User Manual

SMP Gateway
For use with SMP Gateway software version 5.2 or later.
Cooper Power Systems, SMP and Yukon are valuable trademarks of Cooper Industries.
All brand and product names appearing in this document are the trademark or registered trademark
of their respective holders.

© 2010 Cooper Power Systems, hardware, software and manual. All rights reserved.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Cooper Power Systems

Energy Automation Solutions
730 Commerciale Street
Suite 200
Saint-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec
Canada G6Z 2C5
Phone: +1.418.834.0009
Fax: +1.514.227.5256
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.cooperpowereas.com

Technical Support: [email protected]

GUI-00316-00001 T, version 21
Contents
1 Welcome 1
1.1 SMP Gateway Models ...........................................................................................1
1.2 Related Documentation .........................................................................................2
1.3 Getting Assistance .................................................................................................2
1.4 Getting Started .......................................................................................................3
1.5 Overview ...............................................................................................................3

2 Principles of Operation 5
2.1 Logical Architecture ..............................................................................................5
2.1.1 Masters and Slaves ..................................................................................5
2.1.2 Introducing the SMP Gateway in the Automation System......................6
2.1.3 SMP Gateway Internals...........................................................................6
2.1.4 Communications Components ................................................................7
2.2 Configuring the SMP Gateway..............................................................................8
2.2.1 The Transparent SMP Gateway ..............................................................9
2.2.2 Using the SMP Gateway as a Protocol Translator ................................11
2.2.3 Using the SMP Gateway as a Data Concentrator ..................................11
2.2.4 Using the SMP Gateway as a Communication Processor .....................12
2.2.5 Putting It All Together ..........................................................................13
2.2.6 Securing the Substation .........................................................................14

3 SMP Tools Overview 17

4 SMP Manager 19
4.1 Main Window ......................................................................................................19
4.2 Adding an SMP Gateway ....................................................................................20
4.3 Information Provided by the SMP Gateway Icon ................................................21
4.4 Customizing the Display .....................................................................................22
4.4.1 Adding or Removing a Column ............................................................22
4.4.2 Changing the Position of a Column ......................................................23

5 Configuring the SMP Gateway 25

5.1 Creating Master Protocol Instances .....................................................................26

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5.1.1 Device Prefix and Naming Conventions for Data Points ......................28
5.1.2 Configuring the Master Protocol General Settings................................28
5.1.3 Accessing Protocol-Specific Documentation ........................................29
5.2 Configuring the Data Points ................................................................................29
5.2.1 Adding Data Points from a Protocol Template .....................................30
5.3 Creating a Template from a Master Protocol Instance ........................................31
5.4 Duplicating a Master Protocol Instance...............................................................31
5.5 Configuring the Communications Links .............................................................32
5.5.1 Configuring the Serial Port Interfaces ...................................................32
5.5.2 Serial port naming conventions .............................................................33
5.5.3 Configuring the Operation of the Serial Ports .......................................34
5.5.4 Reserving a Serial Port for Radio Usage ...............................................34
5.5.5 Configuring TCP/IP Master Connections .............................................35
5.5.6 Configuring UDP/IP Master Connections .............................................36
5.6 Associating a Master Protocol Instance with a Communications Link ...............36
5.7 Validating and Saving the Configuration ............................................................37
5.7.1 Sending the Configuration to the SMP Gateway ..................................38
5.7.2 Retrieving an SMP Gateway Configuration File...................................38
5.8 Working with SMP Config ..................................................................................39
5.8.1 Selecting Cells and Rows ......................................................................39
5.8.2 Duplicating a Row.................................................................................39
5.8.3 Copying a Value to a Group of Cells ....................................................39
5.8.4 Re-sequencing a Group of Rows ...........................................................40
5.8.5 Deleting an Item ....................................................................................42
5.8.6 Using Tooltips .......................................................................................42
5.8.7 Searching and Replacing Points in a Configuration ..............................42

6 Viewing the SMP Log Files 45

6.1 Information Provided by SMP Log .....................................................................45
6.2 SMP Log Features ...............................................................................................46
6.2.1 Searching in SMP Log ..........................................................................46
6.2.2 Printing a Log........................................................................................46
6.2.3 Saving a Log File ..................................................................................46
6.2.4 Viewing Multiple Log Folders at Once .................................................46
6.2.5 Changing How Time Information is Displayed ....................................47
6.2.6 Deactivating the Auto Scroll Feature ....................................................47

7 Viewing Protocol Exchanges in Real Time 49

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7.1 Information Provided by SMP Trace...................................................................49
7.2 SMP Trace Features ............................................................................................50
7.2.1 Searching in SMP Trace........................................................................50
7.2.2 Printing Traces ......................................................................................51
7.2.3 Recording Live Traces ..........................................................................51
7.2.4 Saving all the Scrolled Information.......................................................51
7.2.5 Changing How Time Information is Displayed ....................................52
7.2.6 Deactivating the Auto Scroll Feature ....................................................52

8 Viewing Communications Statistics in Real Time 53

8.1 Information Provided by SMP Stats ....................................................................54
8.2 SMP Stats Features ..............................................................................................54
8.2.1 Resetting Statistics ................................................................................54
8.2.2 Printing Statistics ..................................................................................54
8.2.3 Changing How Time Information is Displayed ....................................55

9 Using a Web Browser to View Data in Real Time 57

9.1 Connecting to the SMP Gateway Website...........................................................57
9.2 Navigating Through the SMP Gateway Website .................................................57
9.3 Applying a Filter to a Data Point Display ...........................................................58
9.4 Acknowledging Data Point Value Changes ........................................................59

10 Connecting the SMP Gateway to a Control Center 61

10.1 Creating Slave Protocol Instances .......................................................................61
10.2 Configuring Slave Protocol Instances .................................................................61
10.3 Subscribing to the Master Data Points.................................................................62
10.4 Configuring the Data Points ................................................................................64
10.5 Configuring the Communications Links .............................................................64
10.5.1 Setting up a TCP/IP Slave Connection..................................................64
10.5.2 Setting up a UDP/IP Slave Connection .................................................65
10.6 Associating a Slave Protocol Instance with a Communications Link .................66
10.7 Validating and Activating the Configuration ......................................................66
10.8 Testing the Configuration ....................................................................................66

11 Using the Web Server Commissioning Tool 69

11.1 Configuring an SMP Gateway for Commissioning .............................................69
11.2 Activating the Commissioning Feature ...............................................................70
11.3 Opening a Commissioning Session .....................................................................70
11.3.1 The Commissioning Tab .......................................................................71

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11.3.2 Forcing an Input Point ...........................................................................72
11.3.3 Un-Forcing an Input Point.....................................................................73
11.3.4 Performing a Control Operation ............................................................73
11.3.5 Closing the Commissioning Session .....................................................74
11.4 Deactivating the Commissioning Feature............................................................75

12 Security 77
12.1 Meeting NERC CIP Requirements ......................................................................77
12.1.1 Displaying Appropriate Use Banners ....................................................77
12.1.2 Identifying Which Ports are Open in the SMP Gateway Firewall.........78
12.2 Substation Network Security Considerations ......................................................79
12.2.1 The SMP Gateway Built-in Firewall .....................................................79
12.2.2 Using SMP Tools through a Substation LAN Firewall .........................80
12.3 Extending the SMP Gateway Security Model .....................................................80
12.4 Managing SMP Gateway Security Databases .....................................................81
12.4.1 Accessing the Login Information Dialog Box.......................................81
12.4.2 Defining your Authentication Policy ....................................................81
12.4.3 Groups and Privileges ...........................................................................84
12.4.4 Editing User Groups and Privileges ......................................................84
12.4.5 Managing User Groups and Privileges..................................................86
12.4.6 Validating the Security Database ..........................................................87
12.4.7 Exporting the Security Database ...........................................................87
12.4.8 Sending the Security Database to One or More SMP Gateways ...........87
12.4.8.1 Sending a Previously Saved Security Database ........ 88
12.4.8.2 The Security Status ................................................... 88
12.4.9 Retrieving the Security Database of an SMP Gateway .........................89
12.4.10 Removing the Security Database from One or More
SMP Gateways ......................................................................................89
12.4.11 Unlocking a User Account ....................................................................90
12.4.12 Viewing the Security Log .....................................................................90
12.5 File Certification and Integrity Checking ............................................................91
12.5.1 Detecting an Integrity Check Failure ....................................................91
12.5.2 Recovering from an Integrity Failure ....................................................91
12.6 Configuring the Firewall .....................................................................................92
12.6.1 Setting Firewall Rules ...........................................................................92
12.6.2 Restricting Access to Other Services ....................................................93
12.6.3 Disabling the Built-in Firewall ..............................................................93
12.6.4 Disabling the Firewall Log ....................................................................94

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12.7 Locking Incoming RAS and Passthrough Connections .......................................94
12.7.1 Locking or Unlocking All Incoming RAS Dialup Connections............95
12.7.1 Locking or Unlocking a Passthrough Connection .................................95
12.8 Security-Related System Data Points ..................................................................96
12.9 Legacy SMP Gateway Software and Tools Compatibility ..................................96
12.9.1 Accessing SMP Gateways with Legacy Software Installed ..................96
12.9.2 Using Legacy SMP Tools with Recent SMP Gateway Software ..........98
12.9.3 Using Recent SMP Tools with Legacy SMP Gateway Software ..........98
12.9.4 Using VPN Connections .......................................................................99
12.9.4.1 Manually Setting Up a VPN Connection .................. 99

13 Using Passthrough Connections 101

13.1 Principles of Operation ...................................................................................... 101
13.1.1 The Direct Access Port and the Command Line Interface .................. 103
13.2 Setting up Passthrough Connections ................................................................. 103
13.2.1 Defining SMP Gateway Passthrough Settings .................................... 103
13.2.2 Installing a Loopback Cable, if Necessary .......................................... 105
13.2.3 Setting Up a List of Applications and Loopback Connections............105
13.3 Connecting to the Device .................................................................................. 108
13.4 Testing the Passthrough Connection ................................................................. 108
13.5 Deactivating the Passthrough Connection ......................................................... 109
13.6 Using the Trace of Passthrough Connection Events .......................................... 109
13.7 Changing How Time Information is Displayed in SMP Connect ..................... 110

14 Retrieving Event Files From Devices 111

14.1 Defining System Folders ................................................................................... 111
14.2 Configuring Master Protocols for Event File Retrieval ..................................... 113

15 Using the Annunciator Interface 115

15.1 Activating the Annunciator Option ................................................................... 117
15.2 Setting Up the Annunciator ............................................................................... 117
15.2.1 Configuring Alarm Inputs ................................................................... 118
15.2.2 Setting Up the Alarms Page ................................................................ 120
15.2.3 Setting Up the Blocked Page............................................................... 123
15.2.4 Setting Up the History Page ................................................................ 124
15.2.5 Setting Up the System State Page ....................................................... 125
15.2.6 Creating a User-Defined Readings Page ............................................. 126
15.2.7 Selecting the Pages to Display ............................................................ 133

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15.2.8 Selecting the Page Displayed at Startup .............................................. 133
15.2.9 Changing How Time Information is Displayed .................................. 134
15.2.10 Setting Up an Alarm Buzzer ............................................................... 134
15.2.11 Temporarily Deactivating the Annunciator ......................................... 134
15.3 Setting Up the Touch Screen ............................................................................. 134
15.3.1 Connecting the Touch Screen to the SMP Gateway............................ 134
15.3.2 Setting Up a Screen Saver using SMP Config .................................... 135
15.4 Uploading the Configuration to the SMP Gateway ........................................... 135
15.5 Calibrating the Touch Screen ............................................................................ 136
15.6 Using the SMP Gateway Annunciator............................................................... 136
15.6.1 Navigating Through the Different Pages............................................. 136
15.6.2 Managing Alarms ................................................................................ 137
15.6.3 Blocking Alarm Inputs ........................................................................ 139
15.6.4 Using the Single Alarm Display.......................................................... 139
15.6.5 Using the History Log ......................................................................... 140
15.6.6 Monitoring System State ..................................................................... 141
15.6.7 Performing Control Operations From a Readings Page ...................... 144
15.6.8 Using the Screen Saver ....................................................................... 145

16 Automation Functions 147

16.1 The SMP Gateway Automation Functions Module ........................................... 147
16.1.1 Adding an Automation Functions Instance ......................................... 148
16.1.2 Defining an Automation Function ....................................................... 149
16.1.3 Understanding Automation Functions Settings ................................... 150
16.1.4 Using the Logic Processor................................................................... 151
16.1.4.1 Data Point Names in Expressions ........................... 153
16.1.4.2 Comments in Expressions....................................... 153
16.1.4.3 Condition Statements .............................................. 154
16.1.4.4 Mathematical Functions ......................................... 154
16.1.4.5 Data Point Functions .............................................. 155
16.1.4.6 Generators............................................................... 155
16.1.4.7 Arithmetic Operators .............................................. 156
16.1.4.8 Binary Operators .................................................... 157
16.1.4.9 Logical Operators ................................................... 157
16.1.4.10 Relational Operators ............................................... 158
16.1.4.11 Constants and Variables ......................................... 158
16.2 The Soft PLC ..................................................................................................... 158

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16.2.1 The CoDeSys Development Environment .......................................... 159
16.2.2 Using CoDeSys to Create SMP Gateway Automation Scripts ............ 159

17 Using Syslog with an SMP Gateway 161

17.1 Setting Up Syslog .............................................................................................. 161

18 Redundancy 163
18.1 Redundant Group Operation.............................................................................. 163
18.1.1 Redundant IEDs .................................................................................. 163
18.1.2 Giving Priority to an SMP Gateway of the Group .............................. 164
18.2 Grouping 2 SMP Gateways for Redundancy..................................................... 164
18.2.1 Prerequisites ........................................................................................ 165
18.2.2 Setting Up a Redundancy Group Using SMP Manager ...................... 165
18.2.3 SMP Manager Redundancy Column ................................................... 168
18.3 Managing Redundancy ...................................................................................... 170
18.3.1 Forcing an Active SMP Gateway to Fall on Standby.......................... 170
18.3.2 Additional Failover Conditions ........................................................... 170
18.3.3 Modifying the Redundancy Settings of an Existing Group ................. 171
18.3.4 Ungrouping SMP Gateways ................................................................ 171
18.3.5 Testing and Validating the Configuration ........................................... 171
18.3.6 Monitoring Redundancy Status ........................................................... 171
18.3.7 Testing a Redundant Network ............................................................. 171
18.4 Hot Standby ....................................................................................................... 173
18.5 Teaming NICs for Network Fault Tolerance (SMP 16 Only) ........................... 174

19 Setting Up the SNMP Server 175

19.1 SNMP Traps ...................................................................................................... 175
19.2 Configuring the SNMP Server .......................................................................... 175

20 Time Adjustment 177

20.1 Monitoring Time Information ........................................................................... 177
20.2 Setting the SMP Gateway Internal Clock .......................................................... 177
20.3 Automatic Clock Adjustment ............................................................................ 178
20.3.1 About GPS, IRIG-B and SNTP ........................................................... 179
20.3.2 Configuring the SMP 16 GPS Clock Option ....................................... 179
20.3.3 Using IRIG-B for Internal Clock Adjustment ..................................... 180
20.3.4 Setting Up the SMP Gateway as an SNTP Client ............................... 180
20.3.5 Using the Time Adjustment Feature of a SCADA Protocol ............... 181
20.4 Using the SMP Gateway as a Time Source ....................................................... 181

SMP Gateway User Manual • vii

20.4.1 Configuring IRIG-B Time Distribution .............................................. 182
20.4.2 Setting Up the SMP Gateway to Act as an SNTP Server .................... 183
20.4.3 Adjusting Devices Clocks Using Master Protocols............................. 183

21 SMP Tools Remote Access to the SMP Gateway 185

21.1 Windows Vista Setup Procedure ....................................................................... 185
21.1.1 Setting Up a Dial-Up (Modem) Connection ....................................... 185
21.1.2 Incoming Direct Serial Connections and Windows Vista ................... 188
21.2 Windows XP Setup Procedures ......................................................................... 188
21.2.1 Setting Up a Dial-Up (Modem) Connection ....................................... 188
21.2.2 Setting Up a Direct Serial Connection ................................................ 191
21.3 Windows 2000 Setup Procedures ...................................................................... 193
21.3.1 Setting Up a Dial-Up (Modem) Connection ....................................... 193
21.3.2 Setting Up a Direct Serial Connection ................................................ 195

22 Using a Dial-Up Connection for DNP3 or IEC 60870-5-101 199

22.1 Specifying Which Serial Ports Have Modems .................................................. 199
22.2 Creating a Modem Pool ..................................................................................... 200
22.3 Adding a Modem to a Modem Pool .................................................................. 201
22.4 Adding a Modem Pool Master Connection ....................................................... 202
22.5 Adding a Modem Pool Slave Connection ......................................................... 203

23 Updating SMP Gateway Software and Tools 205

23.1 Software Architecture of the SMP Gateway ..................................................... 205
23.2 Version Packs .................................................................................................... 206
23.3 Updating the SMP Tools on the PC................................................................... 206
23.4 Updating the SMP Gateway Software ............................................................... 207
23.4.1 Updating the SMP Gateway Firmware ............................................... 207
23.4.2 Updating the SMP Gateway Application ............................................ 208
23.4.3 Updating the Configuration File ......................................................... 209

24 Activating a New License 211

24.1 Updating the License of an SMP Gateway ........................................................ 211
24.1.1 Protocol Classes .................................................................................. 212

25 Miscellaneous SMP Tool Features 213

25.1 SMP Manager Features ..................................................................................... 213
25.1.1 Modifying SMP Manager Settings ...................................................... 213
25.2 SMP Config Features ........................................................................................ 214
25.3 System Data Points ............................................................................................ 214

