Introduction

the netHOST Test Tool is similar to the Tool ComproX2.

Both are especially used to connect to devices, which are not based on PCI or PCIE (like CIFX cards, where the Tools CIFX Setup and CIFX Test are used), such as netHOST, Gateways NT 100/50/151 or netLink devices.

Different from the ComproX2 Tool, it not only grants access to the file system and monitoring functions, but has some additional functions included.

Download:

Connecting to a device

driver settings

To connect to a device, it is needed to select a compatible driver.

For RS232, USB and TCPIP connected devices, please choose the "netX Driver":

If connected via TCP, please connect the device to a network interface adapter in your PC and got to "Device → Setup".

If not already set, please create an IP-Range selection by clicking .

Fill in an IP-Range, in which the device should be detected in the area "IP Configuration":

After accepting with "Ok", please select "Open".

If there is no device visible in the upcoming window "Channel Selection", please check the following:

Restart ODMV3: https://hilscher.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=122798581

Connection Issue TCP/IP: https://hilscher.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=122809974 (Please adapt Sycon.net to the netHOST Test tool. The mentioned functions are similar.)

Connection Issuers USB: https://hilscher.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=122802102 (Please adapt Sycon.net to the netHOST Test tool. The mentioned functions are similar.)

Channel Selection

When opening a device, there are several channels available.

The channels functions depend on the current device.

When using a netHOST device, for example, the following channels are available:

*If it is placed in Channel 0 or Channel 1 depends on the device type:

Field bus variant:

Realtime Ethernet variant:

To be able to have access to the entire file system via file explorer, please open the System Channel (always on top of all selectable channels).

File Explorer

To access the File Explorer, please open "Device → File Explorer".

The upcoming window gives you access to the file system of a device.

File system

The corresponding port of the file system can be opened by selecting "Channel".

Port 0 usually contains the firmware (.NXF) and the configuration file (.NXD).

Depending on the device or protocol used, additional files can be found in the other ports.

With gateways, for example, a MAPPING.LUA file is stored for internal mapping from one protocol to the other.

PROFINET usually requires an NWID.NXD, which contains information about the DCP configuration.

Data Transfer

Packet Monitor

The Packet Monitor is used to send and receive acyclic data packets.

The below example shows how to trigger an SDO Upload of object 0x3000:1, via the EtherCAT Master API, using the Packet Monitor:

The following table shows the packet description of the SDO Upload Request in the EtherCAT Master Protocol API.

Please find a detailed description in the related manual: EtherCAT Master Protocol API (Revision 6 - V4.5.0) on page 76.

On the right side of this screenshot, you can see how the Send Packet area needs to be filled in this example. In this case, an SDO Upload request is sent to the Slave with address 256.

The left side shows the answer coming from the requested EtherCAT Slave. You will get the result by clicking on "GetPacket":

 If only zeros are displayed in the "State" field, the command / function was successful.

Otherwise, you will find the corresponding error code there.

According to this scheme, you can use all functions from the protocol manuals.

IO Monitor

The IO Monitor is used to send and receive IO Data, to check the current communication.

It does only work if a communication is already successfully established.

In the "Length" field of the Process Data Input Image area, enter the number of bytes to be displayed.

Then click into the Data field.

In the Data field of the Process Data Output Image area, enter output data to be sent to the opposite device and click "Update", to send data.

At the opposite device, the corresponding data is being received now.

You can also use the functions "Cyclic" and "Auto increment Data", to automatically increment the send process data in each cycle.

Backup

For a backup of the existing configuration, please use the "Upload" function in the File Explorer.

The Files can only be uploaded one by one from each single port.

To be aware of the correct Port where the Files belong to, it's best to create the same folder structure on your PC and save the files to the belonging Ports folder.

Factory Reset

For a factory reset with the netHOST Test Tool, all available files must first be deleted using the File Explorer.

After that, please download the Firmware you want to use or, if available, a base firmware, using "Device → Download".

Please restart your device. If the SYS LED is green, there should be the new Firmware running.

Now the configuration needs to be downloaded again.

Other Functions

Other functions are available, when opening the protocol channel (see topic "Connecting to a device → Channel Selection"):

Application Ready

Here, the Application Flag can be set to "ready".

This is, for example, needed, if the bus-state is "controlled by application".

In this case, please first set the Application to "ready" and then the Bus State to "ON".

This function is equal to xChannelHostState (see CIFX API manual).

Bus State

This function is used to set the Bus State manually.

It can turn OFF and ON communication.

If the bus state is "controlled by application", please first set the application to "ready", before turning the bus-state to "ON".

This function is equal to xChannelBusState (see CIFX API manual).

DMA State

Toggle the 'DMA Enable Flag' in the communication channel handshake flags.

This function can be used to change the I/O image transfer from DPM to bus-master-DMA mode.

DMA is only possible on PCI-based hardware.

On none PCI-based hardware, this function is not available and will return with an error.

This function is equal to xChannelDMAState (see CIFX API manual).

Config Lock

Lock the configuration of the channel against modification.

If the configuration is locked, the fieldbus stack does not allow doing a configuration update.

This lasts until the device has been restarted. A "Channel Init" does not reset the configuration lock.

This function is equal to xChannelConfigLock (see CIFX API manual).

Watchdog

This option will open the Host Watchdog Test.

Please select a Trigger Interval to set the Watchdog time.

By clicking "Start Watchdog", the Watchdog Value will count up with every trigger.

Download

The function "Download", is especially used to download a Configuration, Firmware or License file.

By selecting the correct "Download Mode", the file will automatically be downloaded to the correct position in the Filesystem.