TCPConv 2

Technical Manual

DocRev29, June 29, 2018

Elatec GmbH
Contents

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.1. Typical Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.2. Important Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2. Network Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1. IP Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2. Static IP Host Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3. DHCP Host Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. Hardware Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.1. Network cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.2. Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.3. Connect the Network Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.4. Power up the TCPConv 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.1. Prerequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.2. Start TC2Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.3. Cross Subnet Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.4. TCPConv 2 Display List Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5. Configuration via TC2Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.1. TC2Config Home Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.2. Network Configuration Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.2.1. Network Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.2.1.1. Name Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.2.1.2. IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.3. USB Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.3.1. Representation of Keyboard Newline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.3.2. TCP/IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3.3. TCP Client Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3.3.1. Connect automatically and stay connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3.3.2. Connect on any character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3.3.3. Connect on character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3.3.4. Disconnect character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3.3.5. Disconnect timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.4. RS232 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.4.1. Communication Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.5. Logging Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.5.0.1. Send Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.6. Password Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.6.1. Custom Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.7. Sending the Configuration to converters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.8. Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5.8.1. Additional Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5.8.2. Log Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5.9. Saving Configuration to a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.10. Read Configuration from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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Contents

6. Configuration via Web Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

6.1. Open the Homepage of a selected TCPConv 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
6.2. TCPConv 2 Homepage Setup Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.2.1. Network Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.2.1.1. Name Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.2.1.2. IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6.2.2. USB Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
6.2.2.1. Representation of Keyboard Newline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
6.2.2.2. TCP/IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
6.2.2.3. TCP Client Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6.2.2.4. Connect automatically and stay connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6.2.2.5. Connect on any character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6.2.2.6. Connect on character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2.2.7. Disconnect character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2.2.8. Disconnect timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2.3. RS232 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2.3.1. Communication Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2.4. Logging Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6.2.4.1. Send Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6.3. Change Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
6.4. Check Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
7. Refresh the Firmware on TCPConv 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
7.1. Update steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
8. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8.1. Basic Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8.2. TCPConv 2 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8.3. Network Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8.4. Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8.5. Can the TCPConv 2 be discovered by the TC2Config Tool? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
8.5.1. Different Subnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
8.5.2. TCPConv 2 is on Static IP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
8.5.3. Can you open the homepage of the connected printer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
8.5.3.1. DHCP Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8.5.3.2. Incorrect Static Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8.6. Is the card swipe not being recognized by the authentication server? . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8.7. DHCP Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
9. History of Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9.1. TCPConv 2 Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9.1.1. Firmware SB1.00/STD1.00.02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9.1.2. Firmware STD1.1.0.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9.1.3. Firmware STD1.1.0.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9.1.4. Firmware STD1.2.0.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9.1.5. Firmware STD1.2.0.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9.1.6. Firmware STD1.2.0.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9.1.7. Firmware STD1.2.0.11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
9.1.8. Firmware STD1.2.0.16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
9.1.9. Firmware STD1.2.0.18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
9.1.10. Firmware STD1.3.0.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
9.1.11. Firmware STD1.3.0.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
9.1.12. Firmware STD1.3.0.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1.13. Firmware STD1.3.0.11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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Contents

9.1.14. Firmware STD1.3.0.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

9.2. TC2Config Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.2.1. TC2Config V1.03 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.2.2. TC2Config V1.07 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
9.2.3. TC2Config V1.08 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
9.2.4. TC2Config V1.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
9.2.5. TC2Config V1.14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
A. FCC Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
B. IC Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
C. Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

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1. Introduction

1. Introduction

The Primary use of TCPConv 2 is to provide an on-ramp for USB or RS232 data to reach a network
Server which implements Authentication and optionally a Pull Printing feature. The TCPConv 2 is a 2 port
network router which is designed to be connected between a network printer and a print server. TCPConv 2
is equipped with one standard USB and one mini USB connector and a powered RS232-interface. A card
reader or keypad can be connected to either or both of these two ports and can be used to send data to
the authentication server. This is typically used to enable card based authentication and to release print
jobs from the print server to the attached network printer.

1.1. Typical Scenario

A typical application is to extend the feature set of a network device (i.e. a network printer), by enabling
connection of a local peripheral device such as a card reader or keypad.

Figure 1.1.: Typical Connection with TCPConv 2, reader and printer

1.2. Important Features

• TCPConv 2’s IP address may be obtained by DHCP or may be assigned statically.

• TCPConv 2 consumes only one IP address from the building’s DHCP server. This is important to
customers whose IT department charges based on the number of addresses in use.
• A card reader or keypad can be connected to the USB port. A second device can be connected to
the RS232 port. Both can be active at the same time.
• Supplies power to the RS232 port eliminating the need for a second power supply for that peripheral.
• Supports both Client and Server modes of communication. In client mode the converter will send
data whenever a card is swiped, in Server mode the converter must be polled to receive the data.
• Can be configured over the network via its web browser interface
• Can be configured directly from the TC2Config tool

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1. Introduction

• Supports Syslog which enables remote monitoring of its health and status
• Each Ethernet port is default configured to auto-negotiate 10/100 Mbps full-duplex.
• The supplied TC2Config.exe tool provides a means for finding all TCPConv 2 devices on a network.
• With the inclusion of an external specification file, TC2Config.exe can discover devices on other
subnets.
The main feature of TCPConv 2 is that it can enable any printer to participate in card based authentication
along with the Pull Printing function. Single function printers or older MFPs which do not support the direct
connection of a USB card reader can now be enabled by connecting those devices to TCPConv 2.
TCPConv 2 presents only one MAC address to the building’s network infrastructure and requests only one
IP address from the DHCP server. TCPConv 2 behaves similar to a router where the printer connected to
TCPConv 2 has its own IP address but to the outside world it appears to use the IP address of TCPConv 2.
This means the TCPConv 2 can be easily integrated into existing network environments, without managing
extra IP addresses or paying for extra IT support costs associated with additional IP addresses.
Other than the few ports necessary to configure and operate the TCPConv 2, communication is transparent
between the printer and the local network. This makes it convenient to configure the connected printer as
if a TCPConv 2 were not connected in between.

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2. Network Addressing

2. Network Addressing

2.1. IP Addressing

The TCPConv 2 has two network connections. The host connection can be configured to use either
DHCP or Static IP addresses to the building’s network. The Printer connection is always configured for
DHCP.

2.2. Static IP Host Addressing

In this discussion we will assume that a network printer which was already operating on the network with
a static IP address of 192.168.1.10 as shown in Figure 2.1. That printer will now be connected to the
TCPConv 2.

Figure 2.1.: Network configuration before introduction of TCPConv 2

A TCPConv 2 will be installed between the switch and the printer. When installing TCPConv 2 we often
need to maintain the network relationship between the existing printer and the print driver installed on the
user’s workstation. As a result the TCPConv 2 should be configured to use the printer’s original IP address
192.168.1.10.
The printer must now be configured with a different static IP address. TCPConv 2 is configured to pro-
vide the printer its address using DHCP. It is further configured to always issue the printer with an IP of
192.168.50.100. If the printer is configured for DHCP it will receive this address at each power up and at
each DHCP renewal. If the printer is not capable of DHCP it must be configured with a static IP address
of 192.168.50.100.
Note if the converter is placed on a 192.168.50.xx host network, the converter will automatically change
the printer address provided via DHCP to 192.168.60.100.

