedicated sections.
2.2.1. Common Characteristics
Processor Modern RISC processor
WLAN antenna SMA-reverse
Ethernet connector RJ45 10BaseT/100BaseTx
Serial connector DB9 male (similar to PC)
Serial Speed 180 bps up to 3 Mbps
Parity None, Even, Odd
Data bits 7, 8
Stop bits 1, 2
Serial signals
RS232 TxD, RxD, RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR,
DCD, GND
RS485 Data+/Data−, GND
RS422 Tx+/Tx−, Rx+/Rx−, GND
RS485 4 wire Tx+/Tx−, Rx+/Rx−, GND
Protocols TCP/IP, UDP, DHCP, ICMP, ARP, HTTP, SSDP/UPnP
Serial operation RS232 to RS485, configured by software
Management Web browser
Operating temp. -20°to 65°C
LED
Power Red Blinks once when ready
WLAN Blue Only when WLAN installed
Ready Green Lights when Firmware is operating
Serial Tx Green One for each serial port
Serial Rx Yellow One for each serial port
Approval CE, FCC
Table 1: Specifications, common
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 7

2 Introduction
2.2.2. Device specific Characteristics
The characteristics of certain ModGate Plus models are shown as a short overview for comparison.
ModGate Plus 113
Power requirement DC 9V to 54V, 300 mA@12V
Dimensions 115×73×25 mm3(W×D×H)
Weight 400 g
Mounting DIN Rail, Wall mount
Table 2: Characteristics of ModGate Plus 113
(a) Front, Top and Left Side (b) Rear Side
Figure 1: ModGate Plus 113 on DIN Rail
This is the ModGate Plus 113 with the serial connector, Ethernet port and USB for optional WLAN
expansion. The configuration switches, power connector and Reset hole are on the rear side. Also
visible are two positions for a WLAN antenna, when the internal module is installed.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 8

2 Introduction
ModGate Plus 213
Power requirement DC 9V to 54V, 300 mA@12V
Dimensions 115×73×25 mm3(W×D×H)
Weight 400 g
Mounting DIN Rail, Wall mount
Table 3: Characteristics of ModGate Plus 213
(a) Top, Front and Left Side
(b) Back Side
Figure 2: ModGate Plus 213 Top, Front, Left and Back Side
This is the ModGate Plus 213 with the serial connectors, Ethernet port and USB for optional
WLAN expansion. The configuration switches, power connector and Reset hole are on the back
side (same as ModGate Plus 113). Visible on the left is the position for a WLAN antenna if the
integrated module is installed. There is another positon for this antenna on the back side.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 9

2 Introduction
ModGate Plus 413
Power requirement DC 9V to 54V, 500 mA@12V
Dimensions 196×147×44 mm3(W×D×H)
Weight 900 g
Mounting 19 inch Rack, Wall mount
POE Optional supply by Power over
Ethernet 802.3af
Table 4: Characteristics of ModGate Plus 413
(a) Front Side
(b) Rear Side
Figure 3: ModGate Plus 413
This is the ModGate Plus 413. The front side presents the four serial ports, Ethernet connector
and the position for WLAN antenna with the integrated module. The rear side shows the Reset
hole, the USB port for WLAN extension, configuration switches and the power supply.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 10

2 Introduction
ModGate Plus 813
Power requirement DC 9V to 54V, 500 mA@12V
Dimensions 196×147×44 mm3(W×D×H)
Weight 900 g
Mounting 19 inch Rack, Wall mount
POE Optional supply by Power over
Ethernet 802.3af
Table 5: Characteristics of ModGate Plus 813
(a) Front Side
(b) Rear Side
Figure 4: ModGate Plus 813
This is the ModGate Plus 813. The front side presents the eight serial ports, Ethernet connector
and the position for WLAN antenna with the integrated module. The rear side is the same as on
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 11