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25.4 SMP Loader....................................................................................................... 218
25.4.1 Setting Up SMP Loader ...................................................................... 219
25.4.2 Main Window ..................................................................................... 220
25.4.3 Transferring Files to the SMP Gateway .............................................. 220
25.4.4 Viewing the Log File .......................................................................... 222
25.4.5 Updating Bootstraps under Unusual Circumstances ........................... 222

26 SMP Console Functions 223

26.1 Starting SMP Console ....................................................................................... 223
26.2 Firewall Manager .............................................................................................. 223
26.2.1 R Command ........................................................................................ 224
26.2.2 S Command ......................................................................................... 224
26.2.3 H Command ........................................................................................ 224
26.2.4 Q Command ........................................................................................ 224
26.3 Time and Date ................................................................................................... 224
26.4 Clock Manager .................................................................................................. 225
26.4.1 D Command ........................................................................................ 226
26.4.2 H Command ........................................................................................ 226
26.4.3 Q Command ........................................................................................ 226
26.5 Elo Touchscreen Driver Manager...................................................................... 226

27 Troubleshooting 227
27.1.1 Getting Additional Help ...................................................................... 227
27.1.2 Creating an SMP Gateway Report File ............................................... 227
27.1.3 Viewing an SMP Gateway Report File ............................................... 229
27.2 Startup Problems ............................................................................................... 229
27.2.1 No Configuration File ......................................................................... 229
27.2.2 Protocols Failed................................................................................... 229
27.2.3 Critical Components Missing .............................................................. 230
27.3 Communications Problems ................................................................................ 231
27.3.1 Physical Layer ..................................................................................... 231
27.3.2 Link Layer ........................................................................................... 231
27.3.3 Protocol Layer ..................................................................................... 232
27.4 Problems with Data Validity ............................................................................. 232
27.5 Problems Executing a Control Operation .......................................................... 233
27.6 Firewall-Related Problems ................................................................................ 233
27.6.1 Recovering from a Firewall Lockout .................................................. 233

SMP Gateway User Manual • ix

1 Welcome

Congratulations on acquiring your new SMP Gateway! You now have unlimited connectivity for
all the equipment in your substation.
In this manual, we will show you how to use the SMP Gateway to integrate existing and new
RTUs, IEDs, PLCs and control centers into a single modern, homogeneous substation automation
system.
You will learn how to set up your SMP Gateway as a:
• Protocol Translator.
The SMP Gateway translates standard or proprietary device protocols to control center
protocols such as DNP3, TEJAS, IEC-60870-5-101/103/104 or IEC-61850 (UCA 2.0).
• Data Concentrator.
The SMP Gateway collects the data from all connected devices, regardless of protocol, and
makes it available to control centers using LAN, WAN, modem or serial connections.
• Terminal Server.
The SMP Gateway supports centralized maintenance, monitoring and control of all devices by
using the passthrough communication mode.
• Substation Communications Gateway.
The advanced capabilities of the SMP Gateway make it the ideal choice for any substation
automation project.

1.1 SMP Gateway Models

There are currently 3 SMP Gateway models:
• The SMP 4 has 4 ports. It comes in a compact and economical format that allows it to be
installed directly within relay protection enclosures. There is also an optional internal modem
available, which allows the SMP 4 to communicate with a SCADA or device via a dialup
connection.
• The SMP 16, which can be mounted in a 19-inch rack, comes in two versions, both of which
have the same basic characteristics:
• The SMP 16/CP is a gateway that offers 16 RS-232/422/485 universal serial ports,
2 Ethernet ports and an integrated modem.
• The SMP 16/SG has, in addition, expansion slots where accessories and options can be
added to make it an ideal communications gateway for all your automation projects.

Note: Both SMP 16 versions can also be equipped with the PM option, a new 1.1 GHz
Pentium-M processor that improves the gateway's speed tenfold. This is ideal for
high-capacity application or complex automation schemes.

The manual applies to all models, and differences are indicated where applicable. Refer to your
SMP Gateway installation guide for a detailed description of your particular SMP Gateway model.

SMP Gateway User Manual •1

1.2 Related Documentation
This manual provides you with the basic information you need to get started with your
SMP Gateway. To reduce paper use, we have included the following related documentation on the
CD-ROM you received with the product. Should you want printed documents, you can order them
from Cooper Power Systems using reference number P-DPRN-0102.
The Documentation folder contains the following related manuals:
• SMP 4 Installation Guide, GUI-00316-00026 T.
This document gives you detailed instructions on installing and setting up the SMP 4.
• SMP 16 Installation Guide, GUI-00316-00032 T.
This document gives you detailed instructions on installing and setting up the SMP 16/CP or
the SMP 16/SG.
• SMP 16 GPS Clock Option Installation Guide, AUT-00316-0047-T.
This document describes how to install the wiring and setup the software if you have the GPS
clock option for the SMP 16.
• Master Protocol Common Concepts, GUI-00316-00063 T.
This document describes the concepts and settings common to the protocols used by most
substation devices. Separate documents describe the protocol-specific settings.
• SMP 4 Diagnostics Reference Guide, GUI-00316-00040 T.
This document takes you through the steps required to run diagnostic tests on the SMP 4.
• SMP 16 Diagnostics Reference Guide, GUI-00316-00036 T.
This document takes you through the steps required to run diagnostic tests on the SMP 16.
In the same folder, you will also find useful documentation about the protocols implemented for
the SMP Gateway, technical notes that give additional information about the most advanced
features of the SMP Gateway, and application notes that will help you use the SMP Gateway in
your projects.

1.3 Getting Assistance

If you have any question regarding the performance, application or testing of any component of
this Cybectec product, do not hesitate to contact us. Our staff will be pleased to assist you.
Technical Support
Cooper Power Systems
Energy Automation Solutions
730 Commerciale Street, Suite 200
Saint-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec
Canada G6Z 2C5

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1.418.834.0009
Fax: +1.514.227.5256

Business hours are from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday.

2• SMP Gateway User Manual

1.4 Getting Started
When you receive your SMP Gateway, you have to go through several steps before you can
perform the tasks described in this document. Namely, you have to do the following:
• Unpack the SMP Gateway.
• Install the SMP Gateway.
• Set-up the SMP Gateway.
• Install the PC software.
• Make the SMP Tools aware of your new SMP Gateway.
• Load the SMP Gateway firmware.

All of these steps are explained in detail in the following documents:

• SMP 4 Installation Guide, GUI-00316-00026 T.
• SMP 16 Installation Guide, GUI-00316-00032 T.

Make sure you have performed all the steps described in those documents before proceeding with
the material explained in the present document.

1.5 Overview
Once you have performed all the steps explained in your SMP Gateway installation guide, you are
ready to perform the following tasks, as described in this user manual:
• Configure your SMP Gateway so that it can communicate with your devices:
• Define the hardware.
• Configure the master protocol instances that will communicate with your substation
devices.
• Configure the data points.
• Set-up the communications links between the SMP Gateway and the substation devices.
• Associate master protocol instances with communications links.
• Validate, activate and test your configuration.
• View the following information in real time:
• The SMP Gateway log files.
• Protocol exchanges.
• Communications statistics.
• Data points, using a Web browser.
• Configure your SMP Gateway so that it can communicate with one or more control centers:
• Configure a slave protocol instance for each control center.
• Have each control center subscribe to the data points.
• Associate slave protocol instances with communications links.
• You will also become familiar with the following SMP Gateway features:

SMP Gateway User Manual •3

• Security.
• Passthrough connections.
• DFR and event file processing.
• Automation functions.
• Annunciator.
• Redundancy.
• SNMP exporting.
• Time synchronization.
• SMP Gateway access through a direct or dial-up connection.
• SMP Gateway access through a dial-up connection for DNP3 and IEC 60870-5-101
protocols.
• Commissioning tool.
You will also learn how to update the SMP Gateway software and tools, and to troubleshoot any
problems you may encounter with your SMP Gateway.

4• SMP Gateway User Manual

2 Principles of Operation

Electrical power utilities face a number of challenges when attempting to automate their
substations. They have legacy devices that they want to continue using. They want to integrate
new devices. They may want to add one or more control centers. They may want to use a local
HMI in order to keep a close watch on all events that occur in the substation.
There are a number of problems to contend with: connectivity, protocol incompatibilities,
interoperability problems, security considerations, logistics for migration, downtime, and not the
least of which, total project cost.
The SMP Gateway has been specifically designed to address all these issues. It is the ideal product
to ensure a smooth, safe and cost-effective approach to substation modernization. Indeed, you can
use a step-by-step approach. You decide which steps to take, in which order, and when.

2.1 Logical Architecture

The SMP Gateway is designed to meet all the requirements for power substation automation. It
has an open architecture that allows you to easily add new protocols, devices, local area networks,
wide area networks, and control centers.
In this section, we will describe the logical architecture of the SMP Gateway and we will see how
it implements all the functions required of a substation gateway.

2.1.1 Masters and Slaves

A typical automation system consists of a SCADA system, located in a control center, which is
connected to devices located in the substation. The SCADA regularly polls the devices in order to
retrieve device readings and statuses. The operator uses the SCADA system to perform control
functions on selected devices.
Since it is the control system that initiates data acquisition and control, it is considered to be the
master system. Since the substation device responds to data acquisition and control requests, it is
considered the slave system.

SMP Gateway User Manual •5

SCADA

MASTER

SLAVE

DEVICE

Figure 1 A simple SCADA-device master-slave configuration

2.1.2 Introducing the SMP Gateway in the Automation System

When an SMP Gateway is introduced in the automation system, it has to act as both a slave and a
master. The SCADA system interrogates the gateway as if it were a substation device. The
gateway is thus a slave to the SCADA. However, since the gateway is connected to the substation
devices, it must also be able to perform the functions of a master, such as polling for data and
sending control requests.
SCADA

MASTER

SLAVE

MASTER

SLAVE

DEVICE

Figure 2 The SMP Gateway as a Master-and-Slave system

2.1.3 SMP Gateway Internals

The SMP Gateway internal architecture is based on a series of software components called
protocol components. Slave protocol components implement all the functions necessary to process
requests received from a SCADA or control center. Master protocol components implement the

6• SMP Gateway User Manual

functions necessary to poll devices and send control requests. Cooper Power Systems provides
components for most standard protocols, such as DNP3, MODBUS, IEC-60870-5-101/103/104
and IEC 61850, as well as a large number of proprietary protocols such as SEL, ABB TEN BYTE,
Motorola MDAC, and more.
The master protocol component polls the device and stores the data that it retrieves in an internal
database, called Real-Time Data Exchange (RTDX). RTDX is much more than a simple data store.
Besides storing the current value of all the device data points, it also stores the different types of
information than can be provided by a substation device, such as the quality and timestamp of the
data. It also stores information such as device tags used for control functions.
SCADA

SLAVE
PROTOCOL

REAL-TIME
DATA EXCHANGE

MASTER
PROTOCOL

DEVICE

Figure 3 SMP Gateway internals: master and slave protocols with RTDX

2.1.4 Communications Components

SMP Gateway protocol components process the messages exchanged among the control centers
and the devices. However, these messages can be transmitted using various communications
methods. For instance, the MODBUS protocol can be used on a TCP/IP network or on an RS-232
serial link.
SMP Gateway communications components implement all the functions required to communicate
with a device or control center using a variety of communications technologies. Cooper Power
Systems provides communications components for asynchronous serial ports, RS-232, RS-422,
RS-485, TCP/IP and modems.

SMP Gateway User Manual •7

CONTROL CENTER

SLAVE
COMMUNICATION
COMPONENT

SLAVE
PROTOCOL
COMPONENT

REAL-TIME
DATA EXCHANGE

MASTER
PROTOCOL
COMPONENT

MASTER
COMMUNICATION
COMPONENT

DEVICE

Figure 4 SMP Gateway communication components

2.2 Configuring the SMP Gateway

The SMP Gateway configuration process consists of establishing the relationships among the
internal components, and providing the specific settings for each of these components. This task is
greatly simplified by the SMP Tools family of software programs. These Microsoft Windows-
based programs help you configure your SMP Gateway and identify and correct any problems.
The configuration process consists of the following steps:
• Identifying the SMP Gateway model and the installed options.
• Creating a master protocol component for each device that is connected to the SMP Gateway.
• Defining all the data points in the device.
• Defining the communications link to be used to connect the device to the SMP Gateway.
• Creating a slave protocol component for each SCADA or control center.

8• SMP Gateway User Manual

• Defining the data points that the SMP Gateway will report to the SCADA.
• Defining the communications link to be used to connect to the SCADA.
• Adding a firewall and optionally a security server that supports corporate network users.
Thus, the configuration settings define the functions that the SMP Gateway performs. These
settings are stored in a file that you load onto the gateway. The flexibility of the SMP Gateway
architecture is the basis of Cooper Power Systems’ step-by-step substation modernization strategy.
In the following sections, we will show you how you can configure the SMP Gateway to perform
all the functions required of a substation gateway.

2.2.1 The Transparent SMP Gateway

As a first step in a substation automation project, you can easily set up the SMP Gateway to act as
a transparent interface between the SCADA and a substation device. The following diagram
illustrates how you can do this using the MODBUS protocol.
SCADA

RS-232
CONNECTION

MODBUS
SLAVE

REAL-TIME
DATA EXCHANGE

MODBUS
MASTER

RS-232
CONNECTION

DEVICE

Figure 5 The transparent SMP Gateway

In this configuration, the master component polls the device and stores the values in the RTDX.
The slave component processes the SCADA polling requests and sends the values provided by the
device.

SMP Gateway User Manual •9

There is not much use for a transparent gateway. However, it contains much more than the
components that we described previously. Simply by adding the SMP Gateway to the substation,
you now have access to the following advanced functions:
• Centralized automation functions, using the built-in Automation functions or the IEC 61131-3
Soft PLC logic processor.
• Real-time data display, using the built-in Web server.
• Transparent access to devices, using the passthrough server, for local or remote IED
maintenance.
• SNMP support to monitor communications status.
• Sophisticated HMI, interactive diagrams, data logging and reporting, using Cooper Power
Systems’ Visual T&D software.
• Sophisticated Windows tools for remote or local maintenance.
• A sophisticated security server to support corporate network users.
Even more important, the transparent SMP Gateway is the first step in integrating new substation
devices to your existing SCADA and automation system.

SCADA INTERNET VISUAL T&D

EXPLORER HMI

RS-232
CONNECTION

MODBUS WEB
SLAVE SERVER

REAL-TIME
PASSTHROUGH
DATA EXCHANGE
MAINTENANCE
TOOLS

MODBUS IEC 1131

SNMP
MASTER SOFT PLC

RS-232
STATS LOGS TRACES
CONNECTION

DEVICE

Figure 6 Additional SMP Gateway functions

10 • SMP Gateway User Manual

2.2.2 Using the SMP Gateway as a Protocol Translator
As we saw in the last section, the SMP Gateway is transparent when the master and slave
protocols are the same. When you configure different master and slave protocols, the
SMP Gateway becomes a protocol translator.
Since you can independently configure the communications links for the master and slave
components, you can easily use the SMP Gateway to integrate legacy serial devices in a modern
network environment. Similarly, you can connect modern IEDs to a legacy control center.
SCADA

TCP/IP
CONNECTION

DNP3
SLAVE

REAL-TIME
DATA EXCHANGE

MODBUS
MASTER

RS-232
CONNECTION

DEVICE

Figure 7 The SMP Gateway as a protocol translator

2.2.3 Using the SMP Gateway as a Data Concentrator

The SMP Gateway architecture is designed to simultaneously support any number of master
components. Each component has its own communications link and its own protocol. All the data
retrieved from the devices is stored in the RTDX, where it becomes available to the SCADA.
Using the SMP Gateway as a data concentrator is a simple matter of configuration, and it provides
a highly efficient means of adding new devices to an existing automation system. The SCADA
system has no knowledge of the new devices; it only sees new data points.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 11

SCADA

TCP/IP
CONNECTION

DNP3
SLAVE

REAL-TIME
DATA EXCHANGE

MODBUS SEL
MASTER MASTER

RS-232 RS-232
CONNECTION CONNECTION

DEVICE DEVICE

Figure 8 The SMP Gateway as a data concentrator

2.2.4 Using the SMP Gateway as a Communication Processor

The SMP Gateway architecture supports any number of slave components. Each component has
its own communications link, and all the device data can be sent to any number of SCADA and
control centers, each with its own protocol. Using the SMP Gateway, sending data to a new
control center is a simple matter of configuration.

12 • SMP Gateway User Manual

MAINTENANCE
SCADA CENTER

RS-232 TCP/IP
CONNECTION CONNECTION

MODBUS DNP3
SLAVE SLAVE

REAL-TIME
DATA EXCHANGE

MODBUS
MASTER

RS-232
CONNECTION

DEVICE

Figure 9 The SMP Gateway as a communication processor

2.2.5 Putting It All Together

The sophisticated architecture of the SMP Gateway allows it to integrate existing and new RTUs,
IEDs, PLCs and control centers into a single homogeneous substation automation system. It
provides you with a complete solution for automating new substations and modernizing legacy
systems.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 13

INTERNET VISUAL T&D TOUCH
SCADA SCADA HMI SCREEN
EXPLORER

RS-232 TCP/IP
CONNECTION CONNECTION

MODBUS DNP3 WEB

LOCAL HMI
SLAVE SLAVE SERVER

REAL-TIME
PASSTHROUGH
DATA EXCHANGE

MODBUS SEL IEC 1131

SNMP
MASTER MASTER SOFT PLC

RS-232 RS-232
STATS LOGS TRACES
CONNECTION CONNECTION

DEVICE DEVICE
MAINTENANCE
TOOLS

Figure 10 The substation SMP Gateway

2.2.6 Securing the Substation

Widespread data access within the SMP Gateway can become an important security risk if it is
compromised, but it can also become a security asset. This is why SMP Gateways are ready for
NERC CIP-002-1 to CIP-009-1 Cyber Security Standards. The gateway provides a single point of
access to all substation data. The security features of the SMP Gateway allow you to protect the
substation devices (see “Security”, page 77).
If you activate the security features within your substation SMP Gateway, you will be able to:
• comply with authentication and authorization policies;
• set up a firewall to protect from substation LAN security breaches;
• monitor and lock out remote connections.
Communications between the maintenance tools and the SMP Gateway are now performed
through TLS-encrypted links. File integrity check is also periodically performed on the
SMP Gateway files.
The access inside the firewall protection has additional layers of protection, so that only a few
users of your choice will have the possibility to modify parameters inside the substation.