2.3. DHCP Host Addressing

In this example the printer is configured for DHCP and uses a hostname of Printer5EZ. When the printer
reaches out to the building router, its DHCP controller issues the printer an IP address 192.168.1.28.

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2. Network Addressing

Figure 2.2.: Network Settings for TCPConv and Printer. Note the TCPConv takes the IP address that the
Printer had.

Figure 2.3.: Original Printer Connection

As with the preceding static IP address discussion, when installing TCPConv 2 we often need to maintain
the network relationship between the existing printer and the print driver installed on the user’s worksta-
tion. When the TCP Conv2 is inserted between the printer and building router, the TCP Conv2 should be
configured to use the printer’s original hostname “Printer5EZ”. The TCP Conv2 will then communicate with
the DHCP server and will receive its new IP address. Because it is reusing the printer’s hostname it will be
assigned the same IP address formerly used by the printer.
Because the printer will now receive its IP address from the DHCP server inside TCPConv 2, the printer
can retain its original domain name.
Because the building DHCP server updates the Domain Name Server (DNS) any print driver previously
configured for the printer will now communicate with the TCPConv 2. As a result the printer will appear on
the network as it did before the TCPConv 2 was installed.

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2. Network Addressing

Figure 2.4.: Configuration with TCPConv 2 in between printer and building router

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3. Hardware Setup

3. Hardware Setup

Figure 3.1.: Connection Diagram

3.1. Network cables

Refer to Figure 3.1 Connection Diagram which shows all of the possible peripherals and their connection
points. There are two Ethernet ports on the TCPConv 2, Host port is used to connect TCPConv 2 to the
local network and Printer port is used to connect printer to TCPConv 2.

3.2. Card Reader

The user can plug in USB reader directly to the TCPConv 2. Currently USB Human Interface Device and
CDC devices are supported.
TCPConv 2 can also provide 750mA current from Pin 9 of its RS232 interface. We do not recommend that
the additional power port supplied by a RS232 connector be utilized, because it may potentially damage
the TCPConv 2, as well as the external power supply.

3.3. Connect the Network Printer

Connect the network printer as shown in Figure 3.2. Leave the printer powered off until the TCPConv 2
has been configured.

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3. Hardware Setup

Figure 3.2.: RS232 cable with power supply. Please leave the power supply unconnected!

3.4. Power up the TCPConv 2

Connect the power supply as shown in Figure 3.1. As the TCPConv 2 powers up, its operating status can
be determined through the LED panel located on top of the unit.
There are 4 LEDs on the device and the operation mode of the device can be determined based on a
combination of LED signals. Here are a few of the possible states.
• Power LED is ON when power supply is connected.
• Busy LED is red depicts that the device is initializing. It will blink during a software upgrade
• Ready LED is green depicts that the device is in normal operation. It will turn off during certain
conditions described later in this document.
• The Error / Status LED shows green when all conditions are normal. I will show red if there s a loss
of the host network and orange if it is not able to communicate with the printer.

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4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network

4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network

4.1. Prerequirements

1. Download the TC2Config software application from the Elatec website, in the Download center. The
TC2Config.exe software and this Technical Manual can be found in the AdminPack for TCPConv 2.
http://www.elatec.com.
2. Microsoft .Net Framework version 3.5 or higher
3. Broadcast traffic must be enabled on the network. Some network switches may require bypass rules
to enable discovery port traffic.
4. UDP Ports 7000 and 7001 must be available. Port 7000 must be open for outgoing communication
while port 7001 must be open for incoming traffic
5. Devices must be on the same subnet as the discovery tool. Cross subnet discovery is addressed in
section 4.3 which follows.
6. In newer versions of Microsoft Windows, Defender must be configured for Public Networks to allow
TC2Config to receive converter broadcasts and converter responses on port 7001.

7. Selecting Private Networks will allow TC2Config to receive converter broadcasts but not converter
responses.
8. Selecting Public and Private Networks will also allow TC2Config to operate correctly.

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4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network

4.2. Start TC2Config

T2Config is a tool which can be utilized to discover all of the TCPConv 2 devices connected to the local
network. It can also read the configuration of the selected converter, enable editing of that configuration
and can send that updated configuration back to the same converter to multiple converters.
Begin by double clicking the TC2Config application which will then start and the window shown below will
open.

Figure 4.1.: Interface of TC2Config

At power up each of the TCPConv 2 devices periodically broadcast a discovery packet to address 255.255.255.255,
port 7000. When the TC2Config tool is started, it will immediately start to listen for that discovery message
from each device. All of the TCPConv 2âĂŹs connected to the local subnet, will appear once discovered.
They will be presented in the order they respond to the discovery message sent from the TC2Config tool.
This can take up to 30 seconds.

4.3. Cross Subnet Discovery

T2Config can be enabled to discover TCPConv 2 units on subnets other than the one to which the user’s
workstation is connected. The network routers must be enabled for multicast and must allow UDP dis-
covery traffic. This method is also useful to discover devices on a network where broadcast traffic is
blocked.
As shown in Figure 4.2 which follows, in the upper left corner of the display window, select “File” then
“Select Subnet Search File”. This will enable the user to upload a file which describes the various subnets
which are to be searched.
A window will open which will enable the user to navigate to the file which contains their search criteria. A
sample configuration file is supplied with the T2Config software and shown in Figure 4.3 as follows. Select

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4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network

Figure 4.2.: Import subnet Search file

the file then select “Refresh Device List” and a new search will begin using the criteria specified in the
configuration file.
TC2Config will send a packet to each host address specified in the Subnet Search file and will populate
the discovered device window with each TCPConv 2 which responds to that query. Note that the search
file could describe the same subnet as the searching PC which makes this approach useful if broadcast
traffic is blocked.

Figure 4.3.: Sample configuration file

The sample file presents two different subnets to be explored as well as two different depths of search.
192.168.8.0/24 will use a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and will search IP addresses in the range 192.168.8.0
- 192.168.8.255 for a total of 256 addresses.
192.168.1.0/16 will use a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0 and will search the range 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
for a total of 65536 addresses. A search this large will send out 65536 network queries and will take a long
time and could take the customer’s network down. For an efficient search, try to limit the size of search
criteria and search many specific subnets rather than one large broadcast.
The next 3 figures show devices discovered on two different subnets using this approach.

4.4. TCPConv 2 Display List Sort

The contents of the display window can be sorted by each of the table headings. Selecting the heading
once will sort in ascending order. Selecting the heading a second time will reverse the sort order. The
following two figures show sorting for two of the possible headings.
Once the converter or converters are discovered, one at a time they can be selected and configured. If the
printer attached to the selected TCPConv 2 has web front-end on port 80, it can be accessed by clicking
the button “Open the Homepage of the Printer” as shown in Figure 4.7.

