Download MicroAutoBox II - Solving Connection Problems

dSPACE FAQ 276
FAQ 276
MicroAutoBox II - Solving Connection Problems
Keywords
MicroAutoBox II; Ethernet; connection; host PC; TCP/IP
Question
How do I solve connection problems with MicroAutoBox II?
Solution
Before reading this FAQ, read the relevant documentation in dSPACE HelpDesk. To open HelpDesk,
go to the Windows Start menu. To get started, we recommended to read at least the following
sections:
Hardware > MicroAutoBox > MicroAutoBox II > Hardware Installation and Configuration Guide
Systems > First Work Steps with a dSPACE System
Depending on your dSPACE Release, the section names can differ.
To connect your MicroAutoBox II to a PC, make sure your MicroAutoBox II is running and connected
to a functioning Ethernet adapter of your computer. Then, perform the following steps:
1. Start ControlDesk Next Generation.
2. Go to the “Platforms” ribbon and select “Register”.
3. In the Platforms hierarchy on the left of the dialog, select “MicroAutoBox II”.
4. On the right, select “NET” and enter the IP address of your MicroAutoBox II.
The default IP address of your MicroAutoBox II is 192.168.140.1. Refer to the following
illustration:
If you cannot connect your MicroAutoBox II this way, make sure the Ethernet adapter is configured
properly. For more information, refer to Setting up Your Ethernet Adapter in this document.
Setting up Your Ethernet Adapter
When you connect your MicroAutoBox II with your host computer, the Ethernet adapter of the host
computer must have a static IP address that matches the IP address of the MicroAutoBox II. For
example: Host IP address 192.168.140.88 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0 is suitable for the default
IP settings of MicroAutoBox II. For more information, refer to Basic IP Address Requirements below.
To specify these settings, perform the following steps:
1. Go to the Windows Control Panel.
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2. Open “Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings”.
3. Double-click the connector you want to specify.
If you have multiple Ethernet adapters, select the one that is connected to your
MicroAutoBox II.
4. Specify the settings as shown in the following illustration:
You might need administrator rights to configure your Ethernet adapter as illustrated
above.
Do not change the IP settings of adapters that are connected to your company network.
After confirmation, a message might be displayed stating that the desired IP address (192.168.140.88
in the above screenshot) cannot be configured on your network adapter. In this case, use a different
IP address. This IP address must start with 192.168.140 and be different from the IP address of the
MicroAutoBox II (default: 192.168.140.1).
“Host PC” LED
The “Host PC” LED of your MicroAutoBox II must be lit before you can register it. If it is not lit, no
device was detected at the other end of the Ethernet cable. Any attempts to register the
MicroAutoBox II will most likely fail.
In such cases, check if the Ethernet adapter that the MicroAutoBox II is connected to is enabled. To
ensure that the Ethernet adapter works properly, test it with another device or in your company
network. To use the Ethernet adapter in your company network, you have to configure it accordingly
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and reconfigure it again when registering your MicroAutoBox II.
Make sure neither the host connection cable of your MicroAutoBox II nor its connectors are broken.
Docking Stations
If you cannot register your MicroAutoBox II and you are using a laptop in a docking station, undock
your laptop. Reconfigure the network adapter as described above and register your MicroAutoBox II
again.
Alternatively, use a USB-to-Ethernet adapter that plugs directly into the laptop and not the docking
station for the test. Keep in mind that the USB-to-Ethernet adapter needs the correct IP settings as
well.
Basic IP Address Requirements
If you have a network of multiple Ethernet devices, then each client must have a unique IP address.
The Ethernet adapter in your host PC is such an Ethernet device, MicroAutoBox II another.
If your MicroAutoBox II is connected to a network, you must make sure that each device in the network
has an IP address that is different from the IP address of your MicroAutoBox II.
Moreover, the Ethernet devices must have matching subnet masks. The illustration in Setting up Your
Ethernet Adapter gives an example of a valid configuration: The host PC has the IP address
192.168.140.88, MicroAutoBox II still has its default IP address 192.168.140.1, and both have the
subnet mask 255.255.255.0. If you were to change one of the first two numbers in the computer’s IP
address, e.g., set it to 192.167.140.88, then it would no longer be able to communicate with the
MicroAutoBox II.
Avoiding IP Address and Other Conflicts
Internal Switch in MicroAutoBox II
Since revision 25 (indicated by “DS1401-25” on the type label on the bottom of your MicroAutoBox II),
MicroAutoBox II has a built-in switch that connects the two internal Ethernet adapters (one adapter for
host communication and one for Ethernet communication in the real-time application) with both
Ethernet connectors (labeled “Ethernet” and “Host PC”) on the housing of MicroAutoBox II.
Therefore, as of revision 25, you must not connect both connectors, “Ethernet” and “Host PC”, to an