2 Introduction
ModGate Plus 413 and shows the Reset hole, the USB port for WLAN extension, configuration
switches and the power supply.
2.3. Packing List
•ModGate Plus Modbus Gateway
•WLAN Antenna for Models with integrated module
Warning
The packages of ModGate Plus 19-inch models include a Wall Mount Kit. There are two sets of
screws in the package, long screws and short screws. The short screws are designed to fix the Wall
Mount Kit. The long screws are intended to fix the 19-inch mounting brackets to the case. These
long screws must not be used on the Wall Mount Kit, otherwise this may result in damage of the
device.
2.4. About this Manual
This manual covers many configuration options of the ModGate Plus Modbus Gateways. The vast
majority of these are set by software, sometimes in alternative methods. To emphasize these in the
text, special character styles are used.
Bold Face is used for the names of configuration options or buttons, as they are displayed in
menus or dialogs.
Slanted denotes text as displayed by the software. These are the names of parameter options,
as well as special values for multiple-choice parameters. Such values may appear in
drop-down lists, as radio buttons or just as clickable words.
Typewriter is used for sample User Input.
The version of the firmware described in this manual is 2.1.2.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 12

3 Hardware Description
3. Hardware Description
This section focuses on the options provided by the hardware of ModGate Plus Modbus Gateways.
3.1. Configuration by DIP Switch
The ModGate Plus are configured using a webbrowser with JavaScript enabled. The DIP switches
on the ModGate Plus Gateways control special configuration options.
Function S1 S2 S3 S4 Switch Positions
Configuration IP 192.168.254.254 Off Off Off Off
Factory settings Off Off Off On
Standard Operation Off Off On On
Table 6: Switch Configurations
By default the ModGate Plus Gateway uses DHCP to get a valid IP Address. When the Gateway is
configured for a static but now unknown address, one can switch to Configuration IP temporarily
setting it to 192.168.254.254. Then access via webbrowser is possible for final configuration. If
DHCP fails it will also respond on 192.168.254.254.
For Factory Settings the DIP switch is first set to the defined configuration. The parameters are
then restored on Power-Up/Reset of the ModGate Plus Gateway. Wait until the Power LED blinks
once. Then change the DIP switch to Standard Operation and reboot the Gateway.
Standard Operation is the configuration to use for operating in Gateway mode.
3.2. Signal Assignment
It is very important to know the exact location of the serial signals in the configured mode. Here
is the table for the DB9 male connector.
Pin RS232 RS422/RS485 4-wire RS485 2-wire
1 DCD Tx−(A) Data−(A)
2 RxD Tx+(B) Data+(B)
3 TxD Rx+(B)
4 DTR Rx−(A)
5 GND GND GND
6 DSR
7 RTS
8 CTS
Table 7: Signal Assignment DB9 male
Figure 5: Connector DB9 male
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 13

3 Hardware Description
For RS232 the assignment is the same as on any PC (Com1/2). This is required by RS232.
Please note the GND signal in RS485 modes (and RS422). This signal must also be connected
between the serial devices. So in reality there is not a 2-wire connection. With the exception of
very special configurations, a serial cable without GND violates the specifications for RS485.
Also notice that the pins in the 4-wire modes are in symetric order in respect to its polarity having
the positive signals on 2 & 3 and the negative signals on 1 & 4 .
3.3. RS485 Electrical Configuration
In typical RS485 installations certain electric conditions have to be configured. Simply connecting
cables is not enough to fulfill the specifications of RS485. For ease of installations the ModGate
Plus Gateways provide these functions for often used parameters. They are activated by software.
3.3.1. Termination Resistors
The use of long communication lines in RS485 mode requires the installation of termination resis-
tors. These must match the impedance of the cable. Typical cables in Twisted-Pair configuration
have an impedance of about 120Ω. In RS485 the typical configuration requires one resistor at each
end of the cable. This resistor is activated via the webbrowser.
3.3.2. BIAS Function
RS485 requires a BIAS option for the communication lines. This will guarantee stable electrical
levels on the cables, even at times when no station is transmitting data. Without BIAS there will
be noise on the cable, and sometimes receivers can not detect the first characters of a beginning
communication.
The serial ports of the ModGate Plus Gateways do not require adding BIAS. This function can be
added to the cable for other hardware on the RS485 bus.
3.4. Network
The ModGate Plus connects to Ethernet, and with WLAN option it may use Wireless LAN or
Ethernet at customers choice. Both interfaces are enabled and configured, a ModGate Plus with
WLAN accepts connections in parallel.
3.4.1. WLAN Configuration
The pre-defined operation mode is as Access Point, providing an open wireless network. Any
computer with WLAN equipment may contact the ModGate Plus with WLAN. This operation
mode is implemented to assist modern Windows and other operating systems, where the Ad-hoc
Mode is removed.
However the AP-Mode is not encrypted by default. As one result any station can read the data
transferred to the ModGate Plus with WLAN. This also includes the passwords. Therefore the
recommended method is to use the Ethernet connector for the first configuration.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 14