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4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network

Figure 4.4.: Cross Subnet Discovered Devices

Figure 4.5.: Sort on IP address

Figure 4.6.: Sort on Hostname

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4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network

Figure 4.7.: Opening the Homepage of the printer

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

5. Configuration via TC2Config

5.1. TC2Config Home Screen

From the TC2Config screen select a TCPConv 2 which has a software version STD1.2.0.19 or later File
System then select “Read Configuration From Selected Converter”. TC2Config will contact the selected
converter and will use the default password to obtain the configuration. If the TCPConv 2 uses a pass-
word which differs from the default, please refer to section 5.6.1 for instructions to change the TC2Config
password.

Figure 5.1.: Read Configuration From Selected Converter

5.2. Network Configuration Window

A configuration window will open which defaults to the current network configuration for the selected con-
verter. The window has 5 different tabs which present the Network, USB, RS232, Logging and Password
tabs. These present the same information presented in the web page view but the connection to the
converter is via an API instead of via a web browser.

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

At the bottom of each view are three buttons called “Apply”, “Save” and “Cancel”.

Figure 5.2.: Network Configuration Screen

Apply Button When Apply is selected TC2Config will send the configuration settings directly to the
converter via the API. All configuration settings will be packaged into a file and sent regardless of whether
any changes were made or not. Once the converter responds that the changes have been accepted or
rejected, the window will close and the converter will reboot. The Log window on the TC2Config home
screen will indicate whether the changes were accepted or rejected.

Save Button When Save is selected, TC2Config will sill save all settings to internal memory used by
the TC2Config program. The window will close and no changes will be made to the converter which is
selected. Because these changes have been saved to the TC2Config program they can now be applied to
other converters or saved to a file. See section 5.9 and 5.10 for details on this feature.

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

Cancel Button When Cancel is selected, TC2Config will close the window and any changes will be
lost.

5.2.1. Network Configuration

5.2.1.1. Name Resolution

TC2Config offers the ability to send the same configuration to multiple converters. While this is a really
useful feature, we need to be careful sending the same hostname or static IP address to multiple convert-
ers. As a result in order to change the hostname you must overtly select the Change Hostname checkbox
in the event you wish to actually change the hostname.
This requirement is in place for both the Apply button which would change the hostname immediately or
to the Save button which would place the new hostname in the file which would be sent to other convert-
ers.

Name This is the name assigned to each individual TCPConv 2 unit. Normally each converter is given
a name which is easy to associate with the connected printer. Often this name is geographically inspired
for example a device attached to a Brother printer on the 3rd floor near column G7 might be named:
Brother3-G7.
Hostnames are composed of series of labels concatenated with dots, as are all domain names. For
example, âĂIJtcpconv.localâĂİ is a hostname. Each label must be between 1 and 63 characters long, and
the entire hostname (including the delimiting dots) has a maximum of 255 characters.
The Internet standards (Request for Comments) for protocols mandate that component hostname labels
may contain only the ASCII letters âĂŹaâĂŹ through âĂŹzâĂŹ (in a case insensitive manner), the digits
âĂŹ0âĂŹ through âĂŹ9âĂŹ, and the hyphen (âĂŹ-âĂŹ). (RFC 1123) permitted hostname labels to start
with digits. No other symbols, punctuation characters, or white space are permitted. Please make sure a
valid hostname is given, otherwise TCPConv 2 will not accept the change

Workgroup If workgroup assignments are used in this environment, the workgroup associated with this
device would be entered here.

5.2.1.2. IP Configuration

Use DHCP The factory default setting is for DHCP to be enabled. That way the converter will receive
its IP assignment dynamically from the DHCP server. If the device fails to get an IP address from DHCP
server for some reason, it will use 192.168.1.1 as default IP address.
If this box is unchecked the user must assign static parameters to the converter. The user is responsible
for entering a valid reserved static IP address, net mask and gateway.

Configure DNS Manually If this is selected, the user is responsible to manually enter the IP addresses
for the primary and secondary DNS server. If this box is checked, the converter will use the DNS addresses
provided by the DHCP server.

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

Configure WINS Manually If this is selected, the user is responsible to manually enter the IP addresses
for the primary and secondary WINS server. If this box is checked, the converter will use the WINS
addresses provided by the DHCP server.

5.3. USB Configuration

Figure 5.3.: USB Configuration Screen

Currently TCPConv 2 is able to handle USB devices which communicate in either HID Keyboard or CDC
modes. This can include RFID, magnetic stripe or optical barcode readers as well as numeric entry
keypads.

5.3.1. Representation of Keyboard Newline

The user can choose which characters the converter will send to the server when it receives the terminating
character from the card reader or keypad. In USB Keyboard mode, this terminating character is always a

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

Carriage Return (CR) 13 in decimal and 0x0D in hexadecimal.

The choices are Carriage Return (0x0D), Line Feed (0x0A) or both Carriage Return plus Line Feed (0x0D,
0x0A).

5.3.2. TCP/IP Configuration

The converter can be configured either as a server or as a client. The factory default setting is for the
converter to be a server of data to a network client. In this mode the Local Port for USB is default configured
to 7777. This is the port the converter will use to communicate with the Client. In Server mode the converter
will quietly wait for a USB or RS232 data to arrive. When data arrives it will inform the Solution Client
which will then poll the convert to retrieve the data. The server will typically continue poll the converter for
remaining data and to keep the network port open.
Note that because the converter supports both a USB and RS232 connection simultaneously, they must
each use a different port number. USB defaults to 7777 and RS232 defaults to 7778. If the user desires to
use different port number for USB and / or RS232, they must insure the port numbers are different.
If the converter is configured as Client, when USB or RS232 data arrives, it will open a network connection
to a solution server based on the Client Configuration settings. This is the most popular mode of operation
where the converter is configured to open a network connection, send card data to the server and to close
the connection.

5.3.3. TCP Client Configuration

When the converter is configured for Client mode, users have the option of sending data either as plain text
or more securely via SSL where the data till be encrypted on the converter and decrypted at the server. In
Server mode the card reader data is always sent as plain text.
When the converter is configured as a client, the IP address or Hostname of the Solution Server is required
along with the TCP Converter port number to be used for communication.
The remaining parameters control the behavior of the port during data transfer.
There are three connection options; Connect automatically and stay connected, Connect on any character
and Connect on a specific character.
The factory default is "Connect on any character" which will open a connection to the server and to leave it
open until it receives a terminating character. If no terminator is received, it will close the port at the default
10 second timeout.

5.3.3.1. Connect automatically and stay connected

In this mode the converter is designed to handle an infinite stream of USB data, for example from a
QWERTY keyboard, FAX machine or other device with a continuous data stream. As such USB data will
be packaged into a network message whenever there is any data available and the network connection is
not busy. This can result in network messages which contain as few as one character of USB data. In this
mode the UDP port never closes.

