Data can be written to DigiNet or read from it via the serial port at 19200 baud. Note that the programming link must be in place before communications can be established with DigiNet. The best way to use the program is to read data from the DigiNet, modify it and then write it back.
At start-up the program will load a set of defaults from the file "DefaultConfig.txt". If you need a different set of defaults you can overwrite this file with your own values.
Before sending data to DigiNet, the data is checked for any inconsistencies and will not proceed if any are found. For example, if no IP address has been specified then data will not be sent to DigiNet as this might cause unpredictable operation. If problems are encountered a list is written to the logging window. During the write operation to DigiNet all data is read back and compared with the data sent. If there are any problems then they will be reported in the log window.
Server Tab - Setting the IP address
In order to function properly on a network, DigiNet needs know the following information:
IP Address
Gateway Address
Submask
The DigiNet is able to collect this information automatically if the network has a DHCP server.
However if these addresses are obtained automatically they will be dynamic and can change with
time. If the DigiNet is to be accessed from the internet, then this can cause problems as
clients will not know the current address. To obtain an address automatically check the
"Get Address Automatically" box. After you download the data to DigiNet and remove the link
the DigiNet will attempt to obtain the relevant information.
To set up the addresses manually uncheck the" Get Address Automatically" box and enter the addresses in the appropriate edit boxes. Each box must contain a number in the range 0 to 255. The default values are:
IP Address: 192.168.0.6
Gateway Address: 192.168.0.1
Submask: 255.255.255.0
These values should be OK for small networks with only one or two computers and a gateway router. If you need to change them you will need to ascertain the values from the network. For local networks there are three address ranges:
10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255
The best way to find free addresses is to log on to the gateway router as this will keep track of all the attached devices. It will also show its own IP address which should be used as the Gateway Address. You can find the settings on any local PC running Windows by going to the command prompt and typing "config". This will return the IP Address of the PC, the Gateway Address and the Submask. If you only have one PC and gateway router then use the last two values for the Gateway Address and Submask and increment the last digit of the IP Address by 1.