3 Hardware Description
The configuration of the WLAN parameters should follow in a later step. This is especially the
case, if encryption or certain other parameters require special configuration.
3.4.2. WLAN Antenna
The connector used for the WLAN Antenna is known as SMA-Reverse. This is a standard type
to allow for simple connection of different equipment. Just fit the supplied antenna by carefully
screwing it to the connector. You are free to connect a cable and a different antenna of your choice,
as long as it is designed for WLAN. When a ModGate Plus with WLAN detects an operational
WLAN it can connect to, the Blue LED lights.
3.4.3. Ethernet
The connector for Ethernet is the usual RJ45. Simply connect it to your (switching) Hub. Because
the Ethernet has Auto-MDI(X) function, a direct cable or a cross-over cable may both be used.
When the connect is done the Link LED on ModGate Plus (yellow) will light. When data traffic
occurs on the network, this LED will blink. It depends on your network whether a 100 Mbit or
a 10 Mbit connect will be established. A 100 Mbit net causes the Speed LED on ModGate Plus
(green) to light, otherwise it will remain dark.
Yellow LED Green LED Status
Off Off No connection
On Off 10 Mbit connection established
Blink Off 10 Mbit data transfer (traffic)
On On 100 Mbit connection established
Blink On 100 Mbit data transfer (traffic)
Table 8: Ethernet LED Function
3.5. LEDs
Besides the LEDs on the Ethernet port the ModGate Plus has three LEDs to indicate the state of
the device.
The red LED (PWR) lights when the device has power.
Red LED Status
Off Power is off
On Power is on
Table 9: Red LED Function
If the device has Wifi functionality the blue LED (WiFi) will be on.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 15

3 Hardware Description
Blue LED Status
Off No Wifi is present in the device
On Wifi can be enabled and used
Table 10: Blue LED Function
The green LED (RDY) shows wether the ModGate Plus is fully usable. When the device or the
ModbusGateway application is restarted the RDY LED may be off until all is functional again.
Green LED Status
Off The device is not functional. See Troubleshooting.
Blink Configuration is necessary to be usable.
On The device is fully functional.
Table 11: Green LED Function
3.6. Power Supply
The ModGate Plus device is powered by a single 9-54V power supply. It requires 300 mA up to
600 mA of current, depending on the device type and voltage supplied. A suitable power supply
adapter is available as optional accessory. Connect the cable to the power jack (Terminal Block)
at the rear side of ModGate Plus, and put the adapter into the socket.
You may connect a power supply of your choice, providing the technical requirements are met.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 16

4 Setup
4. Setup
The ModGate Plus can interconnect arbitrary sets of Modbus/TCP, Modbus/RTU as well as
Modbus/ASCII devices. The Figure 6shows some possible setups using the ModGate Plus:
Figure 6: Possible Modbus Setups
•You may want to reach serial Modbus Slave devices from a modern Modbus Master i.e. a
PLC that uses Modbus/TCP. The ModGate Plus translates between these worlds (Orange
connections). Consider the example configuration 8.1.
•A legacy Modbus/RTU controller has to access newer Modbus hardware that can only be
accessed via a TCP/IP link (Purple connections). See 8.2.
•An existing serial Modbus network needs a modern web presentation of certain register values
i.e. power use or temperature out of the Modbus devices. Example 8.3 may be of interest.
•Two ModGate Plus may also solve the problem of distance between serial Master and Slave
with a tunnel using available TCP/IP infrastructure. See 8.4.
To guide you through the configuration we propose the following order of configuration:
1. Start with the configuration of the serial port(s) as shown under Configuration of Serial Ports.
a) You have to know which serial parameters do your devices use, i.e. Modbus/RTU or
Modbus/ASCII, Baudrate, RS232 or RS485.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 17