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5.3.3.2. Connect on any character

The preferred configuration is to open a connection when any character is detected from the card reader
or pin keypad. These devices do not have a predefined “start” character so are best configured to open
the connection on any character. That first character is almost always real data so it should be sent and
not discarded.

5.3.3.3. Connect on character

If the card reader is configured to always send a “Start” character, the converter can be configured to
open the network connection when that particular character arrives. It can either send or discard that Start
character. The converter is default configured with 48 which is the decimal representation of the space
character.

5.3.3.4. Disconnect character

Card readers are typically configured to terminate their data stream with either a carriage return CR) or line
feed (LF). Keypads can also be configured to send a CR or LF when the Enter key is pressed. As a result
the converter can be configured to close the network connection on a specific character. The converter is
default configured with 13 (0x0D) which is the decimal representation of CR.

5.3.3.5. Disconnect timeout

A Disconnect timeout is provided to service Card readers or Keypads with no predefined “End” character.
In this case the converter will close the connection 10 seconds after a character is received. The timer
would reset on each character in the data stream and only 10 seconds after the last character would it
actually close the connection. The converter is default configured to Disconnect 10 seconds after the last
character but the user can increase or decrease this time to fit their environment.
Note that the Disconnect timer is always enabled once the port is opened unless “Connect automatically
and stay connected is selected”. That way if for example a disconnect character is never received, the port
will be closed by the Disconnect Timer.
The “Apply” button must be selected to save any changes before the user navigates away from this
page.
The “Load Default Configuration” button will return all values on this page to factory default. These changes
will not be retained unless the “Apply” button is subsequently selected.

5.4. RS232 Configuration

RS232 configuration is similar to the USB configuration, mentioned in previous section. The only unique
configuration settings regard communication parameters.

5.4.1. Communication Parameters

Baudrate This is the communication speed between the card reader and TCP converter. The default is
9600 bits per second which is the speed most readers use.

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Figure 5.4.: RS232 Configuration Screen

Parity This is the sum of 1’s in the data stream and whether that number is even or odd. The default
setting is no parity.

Databits The number of bits of data in each character field. The default is 8 bits.

Stopbits The number of bits used to indicate the end of a character field. The default is 1 bits.
Each of these configurations must exactly match those which the card reader uses or the converter will not
be able to listen to the card reader.
The remainder of the configuration settings are programmed in a similar way to USB with the exception of
the port number. The converter is designed to handle both a USB card reader and an RS232 card reader
at the same time. As a result each of these requires a different port number for communication. The
default port for USB is 7777 while the default port for RS232 is 7778.

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

5.5. Logging Configuration

Figure 5.5.: Logging Configuration Screen

TCPConv 2 is equipped with the ability to send status information whenever an event occurs which the
user is interested in. Remote Logging can send data to a standard Syslog server so many instances can
be logged over a long period of time. Logging is configurable so only selected items will be monitored and
sent to the Syslog server. In this way only the items of interest will be monitored.
Each Syslog message will contain a network timestamp as well as the MAC address of the TCPConv 2
unit so it can be traced back to its source. Logging enables Print Management Companies the opportunity
to monitor conditions and to react before the end customer encounters an issue.
To activate the Syslog monitoring feature, Select the logging checkbox and enter the IP address or Host-
name of the Syslog server. Normally, the IP address of this Syslog server would be hard-coded so that the
address will not change and always agrees with the entry on this page.
The standard port number for Syslog is 514 which is the default value for TCPConv 2. This port number
can be changed if the Syslog server in your environment uses a different port.
Select each desired event to be monitored.

5.5.0.1. Send Events

Power is applied will send events during the boot process after power has been applied.

Send DHCP Event will notify the Syslog server that the converter received an address from DHCP. It
will include the IP address received. If DHCP is not successful, the converter will assume an address of
192.168.1.1. In this case the converter will not be able to provide any Syslog DHCP status.

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

Card reader is connected/disconnected will send an event each time the USB card reader is con-
nected or removed.

Configuration Changes will send an event whenever the “Apply” button is selected in any of the config-
uration fields. It will not send details on which changes were made.

5.6. Password Configuration

Figure 5.6.: Password Configuration Screen

This section enables the user to change the password on one or many TCPConv 2 units. Once again we
need to be careful updating the password on multiple converters so everything stays in sync. As a result in
order to change the password you must enter it twice and overtly select the Change Password check-box.
This requirement is in place for both the Apply and Save buttons.
Once the password has been updated on the converters, TC2Config will no longer be able to communicate
with them until the TC2Config password is updated to match the new password.

5.6.1. Custom Password

Going back to the TC2Config home page, select Password, then select Use Custom Password.
A new window will open. Enter the new password into both fields and then select Save. From this point on
TC2Config will use the new password each time it communicates with any converter. It will continue to use
this password until TC2Config is closed and reopened or unless Use Default Password is selected.

5.7. Sending the Configuration to converters

Returning to the home screen, once all configuration settings have been set and saved, the configuration
can be loaded onto other converters. Individual converters can be selected or deselected using the normal
Windows commands. An additional Select All Converters feature can also be used.

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

Figure 5.7.: Select Custom Password Screen

Figure 5.8.: Enter Custom Password Screen

5.8. Miscellaneous

5.8.1. Additional Controls

Additional controls are available to push the factory default configuration to any or all of the converters or
to reboot them.

5.8.2. Log Window

The TCPConv 2 response to each of these commands will be presented in the Log window. This window
can be cleared at any time by selecting the Clear button.

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

Figure 5.9.: Select and Load Converter Screen

Figure 5.10.: Save Configuration to a File

5.9. Saving Configuration to a File

TC2Config offers the ability to save a particular configuration to a file on the computer. This enables the
configuration to be archived and later retrieved for installation as new equipment is rolled out. It also
enables the configuration to be consistent across multiple facilities which might be managed by multiple
individuals.
Once the configuration has been saved to the internal memory used by TC2Config, that configuration can
be saved to a file on the computer. Select “File” and then select “Save Configuration to File” from the drop
down menu. When the standard Windows file save menu appears, navigate to a storage folder, name the
file appropriately then select Save.

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5. Configuration via TC2Config

5.10. Read Configuration from a File

Figure 5.11.: Read Configuration from a File

TC2Config offers the ability to load a configuration previously saved in a file on the computer. This enables
the configuration to be sent to one or many converters which have been discovered by TC2Config.
To retrieve a previously saved file, refer to the following figure then select “File” and then select “Read
Configuration From File” from the drop down menu. When the standard Windows file menu appears,
navigate to a storage folder where previously saved configurations have been stored. Select the file then
select Open.

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6. Configuration via Web Page

6. Configuration via Web Page

6.1. Open the Homepage of a selected TCPConv 2

Returning to the TC2Config screen from section 3 we once again select “Open the Homepage of the
selected TCPConv 2. This will take us to the home screen shown in figure 6.2.

Figure 6.1.: Visit the homepage of the selected TCPConv 2

Once a TCPConv 2 has been selected from the list clicking on “Open the Homepage of the TCPConv 2”
or typing the <ip of a TCPConv 2>:81 in the browser, will launch the homepage of the TCPConv 2.
Once the user finishes configuring TCPConv 2, they need to return to this homepage and select “Re-
boot”.

