White Creations ELV8e User manual

ELV8e Installation Manual
8-Channel Ethernet Controlled ELV Relay
The ELV8e is a simple 8-channel ELV (Extra Low Voltage) relay,
controlled via Ethernet
whitecreations.com.au

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Disclaimer & Conditions of Use:
White Creations ELV Relay products are not intended for use where there may be any risk to
persons or property. White Creations will not be held liable for any injury or damage to property
caused by our products.
You must use White Creations products only in non-crucial (or “convenience”) elements of a
system - where a failure may inconvenience the user, but not directly or indirectly cause damage
to any property or injury to any persons.
Do Not Open Device! No User Serviceable Parts inside. Opening the device for any reason will
void any warranties. For technical support or product faults please contact
whitecreations.com.au/techsupport
This manual is subject to change without notice; the latest version is available at
whitecreations.com.au/manuals
White Creations ELV Relay Range
ELV8s 8 Channel RS-232 controlled ELV Relay
ELV8e 8 Channel Ethernet controlled ELV Relay
ELVi4s 4 Channel Industrial-Grade Serial controlled ELV Relay
ELVi4e 4 Channel Industrial-Grade Ethernet controlled ELV Relay

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Contents
White Creations ELV Relay Features 4
ELV8e Specifications 5
Hardware Installation 6
Testing Hardware Installation 6
Ethernet Configuration 8
TCP/IP Connections 14
TCP/IP Protocol 14
Remote Control and Port Forwarding 16
Contact White Creations
General Enquiry: whitecreations.com.au/enquiry
Technical Support: whitecreations.com.au/techsupport
Place an order: whitecreations.com.au/order
Product Manuals: whitecreations.com.au/manuals

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White Creations ELV Relay Features
White Creations have developed the ELV Relay range with the installer in mind. We have
made it really easy for installers to install, and programmers to integrate with. We strive
to give you high-quality reliable products at a low cost.
For Installers:
Quality pluggable screw terminal connectors - easy to install, replace, debug, and
fault-find
Local toggle mode for easy debugging and fault-finding
LED indicators for status of each relay
Normally Open terminals for each relay
For Programmers:
Easy ASCII string to control relays
Simple ‘No Frills’ control - discretely set each relay ON or OFF
Easily configure Ethernet models by connecting to it through a web browser
For Everyone:
Well priced
Very reliable
Great Australian support
Please note: Units are not shipped with 12V Power Supply
Multiple units can operate from a single 12V power supply, so instead of
providing one with each unit, you can install them as needed.
Please make sure the power supply has a sufficient current rating, taking other
equipment into account if applicable. For example, the ELV8e requires 250mA, so
a 2000mA power supply can power up to 8 units.

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ELV8e Specifications
ELV8e Top View
Hardware Interfaces:
Test Button: Press the Test Button while rebooting to enter Test Mode (See Testing
Hardware Installation)
Power LED: In Normal Mode, the Power LED is ON with a quick blink off when a
command is received. In Test Mode, it will flash
Ethernet: RJ45 connection to Ethernet network
12V DC Supply: DC power supply input terminals
Channel Status LEDs: Indicate the current status of each relay channel
Relay Contact Terminals: Dry contact relay output terminals –normally open connection
for each relay, rated at 30V AC or DC, 3A
Relay channels: 8
Relay terminals: 8x Normally Open Contacts
Control: Ethernet TCP/IP
Default IP Address: 192.168.1.222
Default port: 10001
Max Ambient Temp: 40⁰C
Relay output rating: 30V, 3A
Operating Voltage: 12V DC
Operating Current: 250mA max
Physical Dimensions:
146mm x 91mm x 40mm (including connectors)
12VDC Normally Open Relay Contact Terminals
Supply Channels 1-8
Ethernet
Test Button
Power LED
Channel Status
LEDs

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Hardware Installation
1. Mount ELV8e firmly in a dry indoor climate
2. Wire relay terminals to desired control devices
3. Wire power supply and connect device to Ethernet network
Testing Hardware Installation
There are two modes you can boot into: Test Mode and Normal Mode
You can easily test your installation by booting into Test Mode. This will allow you to
manually toggle relay channels, even if the ELV8e is not configured or connected to an
Ethernet network.
Normal Mode is used for normal operation. The ELV8e will always default to Normal
Mode.
Boot Up to Normal Mode:
Simply power up without the test button pushed.
The ELV8e will also return to Normal Mode after 2 minutes of inactivity in Test Mode.
Using Normal Mode:
While in normal mode, all Ethernet commands are processed, and the Test Button is
ignored. The Power LED will be on solid, with a quick blink off when it receives a
command.
Boot Up to Test Mode:
1. De-power ELV8e
2. Press and hold the Test Button
3. Power up unit while continuing to hold the Test Button
4. 2 seconds after the ELV8e powers up, release the Test Button. The device is now
in Test Mode. The Test Mode sequence will run, turning each relay channel on and
then off in turn. The Power LED will then start blinking to indicate that it is in
Test Mode