14 • SMP Gateway User Manual

VISUAL T&D
HMI
INTERNET EXPLORER
SCADA SCADA

SPECIFIC IP
ADDRESS OPEN PORT
HARD-WIRE
CONNECTION
TLS
FIREWALL PROTECTION
TLS

RS-232 TCP/IP
TLS
CONNECTION CONNECTION

MODBUS DNP3 WEB

SLAVE SLAVE SERVER

REAL-TIME
PASSTHROUGH
DATA EXCHANGE

MODBUS SEL IEC 1131

SNMP
MASTER MASTER SOFT PLC

RS-232 RS-232
STATS LOGS TRACES
CONNECTION CONNECTION

HARD-WIRE
CONNECTION HARD-WIRE TLS
CONNECTION

DEVICE DEVICE MAINTENANCE

TOOLS

Figure 11 The SMP Gateway integrated firewall

In the following chapters, we will learn how to configure the SMP Gateway to perform these
functions.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 15

3 SMP Tools Overview

To assist you with the tasks you will want to perform with the SMP Gateway s in your
organization, we have provided you with our suite of SMP Tools.
The SMP Tools are Microsoft Windows-based programs that make it easy for you to configure the
SMP Gateway and perform maintenance functions. They run on a PC, are simple to use, and
provide advanced features that allow you to rapidly configure all the devices and communications
links in your substation. They can be used locally or remotely through a LAN, WAN or VPN.
When security is activated, users must log in before they can use any function.
The Cybectec SMP Tools include the following applications.

SMP Manager
Manages all the SMP Gateways in your organization. It displays the state of each gateway,
manages their configuration files and local security database, allows you to group two gateways
together to achieve redundancy, and is used to invoke the configuration and maintenance tools for
any gateway to which it is connected. From SMP Manager, you can also start Internet Explorer to
view the data points, logs and traces in real time, and you can start a console session in order to
set-up certain advanced features such as dial-up access.

SMP Config
Used to configure the SMP Gateway. It has a spreadsheet-like grid that you use to specify the
devices and control centers connected to the gateway, their protocols, their communications links
and their data points. Advanced editing functions make it easy for you to enter the data points.
Template editing allows you to pre-define standard devices with standard data points, thereby
reducing labor intensity and the possibility of errors.

61850 Config
Used to configure the IEC 61850 and UCA 2.0 protocols on the SMP Gateway.

SMP Log
Used to browse through and manage the log files maintained by the SMP Gateway. All significant
events are logged, including local and remote control events, system failures, special protocol
events, and so on.

SMP Stats
Used to browse through and manage a large variety of dynamically updated statistics, ranging
from full communications statistics for each link to the processor load for each protocol
component.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 17

SMP Trace
Used to browse through the real-time traces generated by the SMP Gateway. SMP Trace can
display detailed traces of all protocol and communications link activity. Traces are displayed in
both hexadecimal and application protocol format. The tracing functions are similar to those
usually provided by protocol analyzers, with the notable exception that they can be used remotely
at any time on any SMP Gateway and that they decode information at the application level. As
such, they constitute an excellent commissioning or debugging tool.

SMP Connect
Used to establish passthrough connections with any IED connected to an SMP Gateway, for the
purpose of doing remote configuration and maintenance of IEDs using manufacturer-provided
software.

SMP Loader
Used to load the secondary bootstrap program. Refer to Appendix A and to your SMP Gateway
installation guide for details on using SMP Loader.

Event Translator
Used to convert Cybectec event files to the COMTRADE format.

The next chapter will discuss how to create a list of SMP Gateways with SMP Manager, and will
then explain how to do a complete configuration of your SMP Gateway using SMP Config.

18 • SMP Gateway User Manual

4 SMP Manager

SMP Manager is the doorway to your SMP Gateways. It runs on your PC, as do all the tools you
launch through SMP Manager. You are already familiar with the application, since you added your
new gateway to the list of SMP Gateways managed by SMP Manager when you installed your
SMP Gateway. This section goes over a few of the points that were covered in your SMP Gateway
installation guide, and provides additional information.

To start SMP Manager:

‰ On the Windows taskbar, click start.
‰ Point to Programs, then Cybectec, and then SMP Tools.
‰ From the SMP Tools menu, choose SMP Manager.

The SMP Manager main screen appears

‰ If security has already been configured, the Login Information dialog box may appear. If it is
the case, enter valid credentials and click OK to login.

4.1 Main Window

The following figure shows a typical SMP Manager window.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 19

As illustrated, the main window displays information such as:
• The list of SMP Gateways and the tools that are currently running for each gateway in the list.
• The current status of each SMP Gateway in the list (started, failed, safe mode, max safe mode,
on standby, and various intermediate states), along with the license expiration date, if any.
• The SMP Gateway model/platform (ex. SMP 4, SMP 16/CP, etc.)
• The version number of the SMP Gateway application that is installed on the gateway.
• The primary IP address of the SMP Gateway.
• Whether the SMP Gateway's built-in firewall is active or not.
You can choose which columns you want to display and their order of appearance, by right-
clicking on the column header.

4.2 Adding an SMP Gateway

Creating a list of the SMP Gateways you want to monitor is easy.

To add a gateway to the list:

‰ From the File menu of SMP Manager, choose Add SMP Gateway to add your SMP Gateway
to the list.

‰ Type the name by which you want to identify your SMP Gateway in the SMP Gateway
name box.

20 • SMP Gateway User Manual

The Configuration file box is automatically filled with a default configuration file name.
This is the file that will be created and opened by default in SMP Config. If you change this
file name afterwards through the File menu, you must come back to this dialog box and
change the name in the Configuration File text box, so it opens the right file at startup.
‰ In the First IP Address box, type the IP address of the first Ethernet port. You can also type
the address of the second Ethernet port in the Second IP Address box, although it is not
necessary to do so.
‰ If the SMP Gateway cannot be directly accessed through the network, but requires a dialup
connection, clear the Automatically poll SMP Gateway’s status at startup check box to
prevent SMP Manager from polling the gateway for its status.
‰ To use a version of the SMP Tools that is different from the version of the software installed
on this specific SMP Gateway:
‰ Select Use specific version.
‰ Select the desired version in the corresponding box.

Note: Only versions for which a version pack is installed on the computer will be
available. To learn more about version packs, see “Version Packs”, page 206.

‰ Otherwise, select Use same version as SMP Gateway.

‰ Click Add.
The SMP Gateway gets added to the list, and SMP Manager automatically detects the gateway
model and in the case of an SMP 4, whether an internal modem is installed.

4.3 Information Provided by the SMP Gateway

Icon
The SMP Gateway icon, which is displayed beside each gateway name, provides additional
information about the SMP Gateway.
The following table gives the meaning of each icon.

Icon Description

A device with two red LEDs.

SMP Manager is unable to establish a connection with the gateway.

A device with flashing yellow and green LEDs.

SMP Manager is connected to the gateway.

A blank page.
A file (configuration file, new software, etc.) has been modified and will be activated
when the gateway is restarted.

A lined page and a pencil.

A report is currently in progress. The report file provides detailed information about the
gateway. You should, therefore, send an SMP Gateway report file with any request for
technical support.

A device, flashing yellow and green LEDs and a yellow telephone.

SMP Manager is connected to the gateway via remote dialup.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 21

Icon Description

A device and a telephone, grayed.

The gateway is configured for remote dialup but not currently connected to
SMP Manager.

A device with 2 red LEDs, and a yellow telephone.

SMP Manager is unable to establish a connection with the gateway over the remote
dialup connection.

4.4 Customizing the Display

You can customize the display in the SMP Manager window to suit your needs. You can choose
which columns you want to display, and the order in which you want them to appear.

Column Description

Gateway The list of SMP Gateways and, if you request it, the tools that are currently running for
each gateway in the list.

IP Address The IP address of any SMP Gateways you have grouped together in SMP Manager. This
column is not available by default.

Status The current status of each SMP Gateway in the list (started, failed, safe mode, max safe
mode, on standby, and various intermediate states).

Platform The SMP Gateway model: SMP 4, SMP 16/CP or SMP 16/SG.

Firewall Whether the SMP Gateway's built-in firewall is active. This information is available only
if your version of the SMP Gateway software supports security features.

VPN Indicates if the SMP Gateway is connected to SMP Manager using VPN or not.

Group This column shows the virtual address given to the redundancy group. If the address is
modified, the new address will appear beside the old one, separated by an arrow. Upon
the next reboot, the device will be grouped under the new address only.

Security This column shows whether the security is activated or not, if it is global or local, and
how recent it is.

4.4.1 Adding or Removing a Column

To toggle between displaying a column and removing it from the display:
‰ Right-click any column heading.
‰ From the shortcut menu, locate the column you are interested in. Put or remove a checkmark
to add or remove the column to or from the display.
OR
‰ From the View menu, choose Columns, and then click the name of a column you want to add
or remove.

22 • SMP Gateway User Manual

4.4.2 Changing the Position of a Column
To change the order of a column in the display:
‰ Click the column heading of the column you want to relocate.
‰ Drag the heading to the target location.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 23

5 Configuring the
SMP Gateway

As we saw under “Principles of Operation”, page 5, you have to configure the SMP Gateway
before you can use it. For this, you use SMP Config to define the characteristics of your
SMP Gateway and the functions it has to perform. The configuration is stored in a file that is then
loaded onto the SMP, where it is stored in non-volatile flash memory.
Using SMP Config, you will perform the following configuration steps:
• For an SMP 16/SG, define the hardware options installed.
• Create a master protocol instance for each device to be supported.
• Define each data point on each device.
• Configure the communications link to be used to connect to each device.
• Create a slave protocol instance for each SCADA or control center.
• Configure the communications link to be used to connect to the SCADA.
• Map the device data points to SCADA data points.
You will then use SMP Manager to send the configuration file to the SMP Gateway.

Note: There can only be one instance of SMP Config running at any given time.
If you launch the tool for a given SMP Gateway and then launch it again for a
second SMP Gateway, SMP Config will prompt you to save any changes you
have made, close the configuration file of the first gateway, and then open the
configuration file of the second gateway.

To create a configuration file for your SMP Gateway:

Start SMP Manager.
‰ Select the SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Config to start the application.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 25

The SMP Config display includes 3 panes. The left pane is a tree structure of all the configuration
topics. The top right pane displays the settings for the topic you have selected in the left pane. The
bottom right pane appears when your request that the configuration be validated; it displays error
and warning messages.
The gateway name is the name you assigned when you added the SMP Gateway in SMP Manager.
The configuration file name on the title bar was also assigned when you added the SMP Gateway
in SMP Manager.
If you open the Master Protocols and Slave Protocols branches, you will see that the tree
structure offers you a fixed set of protocols. These are the protocols currently supported by your
product license.

5.1 Creating Master Protocol Instances

You need to add a master protocol instance for each device you want to access with your
SMP Gateway (see Figure 2, page 6). Even if a number of devices share a multidrop link, each of
them requires its own master protocol instance. Each device is a slave, so the gateway acts as a
master when communicating with the device, which is why it requires a master protocol instance.
There are two ways to add the master protocol instance:
• You can use a template, which eases the task of configuring the master protocol instance, by
automatically entering the points list for the device. SMP Config provides templates for a
number of common substation devices.
• If no template is available, you will need to enter the points list. If you are configuring a
number of devices of the same type, you can save the first device configuration as a template
that you will then use to configure the other devices.
Once you have added a master protocol instance and entered its data points (manually or via a
template), you can click a particular data point type in the left pane and see the list of data points
and their settings in the right pane, as shown next.

26 • SMP Gateway User Manual

To create a master protocol instance from a template:
‰ In the left pane, open the Master Protocols branch, to display the list of master protocols
provided under your product license.
‰ In the left pane, click the protocol for which you want to add an instance.

The list of all defined master protocol instances appears in the right pane.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose New Instance From Template.
‰ Choose the appropriate template, and click Open.
‰ In the dialog box, enter:
• The name of the new instance.
The following characters cannot be used as part of an instance name: the comma (,), the
quotation mark (") and the slash (/).
• The device prefix.
The device prefix is a string that identifies the device and is used as a prefix for all of its
data point names. The prefix ensures that every name in the system is unique. An
explanation of the usage of prefixes is provided under “Device Prefix and Naming
Conventions for Data Points”, page 28.

Note: The following reserved words and characters cannot be used as part of a device
prefix: the word “_smp” (which is the device prefix of system data points), the
comma (,), the quotation mark ("), the semicolon (;) and the grave accent (`).

The new instance appears in the left pane. If you open its tree structure and click the various
physical data point types, all the data points supported by the device will be displayed in the right
pane.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 27

To create a master protocol instance manually:
‰ In the left pane, open the Master Protocols branch, to display the list of master protocols
provided under your product license.
‰ In the left pane, click the protocol for which you want to add an instance.
The list of all defined master protocol instances appears in the right pane.
‰ In the right pane, type the name of the new instance at the end of the list of names, and press
the TAB key on your keyboard.

Note: The following characters cannot be used as part of an instance name: the
comma (,), the quotation mark (") and the slash (/).

The new protocol instance is added in the left pane, under the protocol type you had selected. If
you expand its tree branch and click an item, the corresponding protocol settings will be displayed
in the right pane. Note that if you click a physical data point type in the left pane, the right pane
will display an empty row since you will have to add the physical data points manually.

5.1.1 Device Prefix and Naming Conventions for Data Points

A typical substation automation project requires the configuration of thousands of data points.
You can significantly reduce the effort by carefully planning how to name devices and data points.
Cooper Power Systems tools provide additional functionality if the names of data points are based
on some type of convention. For our engineering projects, we use a naming convention such as the
following:
• A data source name, such as the substation name: MAPLE, CEDAR.
• A voltage level: 220 or 25.
• A device name: L1 to indicate a line, T1 to indicate a transformer, F1 to indicate a feeder,
BUS for a bus bar.
• A signal name: V_phsA_mag to indicate the phase A voltage magnitude, A_phsA_mag to
indicate the phase A current magnitude, Pos_st to indicate the status of a breaker or a line
switch.
With such a convention, a data point called CEDAR_220_BUS_V_phsA_mag clearly indicates
the voltage magnitude of phase A on the 220 kV bus of the CEDAR substation. A data point
called MAPLE_025_F1_Pos_st indicates the status of the breaker switch of feeder 1 at the
Maple substation.

5.1.2 Configuring the Master Protocol General Settings

All master protocol components share common settings that define how they interact with a
device.

Note: If you created the protocol instance from a template, the general settings have
been defined for you. However, you should verify the settings to make sure they
match your device configuration, and you should familiarize yourself with the
naming conventions discussed in this section.

To specify general settings for a master protocol:

‰ In the left pane, click General to display the list of general settings for the selected protocol.
‰ In the right pane, type a Device Prefix.

28 • SMP Gateway User Manual

The string you enter will be used as a prefix for all the I/O point names of the device. It is
mandatory for each instance of a protocol. It is used to distinguish data point names that are
on the same device type, but on multiple physical devices. The device prefix ensures that
every data point name in the system is unique. Device prefixes are described in the “Device
Prefix and Naming Conventions for Data Points” section, page 28.

Note: The following reserved words and characters cannot be used as part of a device
prefix: the word “_smp” (which is the device prefix of system data points), the
comma (,), the quotation mark ("), the semicolon (;) and the grave accent (`).

‰ Still in the General settings, enter the scanning settings.

For instance, to configure a MODBUS master protocol, you would provide settings such as
the following:
‰ A Device Address, typically 1.
‰ A MODBUS Type, typically RTU Serial.
‰ A Scan Interval, typically 1000 milliseconds.
A complete description of all settings is provided in the document entitled Master Protocol
Common Concepts. Protocol-specific settings are described in individual documents, such as the
DNP3 Master Protocol Reference Manual.

Note: The following characters cannot be used as part of a data point name: the
comma (,), the quotation mark ("), the semicolon (;) and the grave accent (`).

5.1.3 Accessing Protocol-Specific Documentation

There are Cooper Power Systems documents available, to which you can refer for details on the
settings of the currently supported protocols.

To access the documents:

‰ Click start, on the Windows taskbar.
‰ Point to All Programs, then Cybectec, then SMP Tools, and then Documentation.
‰ From the Documentation menu, choose Protocols.

The list of available documents is displayed in an explorer window.

‰ Click the document you want to read.
‰ From the File menu of the explorer window, choose Open with Acrobat.
Your Adobe Acrobat program starts up and displays the document in a window.