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6. Configuration via Web Page

6.2. TCPConv 2 Homepage Setup Tab

Figure 6.2.: Homepage of a TCPConv 2

By clicking “Setup” in Figure 6.2 and if prompted, typing in the user name and password, one can change
the default configuration. By default, both user name and password are “admin” (lower-case, without
quotation marks).
The network setup page opens and the default settings are displayed on this page. From here one can
navigate to the set-up pages for USB, RS232 or Logging. Context sensitive Help is also available for each
screen.
The web page view into the converter addresses many of the same configuration items addressed in
section 5. As a result the descriptions for these settings will be almost identical to the descriptions in
section 5.

6.2.1. Network Configuration

6.2.1.1. Name Resolution

Name This is the name assigned to each individual TCPConv 2 unit. Please follow the same naming
rules as used in section 5.2.1.1

Workgroup If workgroup assignments are used in this environment, the workgroup associated with this
device would be entered here.

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6. Configuration via Web Page

Figure 6.3.: Network Configuration of TCPConv 2

6.2.1.2. IP Configuration

Use DHCP The factory default setting is for DHCP to be enabled. That way the converter will receive
its IP assignment dynamically from the DHCP server. If the device fails to get an IP address from DHCP
server for some reason, it will use 192.168.1.1 as default IP address.
If this box is not checked the user must assign static parameters to the converter. The user is responsible
for entering a valid reserved static IP address, net mask and gateway.

Configure DNS Manually If this is selected, the user is responsible to manually enter the IP addresses
for the primary and secondary DNS server. If this box is not checked, the converter will use the DNS
addresses provided by the DHCP server.

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6. Configuration via Web Page

Configure WINS Manually If this is selected, the user is responsible to manually enter the IP addresses
for the primary and secondary WINS server. If this box is not checked, the converter will use the WINS
addresses provided by the DHCP server.

Configure NTP Manually If this is selected, the user is responsible to manually enter the IP addresses
for the primary and secondary NTP server. If this box is not checked, the converter will use the DHCP
server as the NTP server.

Network Watchdog TCPConfig 2 can be configured to monitor the health of both the Host and Printer
ports. If either port is connected and active, the converter will ping that port as often as selected by the
customer. If the Host or Printer fails to respond to a ping a sequential number of times as selected by the
customer, the converter will reboot in an attempt to re-establish a connection.

Ping Interval This sets the number of minutes between pings. It is configurable between 1 and 30
minutes with a factory default of 5 minutes. A setting of -1 with the watchdog enabled will continue sending
pings but the converter will not reboot if there is no response to the ping.

Number of retries before reboot Number of retries before reboot This establishes the number of failed
ping responses before the converter will reboot and attempt to re-establish a connection. This is config-
urable between 0 and 30 retries with a factory default of 3 retries. 0 will force an immediate reboot any
time there is a ping failure with no retries.

Enable Watchdog This turns the ping function on or off. If it is set to on, the converter pings at the
interval specified. If the watchdog is disabled, it will no longer send a ping on the specified port. Note that
each port can be independently controlled.
The Host port will ping the DHCP server. If the converter is configured for a Static IP address, the watchdog
will be automatically disabled since it would not know what IP address it could use for ping communication.
In order to use the Host Watchdog in this situation, a manual IP address for the watchdog must be entered
in the space provided.
The Printer port will ping the attached printer. If the printer watchdog is not enabled, the Status web page
will not accurately reflect whether the printer is connected or not. The printer ping is used to update both
the web page status field and also to update the Error Status LED. With the printer watchdog disabled, the
Error Status LED will not reflect whether the printer is connected or not and is automatically set to display
green.
If the printer watchdog is enabled but the number of retries is set to -1, the converter will continue to ping
and the status page will correctly reflect whether the printer is connected and operational. It will not reboot
if there are issues with the printer.
The “Apply” button must be selected to save any changes before the user navigates away from this
page.
The “Load Default Configuration” button will return all values on this page to factory default. These changes
will not be retained unless the “Save and Reboot” button is subsequently selected.
To make the changes take effect, it is necessary to return to the “Home” screen and select the
“Reboot” button.

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6. Configuration via Web Page

6.2.2. USB Configuration

Figure 6.4.: USB Setup Screen

6.2.2.1. Representation of Keyboard Newline

The user can choose which characters the converter will send to the server when it receives the terminating
character from the card reader or keypad. In USB Keyboard mode, this terminating character is always a
Carriage Return (CR) 13 in decimal and 0x0D in hexadecimal.
The choices are Carriage Return (0x0D), Line Feed (0x0A) or both Carriage Return plus Line Feed (0x0D,
0x0A).

6.2.2.2. TCP/IP Configuration

The converter can be configured either as a server or as a client. The factory default setting is for the
converter to be a server of data to a network client. In this mode the Local Port for USB is default configured

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6. Configuration via Web Page

to 7777. This is the port the converter will use to communicate with the Client. In Server mode the converter
will quietly wait for a USB or RS232 data to arrive. When data arrives it will inform the Solution Client
which will then poll the convert to retrieve the data. The server will typically continue poll the converter for
remaining data and to keep the network port open.
Note that because the converter supports both a USB and RS232 connection simultaneously, they must
each use a different port number. USB defaults to 7777 and RS232 defaults to 7778. If the user desires to
use different port number for USB and / or RS232, they must insure the port numbers are different.
If the converter is configured as Client, when USB or RS232 data arrives, it will open a network connection
to a solution server based on the Client Configuration settings. This is the most popular mode of operation
where the converter is configured to open a network connection, send card data to the server and to close
the connection.

6.2.2.3. TCP Client Configuration

When the converter is configured for Client mode, users have the option of sending data either as plain text
or more securely via SSL where the data till be encrypted on the converter and decrypted at the server. In
Server mode the card reader data is always sent as plain text.
When the converter is configured as a client, the IP address or Hostname of the Solution Server is required
along with the TCP Converter port number to be used for communication. The converter’s Remote Port is
default configured to 7777.
The remaining parameters control the behavior of the port during data transfer.
There are three connection options; Connect automatically and stay connected, Connect on any character
and Connect on a specific character.
The factory default is "Connect on any character" which will open a connection to the server and to leave it
open until it receives a terminating character. If no terminator is received, it will close the port at the default
10 second timeout.

6.2.2.4. Connect automatically and stay connected

In this mode the converter is designed to handle an infinite stream of USB data, for example from a
QWERTY keyboard, FAX machine or other device with a continuous data stream. As such USB data will
be packaged into a network message whenever there is any data available and the network connection is
not busy. This can result in network messages which contain as few as one character of USB data. In this
mode the UDP port never closes.

6.2.2.5. Connect on any character

The preferred configuration is to open a connection when any character is detected from the card reader
or pin keypad. These devices do not have a predefined “start” character so are best configured to open
the connection on any character. That first character is almost always real data so it should be sent and
not discarded.