4 Setup
2. Do you want to restrict the access to the ModGate Plus?
a) If yes, uncheck Allow unknown clients under Modbus Gateway Settings. Continue with
3.
b) If no, check Allow unknown clients if unchecked. Skip to 4.
3. Configure allowed Inbound TCP connections under Configuration of TCP Connections.
a) Gather IP addresses or Hostnames which should have access to the ModGate Plus.
b) Write these into the TCP conections table as Inbound connections.
4. Does your setup include Modbus/TCP Slaves?
a) If yes, you would use the DirectMappingMode selected under Modbus Gateway Settings.
Continue at 5.
b) If no, skip to 7.
5. Add all TCP Slaves to the TCP connections table under Configuration of TCP Connections
as Outbound connections.
6. Configure the Direct Mapping table as described under Edit Direct Mappings. After this the
configuration is done.
7. Does each TCP connection use a single serial port? Do all connections use a single serial
which is the case for one port devices?
a) If at least one answer is yes, you should consider LineMappingMode and select it under
Modbus Gateway Settings. Continue with 8.
b) If both are answered no, you need to use DirectMappingMode. Select it under Modbus
Gateway Settings. Continue at 6.
8. Add missing TCP connections that use specific serial ports. See Configuration of TCP Con-
nections.
9. Configure the Line Mapping table shown under Serial to TCP (Line Mapping). After this
the configuration is done.
a) Single port ModGates do not need any entry when Allow unknown clients is selected;
because the serial port to use is obvious.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 18

5 Configuration
5. Configuration
The ModGate Plus provides a webinterface for configuration. The IP Address of ModGate Plus is
used as the location to open by the web browser. Typically the IP Address is known to the user,
so this is an easy step. But this is not always the situation.
The ModGate Plus may use DHCP, which is also the default configuration. If a DHCP server is
available, it will assign an IP Address from a configured pool. At first this address is not known to
the user, since he can not access the DHCP servers log file. To solve this problem the ModGate
Plus uses UPnP. This mechanism announces the existence of the ModGate Plus, so it will appear
in the Network Places of Windows.
Figure 7: UPnP Device Display
Next to the icon the detected model is shown. The Ethernet MAC address (without colons) is shown
as well, so users can identify the device they wish to configure. The text displays the IP Address
in parentheses, to make access possible. More easy, a double-click will open the browser with the
configuration.
If no DHCP server provides an IP address to the device and no fixed IP Address is configured the
ModGate Plus uses the temporary configuration address 192.168.254.254. To reach the ModGate
Plus in any circumstance you can switch the ModGate Plus to the temporary configuration address
192.168.254.254 using the DIP switches (see section 6 on page 13). You could follow the instructions
under Troubleshooting.
Accessing the configuration requires username and password, by default they are admin and vscom.
Figure 8: Navigation Bar
The navigation is done in the line on top of the parameters. Select the Home page, the Network
Settings or the Modbus Configuration. The option of Advanced Configuration is reserved
for special purposes, and not a supported user configuration so far. It is documented below (6.4).
Finally Firmware Update is the access to update the Firmware on the ModGate Plus.
5.1. Home
The Home page provides some Status information about the ModGate Plus to configure, as well
as some Actions the user can perform.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 19

5 Configuration
5.1.1. Status
Figure 9: Status information
The type of ModGate Plus is shown as the Model Name. For identification the Serial Number
and MAC-Address are also given. Since such an address must be unique for all devices on the
world, this is suitable to check if the configuration starts on the correct device. And last the
Firmware Version is presented. The button Check for new Version allows you to check
whether a new firmware is available. See 5.4 for details.
5.1.2. Actions
Figure 10: Possible Actions
These Actions are required later, so they will be referenced in below sections. Here is only basic
information.
•Reboot Device
This will restart the complete ModGate Plus, thus cancelling all current operations and
connections.
•Restart application
The application is the Gateway part of the software being restarted.
•Download configuration file
The file is shown in a separate browser window. The download is performed by just saving
the ’page’. For service requests it is useful to send this saved configuration.
•View logfile
The log displays the operations performed recently. It is also shown in a separate window,
and can be saved in the same way as the configuration. Also useful for service requests.
June 2018 ModGate Plus User Manual 20