5.2 Configuring the Data Points

Once you have provided the general settings of the protocol component, you then enter all the data
points on the device. If you created the protocol instance from a template, all the data points have
already been added; however, we suggest you read this section for your information.
A physical data point represents a real-life value, implemented on an external device. You need to
identify all the device data points, either manually or using a device template.
A logical data point is a value managed by the SMP Gateway. These data points are built-in and
cannot be modified, but they can be disabled.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 29

Protocol components typically support physical and logical data points of the following types:
• Analog inputs
• Binary inputs
• Analog outputs
• Binary outputs
Analog inputs are measured values. The system keeps 2 values for each analog measurement
obtained: a raw value, which is usually the value retrieved from the device, and a calculated value
expressed in engineering units, obtained using the following standard formula:
Engineering value = (Raw Value X Scaling Factor) + Offset
Binary inputs represent the state of a data point. The state is either ON or OFF.
Analog and binary outputs are typically initiated by a slave component, which sends a control
request originating from a control center, to the master component involved.
When you create a data point, you specify the type of data and indicate how the SMP Gateway
will retrieve it. General properties such as name, type and units, are independent of the type of
device or protocol used. Protocol-specific properties indicate how the SMP Gateway will retrieve
the data from the device. Each protocol uses its particular form of addressing, such as index values
or data offsets.
For example, to add a data point for a MODBUS device:
‰ Click the appropriate branch under the protocol instance.
‰ In the right pane, type the name of the data point and fill in all the appropriate settings.
For instance, to define an analog input you would provide the following settings:
• The name of the data point, such as BUS_VA. SMP Config will automatically add the
device prefix to this name, thereby generating the full name of the data point.
• The input source, such as Input Registers.
• The input format, such as Unsigned Integer.
• The input size, such as 16 or 32 bits.
• The word offset in the MODBUS device memory.
• The scaling information required to convert the raw value to engineering units.
• The Units and Description strings used to provide meaningful data displays.
A complete description of all settings is provided in the document entitled Master Protocol
Common Concepts. Protocol-specific settings are described in individual documents, such as the
Modicon Modbus Master Protocol Reference Manual. A complete description of system data
points can be found in the section entitled “System Data Points” on page 214 of this manual.

To access the various protocol documents:

‰ Click start, on the Windows taskbar.
‰ Point to Programs, then Cybectec, then SMP Tools, and then Documentation.
‰ From the Documentation menu, choose Protocols.

5.2.1 Adding Data Points from a Protocol Template

Protocol templates can also be used to add points to a protocol component. For instance, you could
use a template to add the data points provided by an optional device feature. You can do this by
retrieving the data points from a protocol template.

30 • SMP Gateway User Manual

To add data points from a protocol template:
‰ In the left pane, click the protocol instance to which you want to add the data points.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose New Points from Template.

A standard Windows “Open” dialog box appears.

‰ In the Templates folder for the protocol type you selected, choose the TPL file you want to
use, and click Open.

A dialog box appears, prompting you for the optional prefix and suffix to be added to every
new data point name. The upper portion of the dialog box provides information about the
open template file, while the lower portion shows warning and error messages.
‰ Specify a prefix and a suffix, if applicable.
The new data points now appear in their respective categories under the selected protocol instance,
and their names contain the specified prefix and suffix.

Note: The prefix and suffix are not applied to logical data points, and that the logical
data points are reset every time you add data points from a protocol template.
You should, therefore, configure these data points once you have completed the
list of physical data points.

5.3 Creating a Template from a Master Protocol

Instance
You can create a template of a master protocol instance, which you can retrieve later in order to
quickly generate new protocol instances.

To create a template from a master protocol instance:

‰ From the File menu, choose Save As Template.
‰ Choose the Templates folder in which you want to store the template, type a significant name
for the template file, and click Save.

Note: A template file can contain only one protocol instance. So if you want to create
templates for several protocol instances, create a new configuration for each one
and save individual templates.

5.4 Duplicating a Master Protocol Instance

Once you have created a master protocol instance and configured its data points, you may want to
generate one or more additional instances with the same general and data point settings. A quick
way to accomplish this is by duplicating the master protocol instance.

To duplicate a master protocol instance:

‰ In the left pane, click the protocol instance you want to duplicate.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose Duplicate.

A dialog box appears, prompting you for the instance name and device prefix.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 31

‰ Type the name and prefix of the protocol instance.
‰ Click OK.
The new protocol instance now appears in the left pane.

5.5 Configuring the Communications Links

A protocol component communicates with a device or control center using one of the following: a
serial link, a modem or a TCP/IP network. The configuration of a communications component is
completely independent of the protocol used. Before you connect a device to the SMP Gateway,
you have to choose and configure its communications links.

5.5.1 Configuring the Serial Port Interfaces

Depending on the options you choose in the hardware configuration, you can configure the
SMP Gateway serial ports to support RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485 communication.

To configure a serial port interface:

‰ Click Serial Ports in the left pane, to display all the available ports.
‰ For each port, choose the type of interface to be used. Most substation devices typically use
either Asynchronous RS-232 or Asynchronous RS-422/485.

The purpose of each interface is given in the following table:

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Interface Description

Asynchronous RS-232 Use this value to indicate that the serial port is dedicated to establishing
a standard asynchronous RS-232 connection.

Asynchronous RS-422/485 Use this value to indicate that the serial port is dedicated to establishing
an asynchronous RS-422 or RS-485 connection.

Modem Asynchronous This value indicates that the port is used for modem asynchronous
communication. The value is automatically assigned to the Modem port
of an SMP 16 and to the COM4 Board A port of an SMP 4 equipped
with an internal modem.

RAS (remote access server) Use this value to indicate that the serial port is configured to accept
incoming direct serial connections. This type of connection allows you
to use the SMP Tools as if you were connected to the SMP Gateway via
a normal network connection. By default, the CONSOLE port is always
configured for RAS.
Refer to the SMP 4 Installation Guide, GUI-00316-00026 T, or to the
SMP 16 Installation Guide, GUI-00316-00032 T, for instructions on
setting up a RAS IP address pool. Then refer to “SMP Tools Remote
Access to the SMP Gateway”, page 185, in the present manual, for the
step-by-step installation procedure.

Redundancy Use this value to indicate that the serial port is reserved for connecting
two SMP Gateways together as a redundancy group. See “Grouping 2
SMP Gateways for Redundancy”, page 164.

Elo Touchscreen Use this value to indicate that the touch input information of an Elo
Touchscreen will be transmitted to the SMP 16 using a serial cable,
through this serial port.
This interface is not available on an SMP 4.

Radio Use this value to indicate that a radio will be connected to this serial
port.

K-BUS Use this value to indicate that the serial port is used to communicate
with MiCOM relays from AREVA that provide a K-BUS interface.
This interface can only be assigned to serial ports A02 and A10 of an
SMP 16. For an SMP 4, connect a KITZ 101 interface unit between the
serial port of the SMP 4 and the K-BUS interface of the relay.

Reserved Use this value to indicate that the serial port is reserved for purposes
other than those stated previously.

5.5.2 Serial port naming conventions

In SMP Config, the various serial ports are named differently based on the SMP Gateway model.
The following naming conventions apply:
• The SMP 16 provides 16 serial ports, identified as A01 through A16. It also has a modem port
labeled MODEM, which has a Modem Asynchronous interface.
• The SMP 16/SG can also house up to 2 additional serial ports boards, which will be identified
as B01 to B16 and D01 to D16.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 33

• The SMP 4 provides 4 built-in serial ports. These ports are identified as COM1 Board A
through COM4 Board A.
• The SMP 4 also provides a built-in CONSOLE serial port. This port is identified as
Built-in Console 1 Board A. This feature allows you to use the CONSOLE port as a standard
serial port.
• If the SMP 4 has an internal modem, then it provides 3 built-in serial ports and 1 built-in
modem port. These ports are also identified as COM1 Board A through COM4 Board A;
however, the Interface column in the right pane indicates that the interface for
COM4 Board A is Modem Asynchronous.

5.5.3 Configuring the Operation of the Serial Ports

Each serial port needs to be configured with the appropriate settings for the connected device.

To specify serial port settings:

‰ In the left pane, open the Connections branch to display all the supported connection types.
‰ Click Asynchronous Serial Ports to display the list of available ports.

Note: If you choose Redundancy as the interface for a serial port, this port will not
appear in the list of Asynchronous Serial Ports, as it will be reserved for
connecting the 2 SMP Gateways that will be grouped together.

‰ In the right pane, enter the settings for the selected serial ports. The required settings are
usually provided in the device manufacturer’s reference manual:
‰ If you are using RS-485 2-wire communication, choose RS-485. If you are using RS-485
4-wire communication, choose RS-422.
‰ Choose the device communications settings: baud rate, byte size, parity and number of
stop bits, such as 9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit.
‰ Choose the device hardware handshaking mode:
‰ If the link type is RS-232, most devices do not use handshaking, so you should keep
the default values: RTS to Always On, DTR to Always On, and CTS to Ignore.
‰ If the link type is RS-422, set RTS to Always On. You shouldn’t have any problem
if you keep the other default values: DTR to Always On, and CTS to Ignore.
‰ If the link type is RS-485, set RTS to TX Request. You shouldn’t have any problem
if you keep the other default values: DTR to Always On, and CTS to Ignore.

5.5.4 Reserving a Serial Port for Radio Usage

Some devices may only be accessible through radios, requiring the installation of an external radio
on one of the serial port of the SMP Gateway. This port must be reserved, and the radio type and
settings must be specified at configuration time.

To reserve a serial port for radio usage:

‰ In the left pane, click Serial Ports.
‰ In the right pane, for the given serial port, select Radio in the Interface cell.
‰ Expand the Serial Ports branch, and then click Radios.
‰ In the right pane, in the Radio Type cell, select the type of radio between the following types:

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• Spread Spectrum.
Uses a large number of channels to send data from one radio to the other. The channel
hopping is defined in a scheme common to the pair of radios.
• License frequency.
Uses a single frequency/channel. It generally requires paying a fee for the use of the
frequency.
• Custom.
If the radio used does not correspond to any of the aforementioned type, select this value.
‰ Expand the Radios branch, and then select the given serial port branch.
‰ Specify the serial communication settings to use for this serial port. The required settings are
usually provided in the device manufacturer’s reference manual:
‰ Choose the device communications settings: Baud Rate, Byte Size, Parity and number
of Stop Bits, such as 9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit.
‰ Choose the device hardware handshaking mode:
‰ In the RTS (Output) cell, specify how to handle the RTS (Request-to-Send) signal.
In most cases, the default value will work.
‰ If RTS (Output) is set to TX Request:
‰ Specify, in the RTS Pre-delay cell, the time to wait, in milliseconds, after
the raise of the signal and before the transmission of the first byte.
‰ Specify, in the RTS Post-delay cell, the time to wait, in milliseconds, after
the transmission of the last byte, before lowering the signal.
‰ In the DTR (Output) cell, specify how to handle the DTR (Data Terminal Ready)
signal. In most cases, the default value will work.
‰ In the CTS (Input) cell, specify how to handle the CTS (Clear-to-Send) signal. In
most cases, the default value will work.
‰ In the CD (Input) cell, specify how to handle the CD (Carrier Detect) signal. In most
cases, the default value will work.

5.5.5 Configuring TCP/IP Master Connections

TCP/IP connections are most often used by slave components to connect to control centers.
However, an increasing number of modern IEDs can be connected to a substation LAN using a
TCP/IP connection.

To configure a TCP/IP connection for a master protocol component:

‰ In the left pane, click Connections, and then on TCP/IP Masters, to display the list of
defined connections.
‰ In the right pane, enter the settings for the new TCP/IP connection in an empty row of the
grid:
‰ Provide a significant name for the connection.
‰ Enter the IP address of the device.
‰ Enter the TCP port number of the device. This information is provided by the device
manufacturer.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 35

5.5.6 Configuring UDP/IP Master Connections
Some IEDs are accessible using the UDP protocol, rather than TCP. The UDP protocol allows the
broadcast of messages to several units simultaneously. It may also allow faster message
transmission, although it may be achieved to the expense of reliability.

Note: Although UDP is a “connection-less” protocol, the word “connection” is used in

SMP Config to describe a communication link that is configured between a
master protocol instance of an SMP Gateway and IED(s) that support this UDP-
based protocol.

To configure a UDP/IP connection for a master protocol component:

‰ In the left pane, click Connections, and then on UDP/IP Masters, to display the list of
defined connections.
‰ In the right pane, enter the settings for the new UDP/IP connection in an empty row of the
grid:
‰ Provide a significant name for the connection.
‰ In the Destination IP Address cell, type the IP address of the device.
‰ In the Destination Port cell, type the UDP port number of the device. This information is
provided by the device manufacturer.
‰ In the Source Port cell, type the UDP port number that will be used on the
SMP Gateway for transmission and reception. To use a random port number, type 0.
‰ (Optional) For the connection to receive data addressed to a multicast group, type the IP
address of this group in the Listen IP Multicast cell.

5.6 Associating a Master Protocol Instance with a

Communications Link
In the preceding steps, you configured a master protocol component and a communications
component. Now, you have to associate the protocol component with the communications
component.

To associate a master protocol instance with a communications link:

‰ In the left pane, click Connection Usage.
‰ In the right pane, for each master protocol instance under Master Connection Usage, select
the check box under the appropriate connection instance.

Note: If you have several devices that share a multidrop link, each device must have a
different device address.

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5.7 Validating and Saving the Configuration
Since the configuration of an SMP Gateway offers so many features, SMP Config tests and
validates the configuration files before you load it onto the gateway. Before going any further, you
should make sure your configuration is error-free. Then, you will send it to the gateway in order to
test it in a real-life situation.

To validate and save the configuration:

‰ From the Validate menu, choose Validate All. If your configuration contains any errors,
messages will appear in the Messages pane, as shown next.
‰ Correct any errors and repeat the process until the configuration is error-free.

‰ From the File menu, choose Save.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 37

Note: You cannot save a configuration file that contains errors. This feature is intended
to prevent you from inadvertently loading an invalid configuration file onto an
SMP Gateway. However, you can save your configuration file if the Messages
pane displays warnings only.

5.7.1 Sending the Configuration to the SMP Gateway

Once the configuration file is valid, you can send it to the SMP Gateway.

To upload the configuration to the SMP Gateway:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Update menu, choose Send Configuration File and choose your configuration file,
which has been saved in the location you specified in the Gateway Properties dialog box.

After sending the file to the SMP Gateway, SMP Manager informs you that you have to
restart your SMP Gateway for the new application to go into effect.
‰ In the Restart Gateway dialog box, choose Shutdown and Restart to have the
SMP Gateway restart in normal mode.
‰ All restarts are automatically logged in the SMP Gateway internal log file. You can type a
comment to indicate why you restarted the SMP Gateway. This comment will be added to the
event log.
The SMP Gateway will go through a series of startup steps, which will be displayed in the Status
column of your SMP Gateway. When startup is complete, if your configuration file is correct, the
Status column will show Started, to indicate that the gateway has started normally.
If your configuration file is incorrect, the Status column will indicate that there is a problem.
There are a number of conditions that can prevent the SMP Gateway from activating a
configuration. For instance, the hardware settings may not match the actual physical configuration
of the SMP Gateway. If the gateway does not start up normally, turn to “Troubleshooting”,
page 227.
Now that you have a working configuration file with all the master data points, you can use the
other SMP Tools and Internet Explorer to see what is going on with the SMP Gateway and with
the connected device.

5.7.2 Retrieving an SMP Gateway Configuration File

When you are about to send a configuration file to an SMP Gateway, as described previously, you
should first retrieve the old configuration file from the SMP Gateway and store it on your PC. This
will not be necessary when you first configure your SMP Gateway, but on subsequent updates, it
becomes an important precaution to take.

To retrieve an SMP Gateway configuration file:

‰ Select the SMP Gateway in the list.
‰ From the Update menu, choose Get Configuration File.

In the Configuration Download dialog box, SMP Manager displays the available
configuration files. The current configuration file is identified by the “.par” suffix, while the
previous configuration file is identified by “.old”. You might also see files with the “.txt” or
“.ait” extension.
‰ Choose the “.old” file, and click the OK button.

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‰ In the Save As dialog box, specify the name and path where the configuration file is to be
stored. The name of the configuration file on the SMP Gateway is used as the default name.

5.8 Working with SMP Config

There are many time-saving features you can use to enter data in an SMP Config grid. These
features are presented next.

5.8.1 Selecting Cells and Rows

To select one or several cells:
‰ Click the single cell you wish to select.
‰ To select several cells, hold down the CTRL key while clicking the cells.
‰ To select part of a column or part of a row, click the first cell, hold down SHIFT and click the
last cell you wish to select.

To select a column or a row:

‰ Click the header of the row you want to select.
‰ To select several rows or columns, hold down the CTRL key while clicking their header.
‰ To select a group of rows or columns in a sequential order, select the header of the first one,
hold down the SHIFT key and select the last one.

5.8.2 Duplicating a Row

To duplicate a row:
‰ Click the header of the row you want to duplicate.
‰ From the Edit menu, choose Duplicate Line.

The row is duplicated after the last row in the display.

In the following example, we clicked on a row and clicked the Duplicate Line command twice, so
the row appears twice at the bottom of the list.

5.8.3 Copying a Value to a Group of Cells

The Change Selection command of the Edit menu allows you to copy a value from a particular
cell, to one or more rows selected within the same column.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 39

To copy a value to one or more selected cells:
‰ Click the cell to which you want to copy a value.

If you are selecting more than one cell, use the CTRL key or the SHIFT key on your
keyboard, as per standard Windows procedure.
‰ From the Edit menu, choose Select Cells.

This makes the cells turn gray, as shown next.

‰ Click in the cell that contains the value you want to copy. In the example, we clicked in the
CI_01 Scale cell.

‰ From the Edit menu, choose Change Selection.

The value is copied to the selected cells.

‰ To deselect the cells, click Clear Selection in the Edit menu.

To add cells to the selection afterwards:

‰ Select the desired cells using the CTRL key or the SHIFT key on your keyboard, per the
standard Windows procedure.
‰ From the Edit menu, choose Add to selection.

5.8.4 Re-sequencing a Group of Rows

Some settings are sequenced, within a given column. You may decide to remove data points, in
which case you will need to remove gaps in the numbering sequence. While re-sequencing all the
entries manually would be quite tedious, the Resequence Selection command of the Edit menu
makes it easy.