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6.2.2.6. Connect on character

If the card reader is configured to always send a “Start” character, the converter can be configured to
open the network connection when that particular character arrives. It can either send or discard that Start
character. The converter is default configured with 48 which is the decimal representation of the number
zero.

6.2.2.7. Disconnect character

Card readers are typically configured to terminate their data stream with either a carriage return CR) or line
feed (LF). Keypads can also be configured to send a CR or LF when the Enter key is pressed. As a result
the converter can be configured to close the network connection on a specific character. The converter is
default configured with 13 (0x0D) which is the decimal representation of CR.

6.2.2.8. Disconnect timeout

A Disconnect timeout is provided to service Card readers or Keypads with no predefined “End” character.
In this case the converter will close the connection 10 seconds after a character is received. The timer
would reset on each character in the data stream and only 10 seconds after the last character would it
actually close the connection. The converter is default configured to Disconnect 10 seconds after the last
character but the user can increase or decrease this time to fit their environment.
Note that the Disconnect timer is always enabled once the port is opened unless “Connect automatically
and stay connected is selected”. That way if for example a disconnect character is never received, the port
will be closed by the Disconnect Timer.
The “Apply” button must be selected to save any changes before the user navigates away from this
page.
The “Load Default Configuration” button will return all values on this page to factory default. These changes
will not be retained unless the “Apply” button is subsequently selected.
To make the changes take effect, it is necessary to go to “Home” and push the “Reboot” but-
ton.

6.2.3. RS232 Configuration

The RS232 settings are similar to the USB settings, as mentioned in previous section. The only unique
configuration settings regard communication parameters.

6.2.3.1. Communication Parameters

Baudrate This is the communication speed between the card reader and TCP converter. The default is
9600 bits per second which is the speed most readers use.

Parity This is the sum of 1’s in the data stream and whether that number is even or odd. The default
setting is no parity.

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Figure 6.5.: RS232 Setup Screen

Databits The number of bits of data in each character field. The default is 8 bits.

Stopbits The number of bits used to indicate the end of a character field. The default is 1 bits.
Each of these configurations must exactly match those which the card reader uses or the converter will not
be able to listen to the card reader.
The remainder of the configuration settings are programmed in a similar way to USB with the exception of
the port number. The converter is designed to handle both a USB card reader and an RS232 card reader
at the same time. As a result each of these requires a different port number for communication. The
default port for USB is 7777 while the default port for RS232 is 7778.

6.2.4. Logging Configuration

TCPConv 2 is equipped with the ability to send status information whenever an event occurs which the
user is interested in. Remote Logging can send data to a standard Syslog server so many instances can

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6. Configuration via Web Page

Figure 6.6.: Logging Setup for TCPConv 2

be logged over a long period of time. Logging is configurable so only selected items will be monitored and
sent to the Syslog server. In this way only the items of interest will be monitored.
Each Syslog message will contain a network timestamp as well as the MAC address of the TCPConv 2
unit so it can be traced back to its source. Logging enables Print Management Companies the opportunity
to monitor conditions and to react before the end customer encounters an issue.
To activate the Syslog monitoring feature, Select the logging checkbox and enter the IP address or Host-
name of the Syslog server. Normally, the IP address of this Syslog server would be hard-coded so that the
address will not change and always agrees with the entry on this page.
The standard port number for Syslog is 514 which is the default value for TCPConv 2. This port number
can be changed if the Syslog server in your environment uses a different port.
Select each desired event to be monitored.

6.2.4.1. Send Events

Power is applied Will send events during the boot process after power has been applied.

Send DHCP Event will notify the Syslog server that the converter received an address from DHCP. It
will include the IP address received. If DHCP is not successful, the converter will assume an address of
192.168.1.1. In this case the converter will not be able to provide any Syslog DHCP status.

Card reader is connected/disconnected will send an event each time the USB card reader is con-
nected or removed.

Configuration Changes will send an event whenever the “Apply” button is selected in any of the config-
uration fields. It will not send details on which changes were made.
The “Apply” button must be selected to save any changes before the user navigates away from this
page.

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6. Configuration via Web Page

The “Load Default Configuration” button will return all values on this page to factory default. These changes
will not be retained unless the “Apply” button is subsequently selected.
To make the changes take effect, it is necessary to go to “Home” and push the “Reboot” but-
ton.

6.3. Change Password

Figure 6.7.: Password Setup for TCPConv 2

As an administrator you can change the password of the TCPConv 2. This can be done by selecting the
“Password” tab in Figure 6.7.

Username The username is always “admin”. This cannot be changed by the user.

New Password Enter the new password in this field. This field will accept alpha numeric characters up
to 30 digits. This field is case sensitive.

Confirm Password Re-enter the new password in this field. Please write this password down in a secure
location. If the password is lost there is no way to recover it. The TCPConv 2 firmware will need to be
reinstalled which will reset the converter to the default Username and Password.
The “Save” button must be selected to save any changes before the user navigates away from this
page.
The “Cancel” button will erase any changes made on this page.

6.4. Check Status

One can check the running status of TCPConv 2 by clicking “Status”. The status includes version, printer
and USB reader.

Version This field will display information about the TCPConv 2 Kernel and the current software ver-
sion.

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6. Configuration via Web Page

Figure 6.8.: Status for TCPConv 2

Printer This field will display the IP address currently assigned to the connected printer. It will also
display the status of the printer, whether it is connected and whether it was able to successfully receive an
IP address.

System Status This field will display some performance information about the converter. It will display
a snapshot at the time this window was opened. It will display CPU usage as well as RAM and Disk
usage.

USB Reader This field will display a status of the peripheral which is connected to the USB port. It will
show whether device is logically connected and whether it uses HID Keyboard or another communication
protocol such as CDC. It will also display the USB Vendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID) which helps to
identify the reader or pin pad which is connected.

Status Log This will display the power on sequence as well as the status of the connections to the host,
printer and USB. The log can easily be copied and sent to Elatec Support to aid in troubleshooting any
issues encountered. The log displays the date and time of each event. It receives this time using the
Network Time Protocol (NTP). The converter expects to find an NTP server at the address of the DHCP
server. If the converter is configured for Static IP or if there is no NTP server resident with DHCP, the
converter will report time since it was powered up, starting with midnight January 1, 1970.