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Using Test Mode:
You can press the Test Button in one of two ways:
A “quick-press” means you press and release the button within 0.5 seconds
A “long-press” means you press and hold the button for at least 1 full second and
then release.
Once the ELV8e boots into Test Mode, a quick-press of the Test Button will now toggle
relay channel 1. You may quick-press as many times as you like to keep toggling channel
1. A long-press will set the button to control channel 2. Quick-presses will now toggle
relay 2. You can long-press to cycle through all relay channels. A long-press while
controlling channel 8 will return control to channel 1, where the cycle repeats. The
ELV8e will automatically exit Test Mode after 2 minutes of Test Button inactivity.
While in Test Mode, Ethernet commands are ignored.
To exit Test Mode, power cycle the ELV8e without the Test Button pushed, or wait 2
minutes.
Quick Reference Table - Normal and Test Modes
Normal Mode
Test Mode
How to boot to
Power up without the
Test Button pushed
Power up with the Test
Button pushed
How to exit
Boot to Test Mode
Boot to Normal Mode or
wait 2 minutes
Power LED
On
Flashing
Ethernet control
Controls relay channels
Ignored
Test Button
Ignored
Short-press: toggles
selected relay channel
Long-press: cycles through
which relay to control

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Ethernet Configuration
The Ethernet settings of the ELV8e are configured by its configuration web page. There
are 2 ways to connect to the ELV8e for the first time. Below is a quick overview of the 2
methods, and there are detailed procedures on the following pages.
Methods for connecting to the ELV8e for the first time:
Method 1: Connect via Ethernet Network
If your PC is on a network in the range 192.168.1.xxx and there is no device
at 192.168.1.222, then you can plug the ELV8e into the network, and open
its configuration web page by typing its IP address into a web browser. If
your PC network is not in that range, you will first have to connect via
Direct Connect, and change the IP configuration of the ELV8e to be in the
range of your network
Method 2: Connect via Direct Connect
You can directly connect by plugging the ELV8e directly to your PC with a
crossover Ethernet cable. You will need to assign a static IP address to your
computer in the 192.168.1.xxx range, and then you can open the ELV8e
configuration web page by typing its IP address into a web browser
Once your PC is on the same network and in the same IP range as the ELV8e, you can
access the ELV8e configuration web page (see Configuring the ELV8e), or you can start
controlling relay channels by connecting to it with a terminal program and sending it
control strings (see TCP/IP Protocol).

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Shows this
window
Click “Wireless Network Connection”
Click “Details”
Check that your settings are:
IP address is 192.168.1.xxx
Subnet mask is 255.255.255.0
Default gateway is 192.168.1.xxx
Workstation
Method 1: Connecting to the ELV8e for the first time via
Ethernet Network
1. Check if your PC is on a network in the IP range 192.168.1.xxx
Click Start >> Control Panel >> Network and Sharing Center
2. If your PC is in the 192.168.1.xxx range, then proceed to the next step. If not then you may have to
connect and configure the ELV8e using the Direct Connect method. You could then change the
network configuration of the ELV8e to be in the same IP range as your Ethernet network and then
you can connect to it this way
3. Check that there is no network device present at 192.168.1.222
a. Click Start, type “cmd” and hit enter
b. In the command prompt, type “ping 192.168.1.222” and hit enter
c. The response will tell you if this IP address is in use. (if the response is “Reply from
192.168.1.222…” then there is a device at that IP address, if the response is “Request
timed out” or “Reply from < other IP address>”, then the IP address is free
4. Disconnect any device at 192.168.1.222 if present, then plug the ELV8e into the network
5. You can now connect to the ELV8e. You can configure settings by typing its IP address into a web
browser (see Configuring The ELV8e), or you can start controlling relay channels by connecting to
it with a terminal program and sending it control strings (see TCP/IP Protocol)
Tip: Using smartphone apps like Fing make it really easy to scan the IP addresses on your network