external switch at the same time. This would create a data loop and break down the network.
All revisions of MicroAutoBox II with Embedded PC contain an internal switch that connects all
Ethernet ports, including “Host PC”, the Ethernet port for use with the real-time application, and the
Ethernet connectors of the Embedded PC (RJ45 and LEMO). The Embedded PC itself has one
Ethernet interface. You must assign unique IP addresses to each of the three Ethernet interfaces.
MicroAutoBox II earlier than revision 25 (without Embedded PC) does not have the internal switch. In
certain use cases, you might have to connect both connectors, “Ethernet” and “Host PC”, to an
external switch that is connected to one or more other devices.
For optimal support of the internal switch (as of revision 25), we strongly recommend
you to install the latest firmware to your MicroAutoBox II. For the latest firmware
archives, go to www.dSPACE.com/go/firmware.
Installing the latest firmware is also recommended for older MicroAutoBox II
revisions.
Multiple MicroAutoBox II Devices
If you have multiple MicroAutoBox II devices, then you have to change the IP address of at least one
of them, since each participant in a network must have a unique IP address. For instructions on how to
change the IP address, refer to Changing the IP Address of MicroAutoBox II below. Unique IP
addresses are also strongly recommended if you have more than one MicroAutoBox II but work with
only one box at a time, because routing tables on your computer associate each IP address with a
MAC address and might be outdated when you replace a previously connected MicroAutoBox II with
another one that has the same IP address.
You can also specify your MicroAutoBox II to obtain its IP address from a DHCP server. This lets you
connect your MicroAutoBox II to the company network and access it from different computers (but not
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at the same time). For more information, refer to Hardware – MicroAutoBox – MicroAutoBox II
Hardware Installation and Configuration Guide – Connecting MicroAutoBox II to the Host PC via
Ethernet – Setting up the Ethernet Connection – Integrating MicroAutoBox into a Network in dSPACE
HelpDesk.
Using Ethernet in the Real-Time Application
When using Ethernet in the real-time application running on your MicroAutoBox II, make sure the IP
that is specified in your Ethernet UDP Setup block is not the same as the host IP of your
MicroAutoBox II.
For a working configuration, refer to the demo model in the RTI Ethernet (UDP) Blockset under
Demos. You might have to configure the IP settings of remote devices accordingly.
Do Not Mistake MicroAutoBox for MicroAutoBox II
In contrast to MicroAutoBox II, its predecessor, MicroAutoBox, is connected to the host computer via a
dSPACE link interface (DS821, DS817, DS819 or DS815) and cannot be connected to an ordinary
Ethernet adapter even though the host cable of MicroAutoBox has an ordinary RJ45 connector.
Furthermore, MicroAutoBox is recognized automatically by the operating system as a plug & play
device. Therefore, it is not listed in the registration dialog.
Conversely, you cannot register a MicroAutoBox II via a dSPACE link interface.
To distinguish MicroAutoBox II from its predecessor MicroAutoBox, check the type label on the bottom
of the box:
DS1401-22 indicates revision 22, which is the first released version of MicroAutoBox II.
DS1401-01 up to DS1401-19 are revisions of the predecessor, MicroAutoBox.
What do I do if I lose the IP settings of my MicroAutoBox II?
There is no built-in mechanism for retrieving the IP settings of MicroAutoBox II. However, you can first
restore factory default settings as explained in the next section. You can then connect to
MicroAutoBox II by using the default IP and configure IP settings to your needs.
How to Restore Default IP Settings
The default IP settings of MicroAutoBox II are:
IP address: 192.168.140.1
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
DHCP off
You can reset the IP address of your MicroAutoBox II to factory settings with the ds1401configcmd
command line utility. In Releases earlier than 2014-A, the name of this utility and the way it is started
are different. For more information, refer to DS1401ConfigCmd and DS1401ConfigGui. To restore
factory settings, perform the following steps:
1. To start the tool, go to the Windows Start menu and open Command Prompt for dSPACE RCP
and HIL.
2. Type ds1401configcmd to see a full list of options.
3. To reset the MicroAutoBox II, type the following command:
ds1401configcmd –s <base board serial number> -m <Host MAC address> -f
You have to replace <base board serial number> and <Host MAC address> with
the actual serial number and MAC address, respectively. The serial number is printed on
the type label on the bottom of the box. You must use the serial number of the base board
(DS1401) and not that of an I/O board (DS15XY).
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The MAC addresses are also displayed on the type label. Again, you must use the MAC
address of the Host interface, and not the one of the real-time application Ethernet
interface.
Make sure you type every single number correctly. Do not rely on confirmation messages,
because MicroAutoBox II never responds to broadcast messages as those used for the
reset to factory defaults.
4. Restart MicroAutoBox II for the new settings to take effect.
If the settings do not change perform one or more of the following steps:

Restart MicroAutoBox II once more and check again.

If the settings still do not change, repeat step 3. Make sure you specified the
correct serial number and MAC address.

If the problem persists and you have an older dSPACE Release, refer to DS1401
ConfigCmd and DS1401ConfigGui below. If you have dSPACE Release 2013-B
or newer, use the support request form at www.dspace.com/go/supportrequest to
contact dSPACE Support.
How to Change the IP Address of MicroAutoBox II
You can change the IP address of your MicroAutoBox II with the ds1401configcmd command line
utility. In Releases earlier than 2014-A, the name of this utility and the way it is started are different.
For more information, refer to DS1401ConfigCmd and DS1401ConfigGui. To change the IP address,
perform the following steps:
1. To start the tool, go to the Windows Start menu and open Command Prompt for dSPACE RCP
and HIL.
There are two ways to change the IP address of your MicroAutoBox II:

To identify your MicroAutoBox II by its serial number and its host interface MAC address,
enter the following command:
ds1401configcmd –s <serial number> -m <Host MAC> -i <new IP> -n <new mask>
Replace <serial number> with the serial number of the DS1401 Base Board and
<Host MAC> with the MAC address of the host interface of your MicroAutoBox II.
Both are printed on the type label on the bottom of MicroAutoBox II.

To identify your MicroAutoBox II by its current IP address, enter the following command:
ds1401configcmd <IP address> -i <new IP> -n <new mask>
Replace <IP address> with the current IP address of the MicroAutoBox II. This
command only works if your computer’s Ethernet adapter and your MicroAutoBox II
are in the same subnet.
Do not rely on confirmation messages of the MicroAutoBox II Configuration Tool.
Make sure you typed all numbers correctly.
2. Restart MicroAutoBox II for the new settings to take effect.
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If the IP settings do not change, restore factory defaults first. Refer to How to Restore Default
IP Settings in this document.
DS1401ConfigCmd and DS1401ConfigGui
There are two ways to configure MicroAutoBox II: via a graphical interface (MicroAutoBox II
Configuration Tool) and via a command line utility. Both provide the same functionality. As of dSPACE
Release 2013-B, their names are ‘ds1401configgui’ and ‘ds1401configcmd’, respectively.
Since dSPACE Release 2014-A, you have to start both tools via Command Prompt for dSPACE RCP
and HIL, which you can find in the Windows Start menu. In dSPACE Releases earlier than 2014-A,
you have to start them from the usual Windows command prompt.
Before Release 2013-B, the command line utility was named ‘ds1401config’, and the graphical version
was named ‘ds1401_config’. The graphical tool was first available in Release 2013-A. Both tools are
missing in Release 7.1.
In Windows 7, it is recommended to use ds1401configcmd or ds1401configgui
from dSPACE Release 2013-B or later. You can download recent versions from
www.dSPACE.com/go/ds1401config.
The reason is that starting with Windows 7, broadcast messages (used when the
target MicroAutoBox II is specified by its serial number and host MAC address
instead of its IP address) are sent only to the first Ethernet adapter by default.
Older Versions of ControlDesk
ControlDesk Next Generation Before Version 4.2
In these versions of ControlDesk Next Generation, the Register Platforms dialog displays a
“MicroAutoBox” node instead of “MicroAutoBox II”. Select “MicroAutoBox” and proceed as explained at
the beginning of this document.
ControlDesk 3.X and Earlier
The Register dialog of ControlDesk shows neither “MicroAutoBox” nor “MicroAutoBox II”.
To use MicroAutoBox II with ControlDesk 3.X, perform the following steps:
1. Select the “Platform > Change connection" menu.
2. Choose "Network connection" and enter the IP address of your MicroAutoBox II.
Related dSPACE HelpDesk Documents

Setting Up a Peer-to-Peer Connection in the MicroAutoBox II Hardware Installation and
Configuration Guide
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
Integrating MicroAutoBox into a Network in the MicroAutoBox II Hardware Installation and
Configuration Guide
Related FAQs

FAQ 412, Using Command Line Tools Since dSPACE Release 2014-A

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How to Contact dSPACE Support
dSPACE GmbH
Rathenaustraße 26
33102 Paderborn
Germany
++49 5251 1638-941
mailto:[email protected]
http://www.dspace.com/support
dSPACE recommends that you use the support request form on the Internet to contact
dSPACE Support.
It is available at:

http://www.dspace.com/go/supportrequest
Software Updates and Patches
dSPACE strongly recommends that you download and install the most recent patches for your
current dSPACE installation. Visit http://www.dspace.com/go/patches for software updates
and patches.
FAQ
FAQ documents are available at http://www.dspace.com/go/faq.
Important Notice
This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All rights are
reserved. Neither the documentation nor software may be copied, photocopied, reproduced,
translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part,
without the prior written consent of dSPACE GmbH.
© Copyright 2016 by:
dSPACE GmbH
Rathenaustraße 26
33102 Paderborn
Germany
This publication and the contents hereof are subject to change without notice.
A list of registered dSPACE trademarks is available at:
http://www.dspace.com/go/Trademarks
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