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7. Refresh the Firmware on TCPConv 2

7. Refresh the Firmware on TCPConv 2

As a customer of Elatec, one can receive a link for the TCPConv 2 AdminPack. The compressed Admin-
Pack for TCPConv 2 contains
1. Technical Manual
2. Firmware Image (located under USB Image <version>)
3. TC2Config Tool
4. Sample Json Configuration
5. Sample sub-network Configuration

7.1. Update steps

1. Unpack the zip file which contains the new firmware.

2. Copy the content of folder “USB Image <version>” on an empty USB stick. The USB stick may not
have more than one partition. The USB stick needs to be formatted as FAT and needs to be a newer
style drive. (Note: do not copy the folder itself, just the contents, 2 folders and 3 files)
3. Insure power is off to TCPConv 2, remove any device connected to the USB port and then and insert
the USB thumb drive.
4. Connect the power supply to TCPConv 2
5. The Green Power LED will immediately come on and will stay on for the entire upgrade process.
6. After about 45 seconds the Busy LED will blink Red one time then will blink Green continuously for
the remainder of the upgrade process.
7. After about four and a half minutes, the Busy LED will stop blinking and the buzzer will beep once.
At this point the update is complete. This entire process takes roughly 5 minutes.
8. The Ready, Busy and Error LEDs will then blink Red, Green and Yellow in sequence over and over
again until power is removed from the device. No damage will occur if the converter is left in this
state for an extended amount of time.
9. Remove power from TCPConv 2
10. Remove the USB thumb drive, replace the card reader and reapply power to the TCPConv 2.

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8. Troubleshooting

8. Troubleshooting

8.1. Basic Checks

In normal operation only Power and Ready LEDs are on(both green). Otherwise please first make the
following checks:
1. Does the TCPConv 2 power up - Green Power LED on?
2. Are the network cables are correctly connected, “Printer” to Printer and “Host” to local network?
3. Is the Printer “ready” - not in a faulted state?
4. Can the TCPConv 2 device be discovered using the TC2Config Tool?
5. Can you open the homepage of TCPConv 2
6. Can you open the homepage of the connected printer?
7. Is the printer using 192.168.50.100 as its IP address?

8.2. TCPConv 2 Power

When power is applied to the TCPConv 2 unit, the Power LED immediately is illuminated. If the LED does
not come on it means the converter does not have power. Check that the power connector is fully seated
in its socket. Check that the power supply has not become unseated from the wall power source. If neither
of these seems to be the issue, if possible swap power supply with another unit.

8.3. Network Cables

It is easy to confuse the two network cables since they often look identical. Unfortunately if the two cables
are reversed things will not work at all. Try to use the red internet cable supplied with the converter to
connect the printer to the Printer port. That should make it easier to connect the cables properly.

8.4. Printer

Before connecting the printer to the converter please insure that the printer is operating properly. Submit
a job to the printer before installing the converter just be sure there are no printer errors such as out of
paper or out of toner which would prevent the system from operating properly once TCPConv 2 is installed.
At this time it might be useful to print a configuration report from the printer to be sure it is configured for
DHCP and that it is not configured with a static IP address.

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8. Troubleshooting

8.5. Can the TCPConv 2 be discovered by the TC2Config Tool?

8.5.1. Different Subnet

If the TC2Config tool is not able to discover the converter, the most likely scenario is that the discovery tool
is running on a different subnet than the converter. With the PC configured for DHCP, open a command
prompt on the PC and run ipconfig /all to determine the IP address which the PC is now using. Disconnect
the converter and connect the PC to that same network drop.
Again open a command prompt and run ipconfig /all to determine the IP address which the PC is now
using. Use the IP address to determine if the converter is on a different subnet than the PC was originally
using. If the subnet is different, use that info to identify the subnet for the network drop. Return the PC
to its original network drop and use the Cross Subnet Discovery procedure in section 4.3 to discover the
TCPConv 2 unit.

8.5.2. TCPConv 2 is on Static IP

For this situation to occur the TCPConv 2 was previously programmed with a static IP address which does
not match the current network. The procedure described as follows will use a back door through the Printer
port to reprogram the converter. Please first complete the basic checks as described in section 8.1, before
following this process. The Printer port of the TCPConv 2 is default configured with a static IP address of
192.168.50.1. It uses this address to communicate with the connected printer and to provide the printer
with an IP address which is always 192.168.50.100. We can connect a PC directly to this port and if the
PC is configured for DHCP it will be assigned the 192.168.50.100 IP address. Alternately the PC can be
configured statically with the 192.168.50.100 address by following the steps below.
Be sure to disconnect the Host network cable before proceeding further. This will remove any possible
conflicts with the building network which might cause confusion with the results.
• Connect your PC to Printer port of TCPConv 2
• Assign the following to the PC network connection
– IP address: 192.168.50.100
– Netmask: 255.255.255.0
– Gateway: 192.168.50.1
• Connect to 192.168.50.1:81 via browser and login screen will appear
• Follow the steps in chapter 6 to properly configure TCPConv 2
• Disconnect PC from Printer port of TCPConv 2
• Reconnect the printer to TCPConv 2
• Reconnect the Host Port

8.5.3. Can you open the homepage of the connected printer?

If the TCPConv 2 can be discovered using TC2Config but the homepage of the connected printer will not
open, the most likely cause for this issue is an address conflict between the converter and the printer.
There are 2 possible scenarios which we can explore

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8. Troubleshooting

1. DHCP error where the printer does not receive the proper address
2. Printer uses an incorrect static IP address

8.5.3.1. DHCP Error

In this scenario the DHCP server within the TCPConv 2 is not able to sync with the printer to establish it
with the 192.168.50.100 address. From the printerâĂŹs user interface or from a printed configuration page
verify that the printer is using IP address 192.168.50.100. If the printer is not on 192.168.50.100, confirm
that the printer is configured for DHCP.
Some printers are sensitive to the timing of events. If the printer is unable to reach the DHCP server
immediately after it powers up, the printer may stop trying to get an address after as few as 3 attempts.
Follow these steps to determine if that is the issue.
Remove power from both the printer and TCPConv 2 devices.
Apply power to the TCPConv 2 and when the Busy LED lights up, apply power to the printer. If you are
now able to open the Printer Homepage change the printer DHCP configuration to a minimum of 15 DHCP
retries before it gives up.

8.5.3.2. Incorrect Static Address

The system will operate properly if the printer is configured for Static IP instead of DHCP but only if it is
configured to use 192.168.50.100 as its static IP address. Any other static address will fail.

8.6. Is the card swipe not being recognized by the authentication server?

If the TCPConv 2 is unable to forward data from the card reader to the host server, the mostly likely cause
for this issue is that the TCPConv 2 has the wrong port configuration. Double check the port assignment
at the server and insure both server and converter use the same port assignment.

8.7. DHCP Logging

The TCP Converter has an additional diagnostic capability to help debug issues with DHCP. A USB thumb
drive can be used to store a log of DHCP traffic between the converter, host and printer for about 5 minutes.
It will also store the entire debug log which is normally displayed in the Status web page. In the event of
an issue where the connected printer is not able to obtain the 192.168.50.100 IP address, please follow
the steps below to obtain a Wireshark trace which can be used for debug.
1. Remove the USB card reader from the TCPConv 2
2. Connect a blank USB thumb drive to the TCPConv 2. Note this drive must have at least 750K bytes
of free storage.
3. Insure the printer is powered off
4. Power on the TCPConv
5. Wait till the Busy LED on the TCPConv 2 is illuminated Red
6. Power on the printer

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8. Troubleshooting

7. The Busy LED turns off and the Ready LED will come on Green
8. After about 5 minutes, all of the LEDs will be illuminated Green. This is the indication that all files
have been closed and it is safe to remove the USB thumb drive.
9. Remove the USB thumb drive
10. Remove power from the TCPConv 2
11. Connect the USB thumb drive to a personal computer
12. Email the Wireshark trace and log file to support-rfid@elatec.com along with a description of the
issue.