40 • SMP Gateway User Manual

In the following example, the row with Index 7 has been deleted. All subsequent index numbers
are now incorrect.

To re-sequence these rows:

‰ Click the cell with Index 8.
‰ Hold down the SHIFT key of your keyboard and click the last cell in the column.
‰ From the Edit menu, choose Select Cells.

The cells turn gray.

‰ From the Edit menu, choose Resequence Selection.

A dialog box appears, in which you must specify the starting sequence number (7) and the
increment (1). The result is shown next.

‰ To deselect the cells, click Clear Selection in the Edit menu.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 41

5.8.5 Deleting an Item
To delete a row in a grid:
‰ In the right pane, click the header of the row you want to delete.
‰ Press the DEL key on your keyboard, and confirm your intention of deleting the row.

The item disappears from the grid.

To delete a protocol instance:

‰ In the left pane, click the protocol type.

The list of instances of this protocol type appears in the right pane.
‰ In the right pane, click the protocol instance you want to delete.
‰ Press the DEL key on your keyboard, and confirm your intention of deleting the row.

The protocol instance disappears from both panes.

By their very nature, serial port connections cannot be deleted in the same way. To delete a serial
port connection, you have to reserve the corresponding serial port for another usage.

To delete a serial port connection:

‰ In the left pane, click Serial Ports.
‰ In the right pane, choose Reserved in the Interface list of the serial port.

5.8.6 Using Tooltips

SMP Config provides context tooltips. These tooltips are not displayed on the status bar but rather
appear when you point with the mouse to a cell in any grid. This type of tooltip normally displays
the editing criteria for the field. For example, it may tell you that a given timeout setting value
must fall between 10 and 1000 milliseconds, that the default value is 500 milliseconds, that the
field is mandatory if a certain other field is selected, and so on. So they will assist you in editing
grids.
Here is a sample tooltip:

This feature is a great time and effort saver, as it spares you from having to wait until you try to
validate or save your SMP Gateway configuration before finding out that you have a number of
errors.

5.8.7 Searching and Replacing Points in a Configuration

To help you find all the references to a point in a configuration, a search function is available in
SMP Config.

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To access the search function:
‰ From the Edit menu, choose Find Points.

OR

Press CTRL-F.
‰ In the Find Points dialog box, type the point name you are looking for and click the Find
button. The results appear in the list below.
‰ Select the point in the list, the application will bring you to the configuration zone of the
point.

As shown above, one point can be used in several situations. If you need to change the naming
scheme in your configuration, rename the point and the other points created from it will
automatically bear the new name.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 43

6 Viewing the SMP Log Files

The SMP Gateway maintains an internal log of all significant events. Using SMP Log, you can
select and view the various log files in real time. You can view, print, search and save all or any
information in this application.

To start SMP Log and view the SMP log files:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Log.

SMP Log starts up and displays the list of available logs.

‰ Click a log in the left pane, to view its contents in the right pane.

6.1 Information Provided by SMP Log

The following log files contain information that you will find useful for the configuration and
maintenance of your SMP Gateway:
• The Startup log records all the steps that the SMP Gateway performed when it last started.
The log indicates which configuration file was loaded and which protocol components were
configured and started. You should consult the startup log each time you change the SMP
configuration, in order make sure it is a success.
• The Reset log records the time and reason for each SMP Gateway restart. It indicates whether
the reset occurred because of a power failure, a request from the front panel button, a remote
request, a watchdog trip, or a fatal hardware or software problem.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 45

• The Control log records the steps that the SMP Gateway performed in response to a local or
remote control request.
• The Security log records all events that concern the security options such as authentication
failures, file integrity check and much more.
The other SMP log files contain information that can help you and our technical support team in
identifying problems.

6.2 SMP Log Features

SMP Log offers you several handy features: searching, printing and saving log file, and having the
information displayed in UTC or local time.

6.2.1 Searching in SMP Log

To search in SMP Log:
‰ From the menu View, choose Search. You can also press CTRL-F, or click the binoculars
button in the toolbar.
‰ Type a keyword in the text box and click the Search button. All the results will become
highlighted; the first one will be lighter.
‰ To go to the next result, choose Search Next from the View menu, or press F3.
‰ To go to the previous result, choose Search Previous from the View menu, or press SHIFT-
F3.
‰ Once you have found, choose Cancel Search from the View menu and only the selected
result will remain highlighted.

6.2.2 Printing a Log

To print a log:
‰ Select a folder.
‰ From the menu View, choose Print. You can also press CTRL-P or click the printer button in
the toolbar.

6.2.3 Saving a Log File

To save a log file:
‰ Select a folder.
‰ From the menu View, choose Save As.
‰ Type a name for the file; you can use a different extension such as “.csv” or “.txt”.

6.2.4 Viewing Multiple Log Folders at Once

To view multiple log folders at once:
‰ Select folders, using the SHIFT or the CTRL key.

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‰ The contents of all folders will be displayed altogether in the right pane, in chronological
order.

6.2.5 Changing How Time Information is Displayed

To change how time information is displayed:
‰ From the View menu, choose Time Display Options.
‰ In the Time Display Format box, select the display type: you can choose between the local
time (using the time zone settings of the PC) and UTC. Normally, the clock of the
SMP Gateway is set in UTC, but you can display the information using the time format you
like.

6.2.6 Deactivating the Auto Scroll Feature

By default, when a new entry is added to the selected folder, the display pane automatically scrolls
down to that new entry.

To prevent the display pane from scrolling when a new entry is added:
‰ From the View menu, choose Auto Scroll to remove the checkmark beside this command.
‰ Repeat the previous step to bring the checkmark back and reactivate automatic scrolling.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 47

7 Viewing Protocol
Exchanges in Real Time

Using SMP Trace, you can view a continuous stream of protocol exchanges between the SMP and
the substation devices, or between the SMP Gateway and the control center.
At this stage, however, since you have only configured master protocol instances, you will only
see the protocol exchanges that take place between the SMP Gateway and the substation devices.
You can have the information displayed in UTC or local time, highlight the rows that contain
specific keywords, and you can clear the current display. SMP Trace can generate a continuous
log of all the events you are tracing, to a text file on your PC. It can also print or save to a text file,
a snapshot of the traced events that occurred since the last time you cleared the display.

To start SMP Trace and view the protocol exchanges:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Trace.

7.1 Information Provided by SMP Trace

SMP Trace starts up and displays the list of available traces.

To customize the display and select specific traces:

‰ In the left pane, select the item for which you want to view the protocol exchanges.
‰ If you click a folder, everything within the folder is automatically selected.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 49

Using SMP Trace, you can view detailed traces of all the system activity. The following traces
provide information that you will find useful during the configuration and maintenance of your
SMP Gateway.
• Master and Slave Protocol traces display the high-level information exchanges that occur
between the SMP Gateway and the other system components to which it is connected. These
application-level traces are similar to those provided by a protocol analyzer. They describe the
requests sent to a device and the values retrieved. The Slave Protocols folder appears only if
slave protocol instances are configured on the SMP Gateway.
• Connection traces display the data being exchanged between the SMP Gateway and a device.
These low-level traces describe, in hexadecimal format, the byte stream sent and received to
and from a device.

7.2 SMP Trace Features

SMP Trace offers you several handy features: recording traces, searching, printing and saving
trace records, and having the information displayed in UTC or local time.

7.2.1 Searching in SMP Trace

When a large amount of traces are currently displayed, it may be hard for the user to find the
information he is looking for. SMP Trace provides a search feature that highlights all traces that
contain a specific keyword:

To search displayed traces for a specific keyword:

‰ From the menu View, choose Search. You can also press CTRL-F, or click the binoculars
button in the toolbar.
‰ Type a keyword in the text box and click the Search button. All the results will become
highlighted, and the first one will be lighter. You can click the Pause/Resume button in the
toolbar to stop the screen from scrolling; this command is also available from the View menu.
‰ To go to the next result, click Search Next in the View menu, or press F3.

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‰ To go to the previous result, click Search Previous in the View menu, or press SHIFT-F3.
‰ Once you have found, choose Cancel Search from the View menu and only the selected
result will remain highlighted.

Note: SMP Trace will keep highlighting matching results as long as you have not
canceled the search. You can either deselect the binoculars in the toolbar or stop
the search from the View menu.

7.2.2 Printing Traces

To print currently displayed traces:
‰ From the File menu, choose Print. You can also press CTRL-P or click the printer button in
the toolbar.

7.2.3 Recording Live Traces

To record live traces to a file for further analysis:
‰ From the Record menu, choose Start or click the red button in the toolbar.

‰ You can also choose to save it on the SMP Gateway by selecting Record to SMP Gateway.
For example, if you have an SMP 4 with a modem on a pole outdoors and you need to save
24 hours worth of activities, long distance costs are most of the time prohibitive. Use this
option and connect again 24 hours later to pick up your data.
‰ When you wish to stop the recording, click the red button again or click Stop in the Record
menu.

7.2.4 Saving all the Scrolled Information

To save all the information in SMP Trace that scrolled since opening it:
‰ Select a folder.
‰ From the File menu, choose Save As. You can also press CTRL-S or click the disk button in
the toolbar.

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‰ Type a name for the file; it will be saved in text format (TXT).

7.2.5 Changing How Time Information is Displayed

To change how time information is displayed:
‰ From the View menu, choose Time Display Options.
‰ In the Time Display Format box, select the display type: you can choose between the local
time (using the time zone settings of the PC) and UTC. Normally, the clock of the
SMP Gateway is set in UTC, but you can display the information using the time format you
like.

7.2.6 Deactivating the Auto Scroll Feature

By default, when a new entry is added to the selected folder, the display pane automatically scrolls
down to that new entry.

To prevent the display pane from scrolling when a new entry is added:
‰ From the View menu, choose Auto Scroll to remove the checkmark beside this command.
‰ Repeat the previous step to bring the checkmark back and reactivate automatic scrolling.

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8 Viewing Communications
Statistics in Real Time

The SMP Gateway stores a large number of real-time statistics and internal counters to help you
analyze the performance of your SMP Gateway and assist you in troubleshooting your
configuration. Using SMP Stats, you can view, in real time, various statistics about the
communications links and about the protocol exchanges that take place between the SMP Gateway
and the devices or control centers. You can have the information displayed in UTC or local time.
You can also print the statistics, reset them, or save them to a text file for subsequent analysis.

To start SMP Stats and view the statistics:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Stats.
‰ In the left pane, click the item for which you want to view the statistics.

The statistics are displayed in the right pane and you can see them change dynamically.

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8.1 Information Provided by SMP Stats
Statistics provide information on the SMP Gateway activity, which can be useful for the
configuration and maintenance of the gateway itself. This information is organized as pages and
folders. A folder does not contain any statistics: it is a place holder for statistics pages.
When you open SMP Stats, its displays the following folders:
• The Connections folder regroups counters and statistics pages about the performance of the
SMP Gateway communications components:
• The Network (TCPIP) folder contains the list of all the network connections you defined
under Connections, in SMP Config. Each connection has its own statistics page.
• The Serial (Asynchronous) folder contains the list of all the serial connections. As in the
Network folder, there is a statistics page for each connection.
• The Modem Pool folder contains the list of any modem pools and modems you may
have defined in SMP Config. The statistics found in these folders provide an easy way to
monitor the communications status of the SMP Gateway. For example, you can look at
the Receive counter and Transmit counter values to determine whether the gateway is
exchanging data with a connected device or control center.

Note: The Modem Pool folder is visible only for the SMP 16, which has an integrated
modem, and for an SMP 4 purchased with the modem support option.
Furthermore, a modem pool must be configured on the SMP Gateway.

• The Master Protocols and Slave Protocols folders contain counters and statistics about each
instance of a protocol component. Each protocol component contains protocol-specific items
that describe the messages exchanged with a device or control center.
(The Slave Protocols folder is missing, in the previous example, because we have to define
slave protocol components first.)
• The System folder contains counters and statistics about the operation of the SMP Gateway
hardware and software.

8.2 SMP Stats Features

SMP Stats offers you several handy features: resetting statistics, printing them, refreshing them,
and changing how time is displayed.

8.2.1 Resetting Statistics

You can reset certain statistics, such as global RTDX or Web server statistics:
‰ From the menu View, choose Reset; or click the 'X' button; or press CTRL+X.

8.2.2 Printing Statistics

To print a statistics page:
‰ Select a folder.
‰ From the File menu, choose Print. You can also press CTRL-P or click the printer button in
the toolbar.

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8.2.3 Changing How Time Information is Displayed
To change the display format of time-specific statistics:
‰ From the View menu, choose Time Display Options.
‰ In the Time Display Format box, select the display type: you can choose between the local
time (using the time zone settings of the PC) and UTC. Normally, the clock of the
SMP Gateway is set in UTC, but you can display the information using the time format you
like.

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9 Using a Web Browser to
View Data in Real Time

The built-in secure Web server (eSMP) of the SMP Gateway provides an easy way to view the log
files and statistics using your Internet Explorer Web browser. It is also the easiest way to view the
analog and binary input and output points in real time.

Note: The eSMP Web server requires version 5.0 or a later version of the Microsoft
Internet Explorer Web browser. JRE (Java Runtime Environment) must also be
installed on your computer. See the SMP Gateway installation guide for details.

9.1 Connecting to the SMP Gateway Website

Whether it is to view the SMP Gateway log files, statistics or data points’ real-time data, you
always proceed the same way to connect to the SMP Gateway Website:
‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose Internet Explorer.

Your Internet Explorer Web browser will open and connect to the SMP Gateway Web server.
You may have to wait a few seconds while the Website is loaded and the Java platform is
initializing. The Website Home page will eventually appears in your browser.

Note: The SMP Gateway Website is accessible using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol
over Secure Socket Layer (HTTPS). By default, the SMP Gateway built-in firewall
allows communications through the HTTPS port (443). Make sure such
communications are also permitted over the substation LAN and through the
corporate firewall.

9.2 Navigating Through the SMP Gateway

Website
The SMP Gateway Website has a number of tabs at the top that allow you to switch between
different data views:
• The Home tab gives you key information about your SMP Gateway, such as its current state,
at what time it started up, and the list of master and slave protocol instances contained in your
configuration.

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• The Analog Input, Analog Output, Binary Input, and Binary Output tabs display the
current value of all the SMP Gateway data points.
• The Logs tab displays the contents of the internal SMP Gateway log files. The data is the
same as provided by the SMP Log program.
• The Statistics tab displays the SMP Gateway real-time statistics. The data is the same as
provided by the SMP Stats program.
• The Commissioning Tool tab is only available when commissioning has been activated on
the SMP Gateway. For more information about this feature, see “Using the Web Server
Commissioning Tool”, page 69.

Note: If password security is enabled on your SMP Gateway, everything will be

de-activated until you type a valid username and password under eSMP Login.

9.3 Applying a Filter to a Data Point Display

If you click the Analog Input, Analog Output, Binary Input and Binary Output tabs, you can
see all the data points change dynamically on your screen. Since there may be a large number of
data points, you can use the Filter function to choose the points you want to display.

To apply a filter:
‰ Select the tab in which you want to filter data points.
‰ In the toolbar, type the filter criterion. It can be the device prefix, or any other text that is
common to the data points you want to display.

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Note: You may specify up to 5 criteria. For example, if you type smp clock, all data
points that contain the words “smp” and “clock” will be displayed; others will be
hidden.

‰ Click Apply. Only the data points that contain the filter criterion in any field (such as the
point name or address) will be displayed. The criterion text is highlighted over the point
name.

To remove the filter:

‰ Click Cancel.

All data points of the selected tab will be displayed.

Each tab preserves its own filter information, allowing you to navigate through the different tabs
and specify different filter criteria for each one of them.

9.4 Acknowledging Data Point Value Changes

To help you analyze your data, the Web server automatically highlights any data point that
changes value, by displaying it on a gray background. The data point stays highlighted until you
acknowledge the change of value. You can also have the Web server automatically acknowledge
value changes after a short delay.

To have the Web Server automatically acknowledge the value changes:

‰ Click the appropriate tab to choose the type of data.
‰ Select the Auto Ack. check box located at the top right, above the data point display.

Data points will now be highlighted when their value changes and the display will return to
normal after a short delay.

To manually acknowledge value changes for a particular type of data point:

‰ Click the appropriate tab to choose the type of data.
‰ Make sure that the Auto Ack. check box is cleared.

Data points will now be highlighted when their value changes. They will remain highlighted
until you acknowledge the change of value.

To remove all highlighting:

‰ Click Acknowledge, located at the top left above the data point display.

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10 Connecting the
SMP Gateway to a Control
Center

Now that we have seen how to configure master protocol instances, tested the SMP Gateway
configuration and viewed the collected data, we will see how to configure, using SMP Config, a
slave protocol instance in order to forward the device data to a SCADA or a control center.

10.1 Creating Slave Protocol Instances

When the SMP Gateway communicates with a control center, it acts as a slave and as such, needs
to use a slave protocol. One slave protocol instance is required per control center.

To create a slave protocol instance:

‰ In the left pane of SMP Config, under Slave Protocols, click the protocol for which you want
to add an instance.
‰ In the right pane, type the name of the new instance at the end of the list of names, and press
the TAB key.
The new protocol instance is added to the left pane, under the protocol branch you had selected. If
you expand the protocol branch, SMP Config displays default settings of the protocol instance.

10.2 Configuring Slave Protocol Instances

The configuration of a slave protocol component is similar to that of a master protocol component.
You choose the protocol, enter the protocol settings, and specify the data points you want
forwarded to the SCADA.

To configure a slave protocol instance:

‰ In the left pane, click General, to display the list of general settings for the selected slave
protocol instance.
‰ In the right pane, enter the protocol settings.
For instance, to configure a DNP3 slave component, you would provide settings such as:
‰ The Link Address, which identifies the logical slave device. The address has to match
the address used by the control center to communicate with the SMP Gateway.

