Communications Driver Setup Parameters

The communications driver can be customized by the user or support engineer to fix a particular hardware
or setup problem that may be encountered. This is done with the use of Registry settings. These settings
are read when the comms driver starts, and when the main communications settings are changed. To edit
a setting, the main comms driver registry key needs to be created, and the setting that you want to alter
needs to have an element created
for it with the correct name (as described below), and be of type DWORD. You then set the value of the
entry to the value that you want the driver to use. To return to the default value, simply delete the
element.

The following is the main registry key for the comms driver. If it doesn't exist, then you need to create it,
taking care to NAME IT EXACTLY AS STATED HERE. Once the key is in place, you can add the
appropriate elements.

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\TechnologLtd\\PMACPlus\\CommsHandler"

Here are the elements that you can add to alter the behaviour of the driver. The programmed default
valued are also noted.

Timeouts

"CRCRxInterCharTimeout"
This sets the maximum time that the driver waits between characters in a E5565 protocol packet. Default: 1650ms.

"NONCRCRxInterCharTimeout"
This sets the maximum time that the driver waits between characters in a packet that is neither E5565 or Technolog
protocol. Default: 440ms.

"ChecksumRxInterCharTimeout"
This sets the maximum time that the driver waits between characters in a Technolog protocol packet. Default:
1980ms.

"NetworkResponseTime"
This is a value that is used in packet timeout calculations. It represents an estimate of the transmition delay.
Default: 6050ms

"AlarmAnswerTimeout"
This sets the maximum time that the driver waits for a packet from the logger after the modems have connected for
an alarm. Default: 15015ms.

"ModemRecover"
This sets the maximum time that the driver waits for the modem to recover itself after sending "ATH0" to
disconnect. Default: 1980ms.

"RemoteDialTimeout"
This sets the maximum time that the driver waits for a packet from the logger after the modems have connected
during a dial-out. Default: 60060ms.

"X28DialTimeout"
This sets the maximum time that the driver waits for a packet from the logger after the X.25 PAD's have connected
during an X.28 dial-out. Default: 60060ms.

"X28TalkTimeout"
This sets the maximum time that the driver waits between characters in an X.28 (neither E5565 or Technolog
protocol) packet. Default: 28160ms.

"TotalKeepAwakeTime"
This is the time that the driver keeps a remote connection on-line before timing out due to inactivity. Default:
60000ms.

"KeepAwakePeriod"
This is the interval that the driver waits between checks for activity. Default: 10000ms.

"AlarmSetupTimeout"
This sets the timeout that the driver uses when sending the alarm setup string to the modem. Default: 1000ms.

Retries

"LocalCRCRetry"
This sets the maximum number of packet send retrys for a local connection. Default: 3.

"RemoteRetry"
This sets the maximum number of packet send retrys for a modem connection. Default: 6.

"X28Retry"
This sets the maximum number of packet send retrys for a X.28 connection. Default: 6.

"UpdateModemSetup"
This tells the driver whether to send the modem setup string every time the modem is used, or just once the first
time. Default: 1(ON). (0 = OFF, 1 = ON)

"UseDisconnectBackoff" (Version 3.37 and later)

This sets whether the driver uses delayed or immediate sending of "+++". i.e. <wait>'+'<wait>'+'<wait>'+'<wait> or
<wait>'+++'<wait> Default: 0(OFF). ( 0 = OFF, 1 = ON)

"DisconnectBackoff"
This is the interval that the driver waits between '+''s when disconnecting if the preceding option is active. Default:
1000ms.

"UseDisconnectWithDTR" (Version 3.37 and later)

This tells the driver whether to use the ‘quick’ method of modem disconnection by dropping DTR and waiting for
DCD to then drop. This feature can be used when the modem does not return DCD to the PC. (0 = OFF, 1 = ON).

"AlarmSetupVerify"
This tells the driver if it should check the return (or otherwise) from the alarm modem setup string. Setting this
option to 'ON' will let the driver alert the user of modem setup problems and suggest corrective action. Default:
1(ON). (0=OFF, 1=ON)

DCD Control

"CheckDCDTime"
This is the overall time the driver waits while it is checking the modem DCD, to eliminate the effects of modems
that 'bounce' the DCD line. Default: 1000ms.
“IgnoreDCD” (Version 3.37 and later)
This tells the communications driver to not check the status of DCD. This is for modems that do not support the
carrier detect feature. The driver assumes that the carrier is in the expected state for the current comms procedure.
Default: 0 (Don’t ignore). (0=OFF, 1 = ON)

Workarounds

“NewlogHighFlow” (Version 3.50 and later)

This setting is a Newlog 3 Bug-Fix. This fixes a known bug in Newlog 3’s that occurrs when there is a high flow-
rate around midnight (very unlikely). The bug puts the wrong date in the midnight header. Only one customer has
ever experienced this problem. To fix it, set this item to 1 (ON). Default: 0(OFF). (0 = OFF, 1 = ON)

“InterPacketTimeout” (Version 3.51 and later)

This setting is for compatibility with slower loggers from other manufacturers (eg. Instech). This setting is the delay
that gets inserted between receiving a valid packet from the logger, and sending the next packet out to the logger.
By default, this value is 0. This value is in milliseconds (1000 = 1 second).

“CDPDImmediateAlarm” (Version 3.50 and later)

This setting is for CDPD compatibility, and must be set if the user is using a CDPD communications system, and is
expecting to receive alarms. Default: 0(OFF). (0 = OFF, 1 = ON)

“NoFastModemSetup” (Version 3.38 and later)

This tells the comms driver to NOT add the modem dial string onto the end of the modem setup string. Doing so
can make the modem ignore the modem dial string (especially if the setup string includes a modem reset e.g. ATZ).
If this switch is set to TRUE, then the modem will send the modem setup string, wait for a response and then send
the modem dial string. Default: 0 (Fast modem setup). (0=OFF, 1=ON)

General Setup

“WriteDebugInfo” (Version 3.39 and later)

This tells the comms driver to accumulate debug info. This debug info is dumped in a text file called:
‘PMACDBG.TXT’. This file is usually located in the PMAC directory. This file is useful for diagnostics in
difficult communications problems. Default: 0(No Write). (0=OFF, 1 = ON)

“UseNewDialogs” (Version 3.52 and later)

This tells the driver to use (or not) the new local communications dialogs. This is used for compatibility with the
old comms driver. Default: 1(Show). (0 = OFF, 1 = ON)

“AllowLoggerConfig” (Version 3.45 and later)

This setting tells the comms driver whether logger configuration is allowed or not. This is a useful setting that
prevents anybody from re-configuring loggers using the driver, for security and other reasons. Default: 1(ON). (0 =
OFF, 1 = ON)

“GetAlarmStatusOnPoll” (Version 3.52 and later)

This setting allows the user to make the comms driver gather any alarm information from the logger during normal
data download operations. This may potentially save the logger from having to dial-in with the alarm. Default:
0(OFF). (0 = OFF, 1 = ON)

“CreateTemporarySites” (Version 3.52 and later)

This setting makes the communications driver always create temporary sites in the site database if set. Default:
0(OFF). (0 = OFF, 1 = ON)

“BeepOnPulseInput” (Version 3.45 and later)

This option is the default for the setting that tells the comms driver to emit an audible ‘beep’ when a pulse is
detected while counting the inputs on a GPS logger. The option can be changed in the Logger Inputs user-interface,
but the default setting is set here. Default: 1(ON). (0 = OFF, 1 = ON)