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9. History of Changes

9. History of Changes

9.1. TCPConv 2 Firmware

9.1.1. Firmware SB1.00/STD1.00.02

• Initial release
• TCPConv 2 can work both as server and client when it is “ to a USB reader with keyboard emulation.
• TCPConv 2 can work both as server and client when it is “ to a USB reader with CDC interface.
• TCPConv 2 can work both as server and client when it is “ to a RS232 reader

9.1.2. Firmware STD1.1.0.4

• The user can modify the hostname via web front-end

9.1.3. Firmware STD1.1.0.6

• Improved behaviour of TCP Client: the first byte will always be sent to the server.
• Improved behaviour of NAT. Printer behind TCPConv 2 can also initialize a session.

9.1.4. Firmware STD1.2.0.8

• Hostname of a TCPConv 2 device can be resolved by Windows network

• TCPConv 2 can connect to a server specified by hostname

9.1.5. Firmware STD1.2.0.9

• The user can specify the representation of newline for keyboard emulation.

9.1.6. Firmware STD1.2.0.10

• If the user keeps pressing the Enter key, only one new line will be sent.
• TCPConv 2 sends only numbers to server, even if NumLock is deactivated.
• Improvement: security measurements against Shellshock bug.

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9. History of Changes

9.1.7. Firmware STD1.2.0.11

• TCPConv 2 sends UDP containing kernel version and filesystem.

• TCPConv 2 checks the network status, and control the LEDs accordingly.

9.1.8. Firmware STD1.2.0.16

• Support TCP Client with SSL

• Support Syslog

9.1.9. Firmware STD1.2.0.18

• Separated tab sheets for network, USB, RS232 and Syslog

• The user only needs to reboot TCPConv 2 once to finish the configurations.

9.1.10. Firmware STD1.3.0.0

• Introduces an API to configure the TCPConv2 directly from TC2Config.exe (Version 1.12 or later) or
user designed configuration tool using this API.
• Converter is able to accept a JSON file which contains a new configuration for the converter.
• Converter is able to process the JSON file for correctness, and if acceptable to incorporate those
changes into the converter. If the JSON file is faulted, converter will refuse the file and will respond
to the host with an error file.
• Converter is able to send a JSON file which contains the configuration settings for the converter.
• Enables creation of a configuration with TC2Config, saving that configuration to a file and broadcast-
ing that configuration to a single or multiple converters.
• Enables TC2Config to initiate reboot of a single or multiple converters
• TC2Config is able to sort the list of discovered converters by hostname, IP address, MAC, Kernel or
software revision level

9.1.11. Firmware STD1.3.0.9

• Introduced a Network Watchdog on both the Host and Printer ports.

• Added in an automatic disable for DHCP ping test if DHCP is not enabled
• Enabled extensive logging which is displayed in the Status web page
• Added the ability to save log to an empty USB drive along with wire trace for field debug
• Fixed issue with tcpdump (wire trace to USB drive) not displaying LEDs when done (RevE Only)
• Changed printer error light to orange when printer is disconnected, green when printer is connected
and red when host is disconnected.

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9. History of Changes

• Busy LED now blinks green during software installation, fixed issue with LED pattern upon successful
installation.
• New version of NMBD for revE hardware.
• Add a process to erase nmbd.log on startup, decreased the size of nmbd log
• Updated python apps to Python 2.7
• Fixed kernel panic where high printer to host high traffic could cause system lock
• Added in step to purge DHCP leases on start-up
• Fixed issue with discovery protocol and iptables (firewall)
• Changed the discovery protocol poll from 5 seconds to 30 and added a 5 second delay after each
client discovery.
• Fixed potential issues with UDP discovery protocol and changing hostnames
• Added USB VID/PID to web status page
• Added “Connect and send all card data at once, then disconnect” mode to USB client configuration.

9.1.12. Firmware STD1.3.0.10

• Applied security patch for SSH

• Added a system monitor, more updates to logging, and a "system status" section to the status page.
• Increased the size of status log

9.1.13. Firmware STD1.3.0.11

• Enabled NTP to use a static IP address for the NTP server instead of defaulting to use DHCP as the
time server
• Enabled the Host Watchdog to use a static IP address for the watchdog server instead of defaulting
to use DHCP as the watchdog server

9.1.14. Firmware STD1.3.0.12

• Fixed issue preventing firmware downgrade

9.2. TC2Config Tool

9.2.1. TC2Config V1.03

• First release shipped with the AdminPack

• The tool is able to list TCPConv 2 devices in the network.
• The tool is able to browse the setup page of TCPConv 2 for the selected device.

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9. History of Changes

• The tool is able to browse the homepage of the printer, which is located behind the selected TCPConv
2.

9.2.2. TC2Config V1.07

• The tool starts searching in background

• The tool sends broadcast to all the network where the PC that runs the tool is located.

9.2.3. TC2Config V1.08

• Enable cross subnet search of TCPConv 2 hardware

9.2.4. TC2Config V1.12

• Enables creation of a configuration with TC2Config, saving that configuration to a file and broadcast-
ing that configuration to a single or multiple converters.1
• Enables TC2Config to initiate reboot of a single or multiple converters
• TC2Config is able to sort the list of discovered converters by hostname, IP address, MAC, Kernel or
software revision level
• Enables configuration of a single or multiple TCPConv 2 unit directly from the TC2Config tool
• Enables the ability to save TCPConv 2 configuration to a file or to configure converters from a previ-
ously saved configuration file
• Enables remote reboot of selected converters
• Provides the ability to sort the displayed list of converters by their column headings.

9.2.5. TC2Config V1.14

• This version is not able to configure the watchdog timer or NTP. Please use the device web page to
configure these items

1
The new features enabled by this release require TCPConv 2 release STD1.3.0.0 or later.

Page 48 of 51
A. FCC Notice

A. FCC Notice

NOTICE

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. this device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.

NOTICE

Changes or modifications made to this equipment not expressly approved by

Manufacturer may void the FCC authorization to operate this equipment.

NOTE

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant
to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference
by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is “.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Page 49 of 51
B. IC Notice

B. IC Notice

NOTICE

This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to

the following two conditions:
1. this device may not cause harmful interference
2. this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation

NOTE

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Page 50 of 51
C. Disclaimer

C. Disclaimer

Elatec reserves the right to change any information or data in this document without prior notice. The
distribution and the update of this document is not controlled. Elatec declines all responsibility for the use
of product with any other specifications but the ones mentioned above. Any additional requirement for a
specific custom application has to be validated by the customer himself at his own responsibility. Where
application information is given, it is only advisory and does not form part of the specification.
All referenced brands, product names, service names and trademarks mentioned in this document are the
property of their respective owners.

Page 51 of 51