If you are having trouble communicating directly to your BT series modem, there are a number of troubleshooting steps which can be performed, which are divided into the following sections:
- Modem will not Power on
- Modem LED Indications
- BlueVue Device manager does not detect Modem
The modem does not power on
Connect the modem to the power source without connecting any peripheral devices. The PWR LED should be on solid. While other LEDs may be on or flashing, the PWR LED will always be on.
All LEDs are off
Possible Cause:
The modem is not receiving power.
IGN signal is off (not applicable for BT-6000 series).
Troubleshooting:
Confirm that the wiring configuration follows the instructions in the “Hardware installation” section of the Modem User’s Guide.
Common mistakes to check for the BT-5000 series and legacy modems:
- The white wire should be connected to the ignition sense and the red wire to the positive(hot), and the black wire should be connected to the ground.
- When connecting the modem to an AC/DC power adapter or for always-on operation, the red and white wires should both be connected to positive, and the black wire should be connected to ground.
Note: BT-6000 series modems do not have IGN signal input monitoring.
Only PWR, TX, and RX LEDs are ON (Legacy BT 4000/5000 series only)
Possible cause:
The modem’s boot-up process has failed.
Troubleshooting:
The most probable cause is a failed firmware update or a flash corruption. An advanced firmware recovery is required. Before attempting this recovery, recycle power on the modem two more times and examine the LED status after each time. If the issue persists, proceed with the advanced firmware recovery. Visit http://www.redlion.net/resources/software/sixnet-software/industrial-cellular-software-firmware to download the Firmware Recovery package and follow the instructions within.
Modem LED Indications
Interpreting the LED behavior may help you to identify the possible issue with your device.
4200/5200/4400/5400/4600/4600A/5600/5600A Models
5600v2/5800 Series Modems
6600/6800 Series Modems
BlueVue Device Manager does not detect the modem
Device Manager does not detect the modem (SERIAL)
Connect the modem to a computer using a straight serial cable, and open BlueVue. Set BlueVue’s connection type to serial. BlueVue will attempt to access COM1 by default. If the modem is connected to a different port, navigate to Tools > Settings > Connection and make the appropriate changes.
BlueVue message box displays “COMx is already in use”
Possible cause:
Another software application is already using the COM port.
Troubleshooting:
Close all applications that could be using the serial port, including other instances of BlueVue.
Reset the modem and try again.
Message box displays “Detecting modem on COMx” indefinitely, or displays a warning about an unsupported modem.
Examine the DTR LED on the (4200/5200/4400/5400/4600/4600A/5600/5600A) and RS232 LED on the new series (5600v2/6000series). If the LED is off, then communication between the computer and modem is not established.
Possible cause 1:
The wrong type of cable is being used.
Troubleshooting:
Use a straight-through RS232 standard DB9 cable. If using a custom-made cable, confirm that it follows the instructions on page 10 of this guide.
Possible cause 2:
BlueVue is using the wrong COM port.
Troubleshooting:
Confirm that the correct COM port is selected in BlueVue. BlueVue will attempt to use COM1 by default, but computers with built-in modems may have COM1 assigned to the built-in modem instead. The COM port the modem is connected to might be different. To set the COM port BlueVue should use, click on Tools > Settings > Connection and browse through the available COM ports.
Message box displays “Detecting modem on COMx” and then “Modem is not responding”
Possible cause:
BlueVue and the modem are using different serial port settings.
Troubleshooting:
BlueVue Device Manager versions older than 1.7.1 are unable to access a modem with non-default serial port settings. Click Help > About to see your version of BlueVue Device Manager. If it is older than 1.7.1, download and install the latest version.
Note: if your version of BlueVue Device Manager is older than 1.6.1, then you must uninstall it before trying to install the latest version.
Message box displays “[Modem]…is not responding to expected commands”
Possible cause1:
The modem’s firmware and the BlueVue software are incompatible because one of the two is too old.
Troubleshooting:
Upgrade the modem’s firmware to the latest version.
Uninstall BlueVue, and then install the latest version.
Possible cause2:
The modem’s RF module on the modem has a firmware or hardware failure.
Troubleshooting:
Reset the modem by doing a hard reset.
If the above step fails contact Sixnet for an RMA.
BlueVue Device Manager does not detect the modem (ETHERNET)
Connect the modem to a computer using a cross-over Ethernet cable, and open BlueVue. Set BlueVue’s connection type to IP. BlueVue will attempt to connect to 192.168.0.1 by default.
Message box displays “Detecting Modem at 192.168.0.1” indefinitely
Possible cause #1:
The computer’s local IP configuration is incorrect.
Troubleshooting:
In Windows, go to Control Panel > Network Connections and select the local area connection that corresponds to the Ethernet port in the “LAN or High-Speed Internet” list. Right-click it and click Properties. Select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” and click Properties. Write down the existing values, then select “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically.” When you’re done configuring the modem, revert back to the previous values.
Possible cause #2:
The modem is in a different network and DHCP is disabled. (This issue does not apply to brand-new modems at factory settings. It only applies to modems that have been configured by somebody.)
Troubleshooting:
The modem has a DHCP server that will automate IP communication. The DHCP server is enabled by default, but if the modem and the computer are not communicating, it might have been turned off. A serial cable will be needed to troubleshoot this issue:
- Connect the computer to the modem using a straight serial cable
- Set BlueVue to connect to the modem over the serial port by changing the connection type to Serial
- Once the modem has been accessed, navigate to Configuration > LAN IP
- Under Ethernet, confirm that the Modem IP is set to 192.168.0.1
- Confirm that DHCP is enabled and that the DHCP Start IP is 192.168.0.4. Set the End IP range to any value higher than 192.168.0.4.
- Click Submit to save the changes
- Reset the computer and the modem
BlueVue Device Manager does not detect the modem (USB)
These are the only common problems:
- The USB driver for Windows must be installed before USB can be used. Visit the Sixnet website http://www.redlion.net/resources/software/sixnet-software/industrial-cellular-software-firmware to download the latest USB driver then install it. Reset the computer and the modem.
Note: The USB driver is not automatically installed during the installation of the latest BlueVue Device Manager (starting with version 1.7.9 BVDM)
Set BlueVue’s connection type to IP under Tools > Settings > Connection, and change the IP to 192.168.111.1, which is the default USB IP
Disclaimer
It is the customer's responsibility to review the advice provided herein and its applicability to the system. Red Lion makes no representation about specific knowledge of the customer's system or the specific performance of the system. Red Lion is not responsible for any damage to equipment or connected systems. The use of this document is at your own risk. Red Lion standard product warranty applies.
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