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‰ The Master Link Address, which identifies the control center.
‰ Whether or not you want to support Unsolicited Reporting.
‰ In the left pane, click Default Variations.
‰ In the right pane, specify how you want the data points to be reported. For example, you may
want to specify that when there is a change to an analog input point, you want the change
reported as a 32-bit value, with the time at which the event took place.
A complete description of the protocol-specific settings is available in individual documents, such
as the DNP3 Slave Protocol Reference Manual, for example.

To access the various protocol documents:

‰ Click Start, on the Windows taskbar.
‰ Point to Programs, then Cybectec, then SMP Tools, and then Documentation.
‰ From the Documentation menu, choose Protocols.

10.3 Subscribing to the Master Data Points

Slave protocol instances subscribe to data points in the real-time database. Whenever a master
protocol instance writes to the database, the slave instance retrieves the data and applies its own
settings to make it compatible with the requirements of the control center protocol.
When you configure a slave protocol component, you select from among all the data points
defined by the master protocol components, those data points to which you want to subscribe.

To subscribe a slave to master data points:

‰ In the left pane, click the slave protocol instance.
‰ In the Tools menu, click Subscribe To.

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‰ Click in the Master I/O list, to display the list of data points defined for each master protocol
instance.
‰ Choose the data points you want to forward to the control center.
Use the CTRL and SHIFT keys on your keyboard, to extend your selection.
‰ Click the right arrow button.

The data points you choose are added to the Slave I/O list. If, for example, you click a binary
input point in the Master I/O list, the point is added to Binary Inputs, in the Slave I/O list.

Note: The added points will be indexed in the order they appear in the Slave I/O list.

For some protocols, additional arrow buttons are available to the right of the
Slave I/O list. Using these buttons, you can sort the points according to your own
indexing requirements.

Normally, a data point that has been transferred to the Slave I/O list disappears from the Master
I/O list. However, if you want the transferred data points to continue being displayed in the
Master I/O list:
‰ Select the Show all enabled points check box.

If you change your mind, you can remove a data point from the Slave I/O list as follows:
‰ Click the data point in the Slave I/O list.
‰ Click the left arrow button.

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The data point is removed from the Slave I/O list and reinserted in the appropriate data point list
for the appropriate master.

10.4 Configuring the Data Points

The slave component automatically converts the subscribed data points to the appropriate format
for the protocol. However, you should make sure the default settings are appropriate and perform
any necessary adjustments.

To configure the data points:

‰ In the left pane, click the data point type, to display a list of all the data points and their
settings.
‰ There are different settings for each protocol. However, you should at least check the address
or index assigned to each data point.

For instance, the following settings are provided for a DNP3 data point:
• Each data point is automatically assigned an Index value according to the subscription
order. You should ensure that these index values correspond to those expected by the
control center.
• The Event Class setting groups data points together for subsequent reporting to the
control center.

10.5 Configuring the Communications Links

We previously described how to configure a serial communications link for a master protocol
component. The procedure is identical for a slave protocol component that uses a serial
communications link. However, a slave protocol component typically uses a TCP/IP connection
(or an UDP/IP connection, in some cases) over a LAN, to communicate with the control center.
For more information about communications link configuration, see “Configuring the
Communications Links”, page 32.

10.5.1 Setting up a TCP/IP Slave Connection

To configure a TCP/IP connection for a slave protocol component:
‰ In the left pane, under Connections, click TCP/IP Slaves, to display the list of defined
connections.
‰ Enter the settings for the new TCP/IP connection in an empty row of the grid:
‰ Specify a significant name for the connection.
‰ Specify the TCP port number to be used.
‰ Select from the Accessible From list box whether the connection will be accessible from
any computer (Any Computer), from a specific one through the SMP Gateway built-in
firewall (Specific Computer or Subnet), or via a VPN connection (VPN Only
(Firewalled)).
‰ If you selected Specific computer or subnet, type an address or an address range in the
following column.
Some TCP ports are reserved for the SMP Gateway core components or for specific
servers/protocols. They cannot be used for TCP/IP slave connections. These ports are presented in

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the following table.

Reserved TCP Port Usage

20-21 FTP

23 and 107 Telnet protocol

80, 8080 and 8008 HTTP

443 HTTPS

123 SNTP

135 NETBIOS

139 NETBIOS SSN

161-162 SNMP

389 LDAP

1200 CoDeSys

6650 SMP Gateway management port

1234-1235, 4567, 26179 Reserved by the SMP Gateway core components.

and 49152

1723 PPTP

10.5.2 Setting up a UDP/IP Slave Connection

Although UDP is a “connection-less” protocol, the word “connection” is used in SMP Config to
describe a communication link that is configured between a slave protocol instance of an
SMP Gateway and control centers that support this UDP-based protocol.

To configure a UDP/IP connection for a slave protocol component:

‰ In the left pane, under Connections, click UDP/IP Slaves, to display the list of defined
connections.
‰ Enter the settings for the new UDP/IP connection in an empty row of the grid:
‰ Specify a significant name for the connection.
‰ Specify the UDP port number to be used.
‰ Select from the Accessible From list box whether the connection will be accessible from
any computer (Any Computer), from a specific one through the SMP Gateway built-in
firewall (Specific Computer or Subnet), or via a VPN connection (VPN Only
(Firewalled)).

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‰ If you selected Specific computer or subnet, type an address or an address range in the
Specific computer or subnet cell.
‰ In the Multicast cell, select how multicast data will be handled:
‰ If the connection does not need to handle multicast data, select None.
‰ If the connection only needs to receive data addressed to a multicast group, select
Listen, and then type the IP address of the multicast group in the IP Multicast cell.
‰ If the connection is intended to receive multicast data and respond to it, select Listen
and Respond, and then type the IP address of the multicast group in the
IP Multicast cell.
Some UDP ports are reserved for the SMP Gateway core components or for specific
servers/protocols. They cannot be used for UDP/IP slave connections. These ports are presented in
the following table.

Reserved UDP Port Usage

161-162 SNMP

1723 PPTP

6650 SMP Gateway management port

10.6 Associating a Slave Protocol Instance with a

Communications Link
You now have to identify the communications link which will be used by the slave component to
communicate with the control center.

To associate a slave protocol instance with a communications link:

‰ In the left pane, click Connection usage.
‰ In the right pane, for each slave protocol instance under Slave Connection Usage, select the
check box under the appropriate connection instance.

10.7 Validating and Activating the Configuration

You can now validate the configuration, save it on your computer, send it to the SMP Gateway,
and restart the gateway in order to activate the configuration.
The procedures for doing this were described earlier, in the “Validating and Saving the
Configuration” section, page 37.

10.8 Testing the Configuration

The SMP Gateway configuration now contains a slave component. Slave components are more
difficult to test than master components, since they only process data in response to a request from
a control center. You may find the following guidelines useful in determining whether the slave
component is working properly:

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• Using SMP Log, check the Startup log, to see whether the slave component was started
correctly.
• Using SMP Stats, open the Slave Protocols folder and check whether the slave component is
processing any data.
• Using SMP Stats, open the Connections folder, and check whether any data is being
exchanged through the slave communications link.
• Using SMP Trace, open the Slave Protocols folder, and check whether the component is
receiving requests from the control center.
• Using SMP Trace, open the Connections folder, and check whether any data is being
exchanged through the slave communications link.
See the following sections for instructions on how to proceed to view the information:
• “Viewing the SMP Log Files ”, page 45.
• “Viewing Protocol Exchanges in Real Time”, page 49.
• “Viewing Communications Statistics in Real Time ”, page 53.
• “Using a Web Browser to View Data in Real Time”, page 57.
A particularly effective way to test a slave protocol instance is to use the SMP Gateway itself to
set up a master protocol instance to poll the slave. Using this approach and the SMP Tools, you
can easily examine the effect of the various protocol features, such as report by exception.
You can also use the Web server commissioning tool, as described in the next chapter.

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11 Using the Web Server
Commissioning Tool

The SMP Gateway built-in Web server also provides a commissioning tool that simplifies the
engineering effort required for the implementation and the integration of a substation. It is
intended to help technician(s) and/or engineer(s) testing the SMP Gateway configuration and
connectivity with the substation devices and the SCADA.
The Web server commissioning tool, when configured and activated, is accessible through a Web
browser, the same way than for viewing data in real-time. It may be enabled by users that have the
System Management privilege, and the operation privilege is required for users that will perform
the commissioning operations, which are essentially the following:
• Forcing an analog/binary input point to a specific value/state.
This operation allows the validation of the configuration of the SMP Gateway’ slave protocol
and the SCADA, by verifying if all the gateway data points are correctly mapped on both
sides, if minimum/maximum values are correctly handled, etc.
• Performing a control operation on an analog/binary output point.
This operation allows the validation of the master protocols’ configuration, by verifying if the
IED data points are correctly configured in their corresponding masters, if scale and offset
settings are correctly specified for each data point, etc.
For example, by forcing each data point of an IED on the SMP Gateway, the technician/engineer
can verify that these points are correctly configured, and that transitions/changes for these are
correctly handled by the SCADA. On the other side, by executing control operation directly on the
SMP Gateway, instead of performing them on the SCADA, the technician/engineer can validate
that the masters’ output points are correctly configured.

11.1 Configuring an SMP Gateway for

Commissioning
If you intend to use the Web server commissioning tool on your SMP Gateway, you must first
enable it in the gateway configuration, using SMP Config.

To configure an SMP Gateway for commissioning:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Config.
‰ In SMP Config, under the System branch, select Web Server, and then select the General
branch.

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‰ Select the Commissioning Tool check box.
‰ Save the configuration file and send it to the SMP Gateway, using SMP Manager.
‰ Restart the SMP Gateway.
Your SMP Gateway now supports the commissioning feature, which still need to be activated by a
user that has the System Management privilege, as described in the following section.

11.2 Activating the Commissioning Feature

Commissioning is not a process that is performed frequently. Done once when the SMP Gateway
is deployed in the field, it may be executed later, during maintenance sessions or when new
devices are added to the substation configuration.
Before letting the user perform commissioning in the field, a user that has the System
Management privilege must activate the commissioning feature. Usually, this user would first
make sure that all safety precautions have been taken, that the SMP Gateway is really going
through maintenance and that the commissioning process may occur as planned. By activating the
feature, the operator in charge of commissioning can then open a commissioning session, and do
his work.

To activate the commissioning feature:

‰ Connect to the SMP Gateway Website, by following the procedure described in section 9.1,
page 57.
‰ At the Website Home page, under Commissioning Tool, click the Activate button on the
left.

The button text will change to Deactivate, and the button on the right will become available. The
operator may now open a commissioning session.

Note: Commissioning will remain active until the left button is clicked again to
deactivate it. If the SMP Gateway is restarted, the commissioning feature activity
state will be persisted: if it was active prior to the restart, it will be active at startup
and vice-versa. However, opened sessions are closed.

11.3 Opening a Commissioning Session

Once the commissioning tool has been activated on the SMP Gateway, any user that has the
Operation privilege can open a commissioning session.

To open a commissioning session:

‰ Connect to the SMP Gateway Website, by following the procedure described in section 9.1,
page 57.
‰ At the Website Home page, under Commissioning Tool, click the Activate button on the
right.

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‰ Click Yes.

The button text will change to Deactivate and the Commissioning Tool tab is now available.
‰ To use the commissioning tool, click the Commissioning Tool tab.

Note: The commissioning session will remain open as long as the Web browser will
remain connected to the Website, or until the user click again the button on the
right. The session is also closed when the SMP Gateway restarts.

11.3.1 The Commissioning Tab

The Commissioning tab looks quite similar to other data points tabs. It is divided in three
sections:
• The toolbar, which is located at the top.
Is used for filtering, forcing, control operation and acknowledging purposes. It is an extended
version of the toolbar available in other data point tabs, and its content varies in function of
the type of the selected data point(s). The following figure shows the toolbar for a binary
input point:

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• The data points list.
Displays the data points of every protocol instance or subsystem of the SMP Gateway. This
implies that a data point that is configured in a master protocol and in two slave protocols will
be listed three times.
• The Messages pane, which is located at the bottom.
Displays a log of all commissioning tool operations, statuses and errors.
The columns of the data point list are mostly the same that are displayed in the other data points
tabs. The following columns are specific to (or different in) the commissioning tab:
• Instance.
The name of the protocol instance or subsystem to which the data point belongs.
• Type.
The data point type.
• Integer Value.
Usually, the integer value of an analog point is displayed here. In the commissioning tool tab,
it is also used for the state of a binary input point, as the State column is only used for binary
output points.
• State.
As stated above, in the commissioning tool tab, this column is used to display the current state
of a binary output point.
The various commissioning operations that you can perform are described in the following
sections.

11.3.2 Forcing an Input Point

The most common commissioning operation is to force an input point to a specific value/state, and
to verify that the forced value is correctly reported to the SCADA.

To force an input point to a specific value:

‰ In the data points list, select the input point you want to test.
‰ In the commissioning toolbar, specify the forced value/state:
‰ If it is an analog input point, select whether to change the Integer or Float value of the
point, using the Force drop-down list, and then type the forced value in the edit box.
‰ If it is a binary input point, select the desired state using the Force drop down list.
‰ Still in the commissioning toolbar, click Execute to force the point to the specified value.
‰ In the Messages pane, you should see two new messages: the first one indicates that the force
operation has been performed; the second displays the operation result.
‰ If the operation was successful, the status column will display Forced (Test) for the data
point.
‰ If the operation was successful and both the SMP Gateway and the SCADA are correctly
configured, the value/state changes should be reported correctly to the SCADA.

Note: You cannot force the value/state of multiple data points simultaneously.

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11.3.3 Un-Forcing an Input Point
To un-force an input point:
‰ In the data points list, select the forced input point.
‰ In the commissioning toolbar, click Unforce.

The point will revert to its current value/state.

To un-force multiple input points simultaneously:

‰ In the data points list, select more than one input points that have been forced.
‰ In the commissioning toolbar, click Unforce All.
‰ In the message box that appears, click Yes to un-force the selected input points.

Note: As stated in the message box, this operation may take a while, depending on the
number of input points to un-force. Also, data points included in the selection that
have not been forced will not be modified by this operation.

You can also un-force all forced data points, by clicking Unforce All in the commissioning
toolbar.

11.3.4 Performing a Control Operation

When an IED support control operations, it is important to validate that its related output points
are correctly configured on both the SCADA and the SMP Gateway sides. Such validation is
achieved in two steps, for each output point:
• Perform a control operation using the Commissioning Tool, to make sure that the point is
correctly configured in the SMP Gateway master configuration and that the control result is
correctly reported to the SCADA.
• Perform a control operation from the SCADA standpoint, as a final validation to make sure
that both the SCADA and the SMP Gateway slave configurations are correct.

To perform a control operation using the commissioning tool:

‰ In the data points list, select the output point you want to test.
‰ In the commissioning toolbar:
‰ Specify the control type using the Control drop-down list.

Note: If the output point supports select and execute control types, remember to test
both control types.

‰ Specify the control value:

‰ If it is an analog output point, select the control value type (Integer or Float) using
the appropriate drop-down list, and then type the control value in the edit box.
‰ If it is a binary output point, select the control state (Pulse, Open or Close) using the
appropriate drop-down list. If you selected Pulse, type the pulse duration, in
milliseconds, in the edit box.
‰ Click Execute to perform the control operation.

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‰ In the Messages pane, you should see two new messages: the first one indicates that the
control operation has been performed; the second displays the operation result.
‰ If the operation was successful and both the SMP Gateway and the SCADA are correctly
configured, the control operation result should be reported correctly up to the SCADA.

Note: You cannot perform control operations on multiple output points simultaneously.

As mentioned earlier in this section, the validation of the output point`s configuration at the
SCADA and in the SMP Gateway is achieved by performing a control operation directly from the
SCADA. Even if it does not involve the commissioning tool, the Web browser can still be useful,
since it gives access to the SMP Gateway log files, including the Control log file.
Various entries are added to the Control log when a control operation is executed on the
SMP Gateway, making it an essential resource for this portion of the commissioning task.

To consult the SMP Gateway Control log entries in the Web browser:
‰ Select the Logs tab.
‰ In the left pane, select the Control log file.

All the log entries will appear in the right pane, the oldest entry being displayed at the top.

11.3.5 Closing the Commissioning Session

Even if a commissioning session automatically ends when the Web browser is closed, you should
close the session manually.

To close the commissioning session:

‰ In the Web browser, click the Home tab.
‰ Under Commissioning Tool, click the Deactivate button on the right.

‰ As stated in the dialog box, the commissioning tool will restore all forced points to their
acquisition values. Click Yes.

The button text will change to Activate and the Commissioning Tool tab will no longer be
available, until a new session is opened.

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11.4 Deactivating the Commissioning Feature
When commissioning has been performed on the SMP Gateway, the user that has System
Management privilege must deactivate the commissioning feature for obvious safety reasons and
to ensure that the system will function as expected.

To deactivate commissioning:
‰ Connect to the SMP Gateway Website, if you are not already connected, by following the
procedure described in section 9.1, page 57.
‰ At the Website Home page, under Commissioning Tool, click the Deactivate button on the
left.

The button text will change to Activate, and the button on the right will become unavailable.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 75

12 Security

To derive full benefits from IED integration, substation data must be available to users at
enterprise level. However, widespread data access can become an important security risk if it is
compromised.

12.1 Meeting NERC CIP Requirements

The Cybectec SMP Gateway helps you meet NERC requirements by providing secure access to
substation devices. Its sophisticated software includes the following security features:
• Authentication and authorization.
Each user is authenticated by the SMP Gateway via a user name and a password. Strong
passwords, individual user accounts, user groups, and detailed group permissions protect
critical system functions from unauthorized access. All access attempts are logged, and some
authentication policies can be defined to lock out specific accounts in the event of multiple
failed attempts.

