FieldServer Driver
FS8705-10
‘Cad Comm Serial’ Protocol
Description
This driver is used to exchange data between a FieldServer and a ‘Cad Comm’ system provided by Global Software Corporation.
The Cad Comm application is a passive listener that can receive appropriately formatted serial messages, parse them and take appropriate action based on the information contained in the message. Typically it is used to log call records for security, safety and alarm systems. If the FieldServer is serving data obtained from a Fire Alarm panel, then the driver serves sufficient information for the Cad Comm system to determine the event type (alarm, trouble etc) and the event address (loop and point number).
The Cad Comm system does not acknowledge messages and hence the driver cannot determine that they were received and processed. However, the driver can (by configuration) send a heartbeat message on a time period so that the Cad Comm system knows if the FieldServer is still operational.
The driver is a serial driver using a RS232 / RS485 serial ports to connect between the FieldServer and the Cad Comm system. If RS485 is used then no other client / servers are allowed on the network.
The driver provides active server functionality. It cannot be used as a client to poll for data nor can it be used as a server to receive message from the Cad Comm system.
The driver is fully compatible with other FieldServer drivers and meets FieldServer’s quality assurance standards. The driver was developed by Chipkin Automation Systems, an Approved FieldServer Integrator.
| Fieldserver Mode | Nodes | Comments |
| Active Server | 1 | Messages do not contain destination and source node addresses. Therefore only one Cad Comm system can be connected to each port. |
Formal Driver Type
Serial
Active Server
Compatibility Matrix
| FieldServer Model | Compatible with this driver |
| FS-x2010 | Yes, |
| FS-x2011 | Yes, |
| FS-x40 | Yes, |
| FS-X30 | Yes, |
Connection Information
| Connection type: | EIA485 |
| Baud Rates: | Driver Supports : 110; 300; 600; 1200; 2400; 4800; 9600; 19200; 28800; 38400; 57600; 115200 Baud
Cad Comm System supports: To be provided |
| Data Bits: | Driver Supports : 7,8
Cad Comm System supports: To be provided |
| Stop Bits: | Driver Supports : 1,2
Cad Comm System supports: To be provided |
| Parity: | Driver Supports : Odd, Even, None
Cad Comm System supports: To be provided |
| Hardware interface: | N/A |
| Multidrop Capability | No |
Devices tested
| Device | Tested (FACTORY, SITE) |
| Untested | |
Connection configurations
FS30 shown as representing FS20, FS30 and FS40
Communications functions
Each time data in the FieldServer is updated by the downstream device such as the fire alarm panel, the driver will write data to the Cad Comm system using this driver.
The message sent are formatted as follows ;
|
Byte |
Field |
Notes |
|
0 |
STX |
Start of Message |
|
1 |
Message_Type |
‘H’ Heartbeat |
|
|
|
‘E’ Event (All non heartbeat messages) |
|
2 |
Event_Type |
‘A’ Alarm (or Fire) |
|
|
|
‘T’ Trouble |
|
|
|
‘S’ Supervisory |
|
|
|
V’ Value |
|
3 |
Loop_Number(tens) |
Also known as ‘Block Number’ |
|
4 |
Loop_Number(units) |
Printed in ASCII format. Values less than 10 are padded with leading zero |
|
5 |
Point_Number(hundreds) |
Point or device number. Numbers are padded with leading zeroes |
|
6 |
Point_Number(tens) |
|
|
7 |
Point_Number(units) |
|
|
8 |
Point State / Value |
The state or value of the point |
|
9 |
Point State / Value |
Padded with leading zeroes |
|
10 |
Point State / Value |
|
|
11 |
Point State / Value |
|
|
12 |
Point State / Value |
|
|
13 |
Point State / Value |
|
|
14 |
Point State / Value |
|
|
15 |
Point State / Value |
|
|
16 |
Point State / Value |
|
|
17 |
Point State / Value |
|
|
18 |
Engineering Units string |
An ascii string. Spaces if none |
|
19 |
Engineering Units string |
|
|
20 |
Engineering Units string |
|
|
21 |
Engineering Units string |
|
|
22 |
Engineering Units string |
|
|
23 |
Engineering Units string |
|
|
24 |
Engineering Units string |
|
|
25 |
ETX |
End of Message |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sample:
|
Byte |
Contents |
Meaning |
|
0 |
STX |
Start of Message |
|
1 |
E |
Event |
|
2 |
A |
Alarm (or Fire) |
|
3 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
1 |
Loop=01 |
|
5 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
2 |
Point=012 |
|
8 |
0 |
The state or value of the point |
|
9 |
0 |
Padded with leading zeroes |
|
10 |
0 |
|
|
11 |
0 |
|
|
12 |
0 |
|
|
13 |
0 |
|
|
14 |
0 |
|
|
15 |
0 |
|
|
16 |
0 |
|
|
17 |
1 |
Point is On(=1) |
|
18 |
|
Spaces because no units |
|
19 |
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
|
21 |
|
|
|
22 |
|
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
25 |
ETX |
End of Message |
|
|
|
|
Responses
The driver is capable of processing a response to each message it sends. By default the driver does not require a response.
- A message formatted as above xcept that the message_type=’A’ for Ack or ‘N’ for Nak. The remainder of the message can be blank.
- A simple <ACK> (hex code = 0×06) or <NAK> (hex code = 0×15 )
Support
Please contact Chipkin Automation Systems directly for driver support.
The following responses are supported.
Revision History
| Date | Resp | Format | Driver Ver. | Doc.
Rev. |
Comment |
| 21Mar06 | PMC | 0.00 | 0 | Initial Draft issued for customer review. | |