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Click “Local Area Connection”
Click “Properties”
Shows this
window
Select “Internet
Protocol Version 4”
Then click “Properties”
Shows
this
window
Select “Use the following
IP address” then fill out
these details
When done, Click “OK” for both
Windows
Workstation
Method 2: Connecting to the ELV8e for the first time via
Direct Connect
1. Disconnect your PC from any hardwired or wireless networks
2. Use a crossover Ethernet cable to connect the ELV8e to your PC Ethernet port, then
power up the ELV8e. (note: on modern PC’s a straight through cable may also work)
3. Set your PC’s IP address to static and give it an IP address
Click Start >> Control Panel >> Network and Sharing Center
4. You can now connect to the ELV8e. You can configure settings by typing its IP address
into a web browser (see Configuring The ELV8e), or you can start controlling relay
channels by connecting to it with a terminal program and sending it control strings (see
TCP/IP Protocol)
Note: to re-connect to your existing wired or wireless network, you need to restore your PCs IP settings back
to what they were, usually you would have to follow the same procedure as above, but select “Obtain IP
address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically”

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Configuring the ELV8e
Once your PC is on the same network as the ELV8e and in the same IP range, you can
access the ELV8e configuration web page to change the network settings.
Open your web browser (internet explorer, safari, etc) and type in the ELV8e IP address
into the browser address bar (default IP address is 192.168.1.222). When prompted,
enter the user name “admin” and the password and click “Log In” (the default password
is <blank> ).
You now have the ELV8e web configuration page, which appears like this. (The Ethernet
processor of the ELV8e is the Lantronix XPort chipset, hence their branding on the web
page).
The home page shows an
overview of the current
network settings, while the left
hand pane navigates through
all the pages of settings of the
ELV8e.

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Configuration Settings
The following pages are available containing configuration settings:
Home –Shows an overview of current network settings
Network –Contains user-configurable network settings (DHCP/Static, IP Address,
etc)
Server –Contains user-configurable web server settings (web configuration
password, etc.)
Serial Tunnel
-Hostlist –Advanced use only –for specifying host devices for the ELV8e to
initiate a connection to
Channel 1
-Serial Settings: Contains factory-configured settings. Do not change any of
these settings as it will cause the ELV8e to malfunction. If you do
accidentally change these settings, you should hit “Apply Defaults” to
restore them to factory configuration. Please note that this will reset any
other changes you have made
-Connection: advanced use only –network communication settings
(TCP/UDP, Client/Server, port number, etc.)
Email –Future use, please contact us if you’re interested
Configurable Pins –Future use, please contact us if you’re interested
Apply Settings –Once you’ve changed settings on a page, you need to hit “OK” at
the bottom of the page, then “Apply Settings” to save and reboot. This will
disconnect any current TCP/IP connections
Apply Defaults –Sets all settings back to factory defaults, except IP Address
which changes to DHCP
Common Configuration Settings
The most common way to use the ELV8e is as a TCP server, which means it continually
waits for an incoming connection. A TCP client will then connect to it, send control
strings, and disconnect as needed. To run in this configuration you can either use the
default settings (no configuration necessary), or configure these settings:
Set ELV8e to DHCP or Static, set IP address, subnet mask, Default Gateway, DNS
Server. Using a static IP address is recommended
-In “Network” page (See Network Settings Parameter Descriptions –next page )
Set a password for the ELV8e configuration web pages
-In the “Server” page (See Server Settings Parameter Descriptions –next page)
Advanced Configuration Settings
Advanced configuration settings are available but shouldn’t be changed unless there is a
specific reason to change them. This manual does not go into details for advanced
settings. If you have an installation where advanced configuration is required, please
contact White Creations for the advanced user manual.

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Network Settings Parameter Descriptions
IP Configuration:
-Obtain IP Address Automatically: When enabled, you can change the
Auto Configuration Methods, and DHCP Host Name. Note: If you need to
change the Auto Configuration Method settings do not disable all 3
methods, as the only method will then be ARP (default is all enabled,
leaving them all enabled is recommended)
-Use the following IP configuration: When enabled, you can specify a
static IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Server. Enter
these parameters in decimal-dot notation. The IP Address must be set to a
unique value on the network
Ethernet Configuration:
-Auto Negotiate: For advanced users only, please leave this option enabled
unless you have a specific reason to change it
Server Settings Parameter Descriptions
Server Configuration:
-Enhanced Password: When enabled you can create a password up to 16
characters in length, when disabled you will be limited to 4 characters
-Telnet/Web Manager Password: This is the ELV8e configuration web
page access password. Choose a password you will not forget as there is no
external reset –the only way to factory default the ELV8e without the web
manager password is to send it back to White Creations, in South Australia
-Retype Password: Retype the Telnet/Web Manager password above to
confirm
Advanced: For advanced users only, please leave at default values unless you
have a specific reason to change them
Saving Changes
Once you’ve changed settings on a page, you need to hit “OK” at the bottom of the page,
then “Apply Settings” to save and reboot. This will disconnect any current TCP/IP
connections.
Please do not change any settings unless you understand what they do. If you need
some support please contact White Creations Technical Support:
whitecreations.com.au/techsupport