Note: This security model can be extended, by purchasing Yukon IED Manager Suite.
See “Extending the SMP Gateway Security Model”, page 80 for details.

• Built-in Firewall.
The SMP Gateway is protected by a built-in firewall, which only allows communications with
specific users, computers and programs, including those with the SMP Tools, which goes
through a TLS-encrypted access port. This feature limits access to the SMP Gateway internal
components and services.
• Monitoring and locking of remote connections.
Modem and passthrough access is continuously monitored, and can be enabled or disabled by
the control center. All accesses are logged and limited to authorized users.
• Integrity checking.
All SMP Gateway software and firmware components are digitally signed in order to ensure
their authenticity and integrity. All executable files are also continuously monitored to prevent
execution of unauthorized code.

12.1.1 Displaying Appropriate Use Banners

An appropriate use banner can be displayed upon each interactive access attempt to the
SMP Gateway, essentially in the following circumstances:
• At SMP Manager startup;
• In the console of a terminal application, when a user connects to the SMP Gateway
passthrough server command line interface via the passthrough direct access port;

SMP Gateway User Manual • 77

• In a Web browser, when a user tries to connect the SMP Gateway Web server without
launching the browser from SMP Manager.
By default, no appropriate use banner is configured on the SMP Tools computer and on the
SMP Gateway.

To set up an appropriate use banner:

‰ Create a text file named Banner.txt. The file should have the following form:

[Title]
<Insert the Appropriate Use Banner dialog box title here.>

[Text]
<Insert the appropriate use banner text here>
‰ Under Title, type a title for the dialog box that may be used to display the banner.
‰ Under Text, type the banner text required by the security policies of your company.
‰ To display the banner only at SMP Manager startup, copy the banner file to the following
folder:

\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Cybectec\SMP

Tools
‰ To display the banner for all other accesses to the SMP Gateway, upload the banner file to the
SMP Gateway:
‰ In SMP Manager, from the Update menu, choose Send File(s).
‰ Select the banner text file and click Open.
‰ Restart the SMP Gateway.
The following screenshot presents an example of an appropriate use banner that is displayed at
SMP Manager startup.

Note: Yukon IED Manager Suite has its own appropriate use banner mechanism, which
overrides the SMP Gateway local banner. Refer to the Yukon IED Manager Suite
documentation for more details.

12.1.2 Identifying Which Ports are Open in the SMP Gateway

Firewall
When the SMP Gateway built-in firewall is configured and active, access to most communication
ports is blocked. If you have a copy of the SMP Gateway configuration file, you can open it using
SMP Config and navigate through it to find which ports are open in the built-in firewall, and

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which ones are not. An easier way to get this information is to look at the SMP Gateway Security
log using SMP Log.

Note: Only users with security management privileges can view the Security log in
SMP Log.

To identify ports those are opened in the SMP Gateway firewall:

‰ Start SMP Log (see “Viewing the SMP Log Files”, page 45).
‰ Select the Security folder.

In the right pane, navigate through the various entries until you reach the ones that are time-
stamped at the date and time of the last startup. There should be an entry for each firewall
rule.

12.2 Substation Network Security Considerations

Security, as implemented on the SMP Gateway, is not a substitute for full network security that
includes properly configured firewalls, switches, IDS, IPS, etc. It can be argued that if
unauthorized users get as far as trying out the SMP Gateway security features, there has already
been a security breach at some other level. The goal of the SMP Gateway built-in firewall, simply
stated, is to protect the SMP Gateway internal components and reduce its services’ exposure.

12.2.1 The SMP Gateway Built-in Firewall

The built-in firewall is enabled by default on a brand new SMP Gateway. Also, when a new
configuration file is created using SMP Config, the built-in firewall is also enabled in the file.
When enabled, the firewall shuts off all the TCP/UDP ports of the SMP Gateway, except for the
following:
• TCP/UDP 6650.
This is the SMP Gateway management port. All the network messages exchanged between
the SMP Gateway and the SMP Tools go through this secure port, and are encrypted using the
Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol (formerly known as Secure Sockets Layer or SSL).
• TCP 443.
This is the Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer (HTTPS) port, which will
be used by Internet Explorer to access the SMP Gateway Web server.
• UDP 23.
The legacy status server port. Through this port, legacy versions (5.0 or earlier) of
SMP Manager can monitor the status of the SMP Gateway.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 79

Firewall rules can be defined to restrict access through these ports in the firewall. However, be
careful with the 6650 TCP port: if full access is restricted through this port, you may no longer be
able to connect to the SMP Gateway using the SMP Tools. If this situation happens, refer to
“Recovering from a Firewall Lockout”, page 233, to learn how to fix this issue.
To configure the built-in firewall and define additional access rules, see “Configuring the
Firewall”, page 92.

12.2.2 Using SMP Tools through a Substation LAN Firewall

As described in the previous section, communications between the SMP Tools and SMP Gateways
are made through a single encrypted communication port. Access through this port is permitted in
the built-in firewall, but it must also be granted through the substation LAN firewall. It is also
strongly recommended to open the HTTPS port (TCP 443), to allow access to the SMP Gateway
Web server. Also, if some legacy software is still installed on the some SMP Gateways, the legacy
status server port shall also be opened (UDP 23). This information is summarized in the following
table.

Application Port Protocol

General encrypted communications 6650 TCP /

(SMP Gateway management port) UDP

HTTPS 443 TCP

Legacy status server 23 UDP

Prior to version 5.1 of the SMP Gateway software & tools, SMP Tools used Microsoft DCOM
technology, instead of a single encrypted access port. Additional ports were also used, for Telnet
communications and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) exchanges. As it is possible to use some
functionality of the legacy versions of the SMP Tools with the recent gateway software, and recent
versions of the SMP Tools with legacy gateway software, backward compatibility issues are
discussed in the “Legacy SMP Gateway Software and Tools Compatibility” section, page 96.

12.3 Extending the SMP Gateway Security Model

The SMP Gateway security model is effective “locally”: security settings are stored in the
SMP Gateway, which is also responsible for security processes like authentication, and features
such as the firewall and VPN connections.
You may extend the SMP Gateway security model by purchasing the IMS Security Server, which
is part of Yukon IED Manager Suite. The IMS Security Server provides a global security model,
bringing it up to the corporate level and increasing access rights control and flexibility.

Note: The IMS Security Server global security model is out of the scope of this
document. For more information, contact your local Cooper Power Systems
representative.

The remaining sections of this chapter explain how to configure the SMP Gateway local security.

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12.4 Managing SMP Gateway Security Databases
The following sections will take you through the steps required to customize your SMP Gateway
configuration, in order to meet the security policy of your particular organization. To create a
secured system, you need to build a database describing allowed users’ name, their password and
related security policies. Every company has its own security policies and the Cooper Power
Systems software lets you configure it accordingly. When the database is built and security is
turned on, only the users in the database will be allowed to access the gateway.
Setting up the custom security database involves the following steps:
• Defining your authentication policy.
• Customizing the various user groups and privileges.
• Identifying your users, setting their passwords, and assigning them to user groups.
• Validating and saving the security database on your PC.
• Sending your security database to one or more SMP Gateways.

In this section, you will also learn how to perform the following actions:
• Retrieving the security database of an SMP Gateway and storing it locally.
• Disabling the security database of one or more SMP Gateways.
• Unlocking a user account that has been locked out following failed login attempts.
• Viewing the security log.

12.4.1 Accessing the Login Information Dialog Box

If the Login Information dialog box is not displayed upon startup, here is how you can access it:
‰ From the Security menu, choose Change Current Login.

If you clear the Always show this dialog box at startup check box, you will no longer be
prompted at startup. It is more practical if no security is configured, and if it is not planned in a
near future.

12.4.2 Defining your Authentication Policy

Your authentication policy forms an integral part of your security database. It specifies which
login requirements a user has to meet in order to be authenticated. It also specifies whether the
user account is to be locked out after a certain number of failed login attempts within a certain
number of minutes, and whether the account is to be automatically unlocked after a certain amount
of time.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 81

To define your authentication policy for the very first time and assign a name to
your security database:
‰ From the Security menu of SMP Manager, choose Edit Local Security Database.

The Authentication Policy dialog box appears, as shown in the next illustration, and you are
ready to enter the information. The description and purpose of each setting is presented a bit
later, in the following pages.

‰ Modify the authentication policy to suit your needs, and then click OK.

To modify your authentication policy on subsequent occasions:

‰ Log into SMP Manager with an authorized username and password.
‰ From the Security menu, select Edit Local Security Database.

The Local Security Database Editor window appears.

‰ From the Security menu, choose Authentication Policy.

The Authentication Policy dialog box appears. It contains the following elements:

Element Description

Security Configuration This section of the dialog box provides a description of the
security database, and shows when security database was last
modified.

Description Use this box to enter a meaningful description for your security
database. This description will appear on the title bar of the Local
Security Database Editor window.

Modified by This read-only box indicates which SMP Manager user last
modified the security database.

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Element Description

Date modified This read-only box indicates the date and time when the security
database was last modified.

Password This section of the dialog box specifies the rules that passwords
must meet when users set their new passwords.

Minimum password length Specifies the minimum number of characters that a password must
contain.

Password must meet If selected, specifies that a password must contain characters from
complexity requirements at least 3 out of the following categories:
‰ alphabetic high caps
‰ alphabetic small caps
‰ numeric
‰ special characters

Account Lock This section of the dialog box specifies whether a user account is
to be locked out from SMP Gateway access if the user fails to log
in properly and if so, what are the locking and unlocking
parameters.

Enable account lock If you select this check box, user accounts will be locked out if the
user fails to log in properly. The parameters that follow define the
locking and unlocking rules.
Note: User accounts of the Administrators group may only be
locked out if the Enable SMP Gateway administrator account lock
check box is also selected (see below).

Maximum number of failed Specifies the number of times a user can enter incorrect login
login attempts information before its account is locked out.

Lock account if max failed The system will lock out the user account if the user makes the
logins within maximum number of failed login attempts within the number of
minutes specified here.

Activate automatic account If selected, indicates that a locked user account will be
unlock automatically unlocked by the system after a certain amount of
time (see Remove lockout after, below).

Remove lockout after The number of minutes after which a locked user account is
automatically unlocked by the system.

Enable SMP Gateway If selected, indicates that accounts of the members of the
administrator account lock Administrators group are also subject to account locking.

Remove administrator The number of minutes after which a locked administrator user
lockout after account is automatically unlocked by the system.

‰ Modify the authentication policy to suit your needs, and then click OK.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 83

The dialog box closes. The description of your security database appears in the title bar of the
Local Security Database Editor window, and your authentication policy goes into effect as soon
as it is sent to the concerned SMP Gateway(s).

12.4.3 Groups and Privileges

In the following table, you will find default user groups and privileges. You can change group
privileges at will; of course, you have to upload the security database to the SMP Gateway
afterwards.

Note: If you remove privileges, you must notify the concerned groups or users;
otherwise, they will fill up the security log with access denial messages if they
keep trying to access the gateway.

Privilege Description Groups

Security Update security database: users, groups, and Administrators

Management privileges; unlock user accounts; access to
Security and Firewall logs.

System Management Update firmware, software, license and Administrators

components; configure redundancy, VPN, RAS,
and SNMP; console access.

Configuration Update the SMP Gateway configuration file. Administrators,

technicians.

Read only Read the SMP Gateway configuration file only. Administrators,
technicians, operators.

Diagnostic Use the SMP Gateway diagnostics tools: Administrators,

SMP Log, SMP Trace and SMP Stats. technicians, operators.

Device maintenance Perform direct IED maintenance via Administrators,

passthrough connections (SMP Connect). protection engineers.

Monitoring Monitor and obtain Web access to the Administrators,

SMP Gateway central database. technicians, operators,
guests.

Operation Perform control, tag management and force Administrators,

operation on I/O points; use the commissioning operators.
tool.

Remote access Obtain remote access via dial-up or VPN. Administrators,

technicians, protection
engineers, operators.

12.4.4 Editing User Groups and Privileges

Initially, your security database includes the following elements:
• One predefined user, namely an administrator with full privileges.

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• 5 predefined user groups, each with predefined privileges. Privileges are described in the
Local Security Database Editor, and in the “Groups and Privileges” section, page 84.
You may want to add, delete or rename the user groups and change their privileges to reflect the
security policy of your particular organization.

To edit user groups and privileges:

‰ From the Security menu of SMP Manager, choose Edit Local Security Database.

The Local Security Database Editor window appears. If you click a user group in the left
pane, the right pane shows the privileges assigned to this group and gives a description of
each privilege.

To rename a group:
‰ In the left pane, select the group to rename.
‰ From the Group menu, choose Rename.
‰ Type the new name.

Note: You cannot rename the Administrators group.

To delete a group:
‰ In the left pane, select the group to delete.
‰ From the Group menu, choose Delete.
You will be advised if there are any users assigned to the group you are about to delete.

Note: You cannot delete the Administrators group.

To create a new group:

‰ From the Group menu, choose New.
‰ Type the name of the new group.
You cannot create, delete or rename privileges. However, you can choose which predefined
privileges you want to assign to a particular group.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 85

To assign privileges to a group:
‰ In the left pane, select the group.
‰ In the right pane, select desired privileges’ check boxes for this group. Clear other privileges’
check boxes.

12.4.5 Managing User Groups and Privileges

You will now identify the users that are authorized to access the SMP Gateway, and you will
assign each user to one or more groups.

To create a new user:

‰ From the User menu, choose New.
‰ Type the name of the new user.

To rename a user:
‰ In the left pane, select the user to rename.
‰ From the User menu, choose Rename.
‰ Type the new user name.

To delete a user:
‰ In the left pane, click the user to delete.
‰ From the User menu, choose Delete.

Note: The Administrator user cannot be deleted, but it can be renamed.

To assign a user to one or more user groups:

‰ In the left pane, select the user.
‰ In the right pane, select the groups the user will be assigned to. For example, in the following
illustration, the user named “Matt” is assigned to the Protection Engineers group.

To assign a password to a new user or to change the password of an existing user:

‰ In the left pane, select the user.
‰ From the User menu, choose Set Password.

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‰ In the Set Password dialog box, type and confirm the new password.

Note: The first time you edit the security database, we strongly suggest that you
rename the user called Administrator, because the name is so revealing that it
exposes the account to brute force attacks.

12.4.6 Validating the Security Database

Your security database, which includes your authentication policy and the users and groups you
have defined, is automatically validated and stored locally on your PC when you close the Local
Security Database Editor window.
However, if you want to manually validate your security database without closing the window,
proceed as follows:
‰ From the Security menu, choose Check Validity.
This will compare your security parameters, such as passwords, with the authentication policy that
you defined beforehand.

12.4.7 Exporting the Security Database

There are two reasons why you may want to export to a file your security database on your PC:
• To create a backup copy.
• To transfer your security database from one PC to another.

To manually save the security database to a file on your PC:

‰ From the Security menu, choose Send to File.
‰ In the Send Security to File dialog box, specify a file name and click Save.

12.4.8 Sending the Security Database to One or More

SMP Gateways
Your security database, which includes your authentication policies, users and groups, is stored
locally on your PC. To enable your security database on one or more SMP Gateways, you have to
send your local security database to the SMP Gateway(s). Only a user with security management
privileges can update the local security database of an SMP Gateway.

To send the security database that is currently active on your PC:

‰ In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway(s) to which you want to send the security
database.
‰ From the Security menu, choose Update SMP Gateway Security Database.

SMP Manager encrypts the information, and then sends the configuration to the
SMP Gateway(s). In the following example, we sent the security database to a single
SMP Gateway.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 87

If the logged in user has security management privileges, the optional Security column contains
the message Local: Up to date to indicate that the local security policy on the Abbey Road
gateway matches the one located on the PC. Otherwise, the Security column only displays
whether security is enabled or not on the gateway, without telling if the local security database is
up-to-date.

12.4.8.1 Sending a Previously Saved Security Database

Let us suppose that an authorized person in your organization updated the local security database
on his or her PC, and sent you a copy of the security database file.

To load this new security database onto one or more SMP Gateways:
‰ Retrieve the file:
‰ From the Security menu of the Local Security Database Editor window, choose Get from
File.
‰ In the Get Security From File dialog box, specify the file name and click Open.

The retrieved file now becomes the currently active local security database.
‰ Close the Local Security Database Editor window.
‰ In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway(s) to which you want to send the security
database.
‰ From the Security menu, choose Update SMP Gateway Security Database.

12.4.8.2 The Security Status

In SMP Manager, the Security column displays the status of the local security database that is
currently active on each SMP Gateway. It also indicates the status of global security, if enabled for
this SMP Gateway.
Here is an explanation of the different values that may be displayed for local security, followed by
suggestions of actions to take, if any:
• Up to Date.
The security database on the SMP Gateway is the same as the security database that is
currently active on your PC. This is the normal case.
• Older (date and time).
You sent a security database to the SMP Gateway, but subsequently modified the local

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security settings. Therefore, the security database on the SMP Gateway is older than your
local security database.
• Newer (date and time).
You sent a security database to the SMP Gateway, but someone on another PC subsequently
modified his or her own local security database and sent it to the SMP Gateway.
• n/a.
The software installed on the SMP Gateway does not support the security features.

If the SMP Gateway contains an older security database:

‰ Send your local security database to the SMP Gateway. The Status column will now display
Local: Up to Date.

If the SMP Gateway contains a newer security database:

‰ Contact the person who manages this SMP Gateway configuration, to determine if the
changes are appropriate.
‰ If you agree:
‰ Retrieve the security database from the SMP Gateway in order to update your own local
security database. The Status column will now display Local: Up to Date.
‰ Otherwise (if the modifications should not have been made):
‰ Send your own local security database to the SMP Gateway. The Status column will now
display Local: Up to Date.