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TCP/IP Connections
To control the ELV8e relay channels, you can connect to it via its IP address and port
number, and send it the appropriate control string. There are many devices capable of
sending TCP/IP strings to Ethernet devices like the ELV8e including:
Automation and Control Systems (eg. Crestron, AMX, C-Bus, push, control4, etc)
Smartphone apps (eg. Command Fusion iViewer, TCP/IP remote, etc)
A PC running a TCP/IP terminal program (eg. Realterm)
Default Network Settings
IP Address: 192.168.1.222
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS Server: 192.168.1.1
Control Port: 10001
Web Port: 80
TCP/IP Protocol
You may send a 5-byte TCP/IP string to the ELV8e to turn on or off the relay channels.
There must be an 80ms or greater delay between command strings.
The command sting consists of 5 ASCII characters, and is in this format:
R
C
Relay Channel
Number
On or Off
Command
<CR>
ASCII Character
Upper-case “R”
ASCII Character
Upper-case “C”
Relay Channel Number.
Valid Values are 1-8
ASCII Character
“ n ” = On, “ f ” = OFF
ASCII Character
Carriage Return

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Command Table
The following shows all available commands you can send to an ELV8e relay unit.
Note that <CR> represents the ASCII character for a carriage return (hex 0D)
Available Commands
String to send to device
Relay Channel 1 On
RC1n<CR>
Relay Channel 1 Off
RC1f<CR>
Relay Channel 2 On
RC2n<CR>
Relay Channel 2 Off
RC2f<CR>
Relay Channel 3 On
RC3n<CR>
Relay Channel 3 Off
RC3f<CR>
Relay Channel 4 On
RC4n<CR>
Relay Channel 4 Off
RC4f<CR>
Relay Channel 5 On
RC5n<CR>
Relay Channel 5 Off
RC5f<CR>
Relay Channel 6 On
RC6n<CR>
Relay Channel 6 Off
RC6f<CR>
Relay Channel 7 On
RC7n<CR>
Relay Channel 7 Off
RC7f<CR>
Relay Channel 8 On
RC8n<CR>
Relay Channel 8 Off
RC8f<CR>
All Relay Channels On
RCan<CR>
All Relay Channels Off
RCaf<CR>
Get Status Of All Relay Channels
RCgs<CR>
Response from the ELV8e
Once a valid command string has been received by the ELV8e, it will respond indicating
which channel was last set. If the device does not recognize a string, it may return the
string “Invalid command”.
Examples
To turn on relay channel 1 of the ELV8e, send the string:
RC1n<CR>
The ELV8e will respond with:
Channel 1 is On<CR>
To turn off relay channel 7 of the ELV8e, send the string:
RC7f<CR>
The ELV8e will respond with:
Channel 7 is Off<CR>
To get the status of all relay channels of the ELV8e, send the string:
RCgs<CR>
The ELV8e will respond with the current state of each relay channel, in the format:
Channel 1 is Off<CR>
Channel 2 is Off<CR>
Channel 3 is Off<CR>
Channel 4 is Off<CR>
Channel 5 is On<CR>
Channel 6 is On<CR>
Channel 7 is On<CR>
Channel 8 is On<CR>

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Remote Control and Port Forwarding
The ELV8e can be controlled remotely by setting up port forwarding in the remote site’s
internet router. The IT department can open an external port to point to the internal IP
address and port of the ELV8e. You can then connect to the ELV8e through the internet
from another location, using the external IP address of the site and the external port
assigned to you. Port 80 must be forwarded for access to the configuration web page,
and port 10001 must be forwarded to control relay channels.
Note: Port 80 and 10001 are the default ports used by the ELV8e. If you can’t
communicate on these ports, the installer may have changed them.
For domestic applications, most decent internet routers will allow port forwarding, but
you may need to set up a dyndns (or similar) account to keep track of your external IP
address. This manual does not go into specific details as each router is different. You
should ‘google’ your router model to find information to set this up. If you need some
support, please contact White Creations Technical Support:
whitecreations.com.au/techsupport.
General Enquiry: whitecreations.com.au/enquiry
Technical Support: whitecreations.com.au/techsupport
Place an order: whitecreations.com.au/order
Product Manuals: whitecreations.com.au/manuals