12.4.9 Retrieving the Security Database of an SMP Gateway

You may want to replace your current local security database with the security database that exists
on a particular SMP Gateway.

To retrieve the security database of an SMP Gateway:

‰ In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Security menu, choose Get SMP Gateway Local Security Database.

SMP Manager retrieves the file from the SMP Gateway and upon your approval, updates your
local security database with that retrieved from the SMP Gateway.

12.4.10 Removing the Security Database from One or More

SMP Gateways
To remove the security database from one or more SMP Gateway(s):
‰ In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway(s) from which you want to remove the security
database.
‰ From the Security menu, choose Remove Security Database from SMP Gateway.

Note: If global security is enabled on the SMP Gateway, the Remove Security
Database from SMP Gateway command is unavailable. If you really want to
remove local security from the gateway, you must first remove global security.

Once you have confirmed your intention and the security database has been removed, the Security
column now displays the word “Local: Disabled” for the SMP Gateway(s) you selected.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 89

Note: Only your authentication policy and your user groups and privileges are disabled.
Other security functions, such as integrity checking and firewall and VPN
management, are not disabled.

You can reactivate the security database of one or more SMP Gateways by sending them your
local security database, as described under “Sending the Security Database to One or More
SMP Gateways”, page 87.

12.4.11 Unlocking a User Account

Only a user with security management privileges can unlock user accounts that have been locked
out following failed login attempts.

To unlock one or more user accounts:

‰ In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway for which you want to perform the unlock
operation.
‰ From the Security menu, choose Unlock User Account.
‰ In the Unlock Accounts for “< SMP Gateway >” dialog box:
‰ Select Unlock all accounts.

OR

Select Unlock specific account, and specify the account in the User Name box.
In the example shown next, 2 user accounts are locked out, and we will request to unlock Joan’s
account.

‰ Click Unlock to unlock the account(s).

Following the unlocking operation, the number in the Accounts locked box is decremented
accordingly.

12.4.12 Viewing the Security Log

If you have security management privileges, you can view the security log and see all security-
related events, including:
• All authentications, whether granted or refused.
• All user account locks and unlocks.
• All configuration, maintenance, and security management activities.
• All console, Web and passthrough server accesses.

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• Integrity check status information.
• Security server status information.
• All ports those are open in the SMP Gateway built-in firewall.

To view the security log:

‰ From the Tools menu of SMP Manager, choose SMP Log.
‰ In the SMP Log application window, click the Security folder in the left pane.
The security-related events will appear in the right pane.

12.5 File Certification and Integrity Checking

Every executable file on the SMP Gateway and every SMP Tool are digitally signed to ensure that
it originates from Cooper Power Systems. A digital fingerprint is encrypted and inserted in the file
at the factory.
Whenever you upload a file to the SMP Gateway, SMP Manager or SMP Loader performs an
integrity check on the file. Furthermore, a continuous integrity check is performed on the
SMP Gateway at all times, to detect whether any executable file has been tampered with by a virus
or if an unauthorized file has been loaded via an unconventional method.
Once you have uploaded a version of the SMP Gateway software that includes file integrity
checking to the SMP Gateway, you cannot use a previous uncertified version of the SMP Gateway
software, or a version of the SMP Tools that use uncertified files, since they would fail the
integrity checks.

12.5.1 Detecting an Integrity Check Failure

If a file fails the integrity check, the SMP Gateway restarts and goes into a mode in which there is
no communication between the devices and the SMP Gateway.
You can detect this situation as follows:
• In the SMP Manager window, the Status column shows that the SMP Gateway is in “Safe
mode”.
• All device points are tagged with a communications failure attribute. A series of alarms are
generated, at the SCADA level or in a local HMI.
• The Reset log indicates that the integrity check function has restarted the SMP Gateway in
safe mode.
• The Security log contains an entry indicating when the problem was detected, and several
entries identifying each file that failed the integrity check. It can take up to 5 minutes for all
entries to appear in the log.

12.5.2 Recovering from an Integrity Failure

Windows CE, which is installed in the SMP Gateway, is the software responsible for the integrity
check. If the gateway goes into safe mode, it means that the gateway application needs to be
updated to match Windows CE.

To recover from an integrity failure:

‰ See “Updating the SMP Gateway Application”, page 208.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 91

‰ If the SMP Gateway goes into safe mode after the update, contact Cooper Power Systems’
Technical Support (see “Getting Assistance”, page 2).

12.6 Configuring the Firewall

This section describes how to configure the firewall, as well as the various related options that are
offered.
Some pre-defined settings open a few ports in the built-in firewall, as described in the section
entitled “The SMP Gateway Built-in Firewall”, page 79. The following sections explain how to
modify these settings to allow access to the SMP Gateway applications and services.

12.6.1 Setting Firewall Rules

Firewall rules includes specific services that are allowed, or not, through the firewall. Custom
rules can also be defined to open, or not, additional port(s), or to allow access to applications from
specific computers or subnets.

To modify services access through the firewall:

‰ In SMP Config, expand the Firewall branch, and then the Rules branch.

At the top of the right pane, a list of services is displayed.

‰ To allow a service through the firewall, select Allow.

‰ To restrict access to a specific computer of subnet, select the appropriate setting in the
Accessible From cell and enter the name or address of the computer/subnet in the Specific
Computer or Subnet cell.

Note: If you plan to use legacy versions of the SMP Tools to monitor SMP Gateways
with recent software installed, access must be given to the Legacy Status
Server service. Otherwise, the legacy SMP Manager will not be able to monitor
the gateway status. Moreover, depending on the strategy used to address DCOM
access to the SMP Gateway, access to the VPN service may also be required. If
VPN is not an option, a final alternative is the definition of all ports, including
those used by DCOM, as custom firewall access rules. To learn how to define
custom firewall access rules, see below.

For more information regarding legacy software versions compatibility, see

“Legacy SMP Gateway Software and Tools Compatibility”, page 96.

If a service is not present in the list, refer to “Restricting Access to Other Services”, page 93, to
see if access is not configured somewhere else in SMP Config. If it is still not the case, a custom
firewall rule must be defined.

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To define a custom firewall access rule:
‰ In SMP Config, expand the Firewall branch, and then the Rules branch.

At the bottom of the right pane, a list of custom rules is displayed. Note that no custom rule is
defined by default.

‰ In the Name cell, and enter a short name to briefly describe the rule you are about to define.
‰ Select Allow to allow access.

OR

Clear the Allow check box to restrict access.

‰ Select the protocol (either TCP/IP or UDP/IP).
‰ In the Port Range cell, enter the number(s) of the port(s) for which you want to
permit/restrict access. You can enter multiple ports, separated by commas. Port ranges are
defined using a dash: for example, 1270-1280 means that the rule applies to all ports between
and including ports 1270 and 1280.
‰ If the rule applies to a specific computer or subnet, enter this information in the Accessible
From and Specific Computer or Subnet cell.
‰ In the Description cell, you can enter additional information to further describe the rule. This
field is optional.

To delete a rule:
‰ Click in the row. You will see an arrow on the left side of the right pane.
‰ Click the arrow and press the Delete key.

12.6.2 Restricting Access to Other Services

Access to some of the SMP Gateway services and applications through the built-in firewall is not
configured in the System/Firewall branch.
TCP/IP and UDP/IP slave connections are automatically allowed through the built-in firewall, but
access can be restricted to specific computers or subnets, as described in the “Setting up a TCP/IP
Slave Connection” section, page 64, and in the “Setting up a UDP/IP Slave Connection” section,
page 65.
The same applies to the SNTP server and the Passthrough Direct Access Port, when configured.
To learn how to restrict access to the SNTP server from specific computers or subnets, see
“Setting Up the SMP Gateway to Act as an SNTP Server”, page 183. For the Passthrough Direct
Access Port, refer to the technical note entitled Using the SMP Gateway Passthrough Command
Line Interface, AUT-00316-00059 T.

12.6.3 Disabling the Built-in Firewall

For some reasons, the built-in firewall might not be required on the SMP Gateway.

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To disable the built-in firewall:
‰ From SMP Config, under the System branch, select Firewall, and then General.

‰ Clear the Enabled check box.

12.6.4 Disabling the Firewall Log

All firewall activities are logged in the Firewall log, which can be accessed using the SMP Log
tool. If for some reasons, firewall activities logging is not required, this feature can be deactivated
as follow:
‰ From SMP Config, under the System branch, select Firewall, and then General.
‰ Clear the Log Enabled check box.

12.7 Locking Incoming RAS and Passthrough

Connections
Incoming RAS dialup connections to the SMP Gateway, and passthrough connections between the
SMP Gateway and the devices, represent yet another possible security threat to the SMP Gateway.

Note : For more information about RAS dialup connections, see “SMP Tools Remote
Access to the SMP Gateway”, page 185.

For more information about passthrough connections, see “Using Passthrough

Connections”, page 101.

The control center can lock all incoming RAS dialup connections, as well as individual
passthrough connections, using some of the SMP Gateway system data points. These system data
points are presented in the “System Data Points” section, page 214.
The following sections explain the various methods available to lock/unlock RAS/passthrough
connections.

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12.7.1 Locking or Unlocking All Incoming RAS Dialup
Connections
The control center can lock all incoming RAS dialup connections at any time, regardless of
whether or not there is communication in progress. When the SMP Gateway restarts, RAS dialup
connections’ lock information is preserved.
There are 2 ways to lock or unlock incoming RAS dialup connections:

Method 1
‰ In the SMP Manager window, select the SMP Gateway and start a console session.
‰ Type the command that starts the RAS manager:

RASMGR
‰ Type the command that toggles between locking and unlocking incoming dialup connections:

X
The following example illustrates how you can lock, and then unlock RAS dialup connections.
(H) Help, (Q) Quit [h]: x

Do you want to lock the incoming dialup connections? [N]: y

The incoming dialup connections are now locked.

(H) Help, (Q) Quit [h]: x

Do you want to unlock the incoming dialup connections? [Y]: n

The incoming dialup connections are now unlocked.

Method 2
‰ From the SCADA, perform the OPEN or CLOSE operation on the
_smp___dialupEnable data point. You can do a Direct Execute or a Select-Before-
Operate (SBO).

For more information on how to perform control operations using Visual T&D Explorer, refer
to Visual T&D Explorer User Guide, GUI-00115-00020 T.

12.7.1 Locking or Unlocking a Passthrough Connection

The control center can lock or unlock passthrough connections individually, and can also request
that a particular passthrough connection be automatically locked or unlocked on SMP Gateway
startup.

To lock or unlock a passthrough connection:

‰ From the SCADA, perform the OPEN or CLOSE operation on the
_smp___passthru<connection>Enable data point. You can do a Direct Execute or
a Select Before Operate (SBO). For more information on how to perform control operations
using Visual T&D Explorer, refer to Visual T&D Explorer User Guide, GUI-00115-00020 T).

To request that a particular passthrough connection be locked or unlocked on

SMP Gateway startup:
‰ In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway.

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‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Config.
‰ In the left pane, expand the Passthrough branch, and then select the Connections branch.
‰ In the right pane, select the passthrough connection, and then either select or clear the Locked
at Startup check box.

12.8 Security-Related System Data Points

The SMP Gateway store some security-related statuses and data into system data points. These
points are listed in the “System Data Points” section, page 214.

12.9 Legacy SMP Gateway Software and Tools

Compatibility
As stated earlier in this document, prior to version 5.1 of the SMP Gateway software & tools,
SMP Tools used Microsoft DCOM technology, instead of a single encrypted access port.
Additional ports were also opened for Telnet communications and FTP exchanges.
It is possible to use legacy versions of the SMP Tools with recent SMP Gateway software. It is
also possible to use the latest versions of the SMP Tools with legacy SMP Gateway software. In
both cases, additional firewall configuration work is required both for the SMP Gateway built-in
firewall, and at the substation level.
These scenarios are explained in further details below. But first, some general issues must be
discussed.

12.9.1 Accessing SMP Gateways with Legacy Software Installed

There are two strategies available to use the SMP Tools through a substation firewall:
• The most secure approach is to establish a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection
between the substation LAN and the client workstations on the corporate LAN. A VPN
encapsulates and encrypts network messages before forwarding them to the recipient. You
will not need any special setup when installing the SMP Tools. This approach will also secure
access by any other tools.
• If you cannot use a VPN, you will need to open the necessary ports for DCOM and other
SMP Gateway services on the firewalls and routers that connect to the substation LAN.
Here is the list of ports and port ranges that you have to open in the substation LAN firewall, to let
a PC on one side of the firewall communicate with an SMP Gateway on the other side of the
firewall:

For access when not using VPN, open

Application Port Protocol

FTP server 21 TCP

Telnet 23 TCP

SMP Gateway status 23 UDP

Web server 80 TCP

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For access when not using VPN, open
Application Port Protocol

RPC server and 135 TCP

DCOM

DCOM 1024 to 65535 TCP

SMP Gateway 49152 TCP

maintenance server

Optional ports, using VPN or not

Application Port Protocol

SNMP server 161 UDP

SNMP traps 162 UDP

SNTP server 123 TCP

CoDeSys server 1200 TCP

Passthrough direct 32500 TCP

access port (configurable)

If using VPN, open

Application Port Protocol

SMP Gateway status 23 UDP

PPTP (VPN) 1723 TCP and UDP

PPTP (VPN) - GRE

Commonly used ports for RTU/SCADA communication

Protocol Port

DNP3 20000

IEC 60870-5-104/103 2404

IEC 61850 102

ICCP 102

MODBUS 502

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If you configured system folders on your SMP Gateway (see “Defining System Folders”,
page 111) and the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 built-in firewall is enabled on your PC,
you must also open the following ports:
• 445 (TCP protocol).
• 137, 138 and 139 (UDP protocol), if you are running NETBIOS on your network.

Note: This configuration will work only if your network does not use address translation.
Check with your network administrator.

12.9.2 Using Legacy SMP Tools with Recent SMP Gateway

Software
In such a situation, the following message is displayed in SMP Manager in the Status column, for
the recent SMP Gateways:

SSL required- Upgrade to SMP Tools 5.1

This means that the SMP Gateway software was updated to use the single encrypted access port,
rather than DCOM, to communicate with SMP Tools.
Although the preferred choice in this case is to upgrade the legacy SMP Tools to the latest version,
there is an alternative: the owner of the SMP Gateway must update the gateway configuration to
open legacy ports in the built-in firewall and the substation LAN firewall, if applicable.
To learn how to open ports in the built-in firewall, see “Setting Firewall Rules”, page 92. If VPN
connections are allowed through the LAN, only the VPN port needs to be opened. If it is not the
case, custom rules must be defined for all required ports, based on the list presented in the
“Accessing SMP Gateways with Legacy Software Installed” section above.
The following screenshot illustrates a typical firewall rules configuration for legacy services
support. These services are highlighted.

12.9.3 Using Recent SMP Tools with Legacy SMP Gateway

Software
If a recent version of any SMP Tool tries to connect to an SMP Gateway installed with legacy
application and firmware, it automatically uses the required protocols and ports (DCOM, FTP and
Telnet). No additional configuration work is required.

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12.9.4 Using VPN Connections
SMP Tools version 5.0 and earlier used several TCP/UDP ports. If any tool tried to connect to an
SMP Gateway configured with the firewall, the tool automatically established a VPN connection
to the gateway.
There are still some cases where you want to set up and use a VPN connection manually, which is
the subject of the next section.

12.9.4.1 Manually Setting Up a VPN Connection

As seen previously, VPN connections are automatically established by the SMP Tools 5.0 or
earlier when they connect to an SMP Gateway secured by its built-in firewall. For some reasons,
you still may need to set up and use a VNP connection manually.

Note: To manually set up a VPN connection, the user must have the System
Management privilege for the SMP Gateway.

To manually set up and use a VPN connection:

‰ In SMP Manager, select the gateway for which you want to configure a VPN connection from
your PC.
‰ From the Gateway menu, choose Make VPN Connection.
‰ What happens when you click this function the first time is:
‰ It creates a new connection in the Network Connections view of Windows’ Control
Panel.
‰ In SMP Manager, in the VPN column for the selected gateway, you will see the
Connecting… status message, then Connected.
‰ In Windows, open the Start menu, and navigate up to the following menu:

\All Programs\Accessories\Communications
‰ Select Network Connections.

You will now see a new icon named after your gateway, under Virtual Private Network.
‰ You are now ready to use your tool/application through the VPN connection.

Note: Microsoft Windows© XP only allows 2 outgoing VPN connections simultaneously.

To disconnect from the VPN:

‰ From the Gateway menu, choose Disconnect VPN.

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13 Using Passthrough
Connections

Most manufacturers of recent IEDs provide native vendor tools (NVT) for the configuration and
maintenance of their devices. These tools usually connect to the device using a serial link or, less
frequently, a network connection.
The optional SMP Gateway passthrough feature gives you the ability to use PC-based tools to
access the devices connected to an SMP Gateway. With this feature, the SMP Gateway serves as a
terminal server for remote maintenance, monitoring and control of the connected devices.

13.1 Principles of Operation

Most native vendor tools expect IEDs to be connected to serial ports on the PC. Since IEDs are
now connected to the SMP Gateway instead, the passthrough function has to intercept this
communications link and provide a mechanism to exchange data between the NVT and the
SMP Gateway.
The passthrough functionality is implemented by two software components: the SMP Connect
windows application, which is part of the SMP Tools suite, and the SMP Gateway Passthrough
Server. An overview of the passthrough functionality is presented in the illustration that follows.

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PC
SCADA
NVT
VIRTUAL
LOOPBACK
PORT
SMP
CONNECT

COMM
LINK

SLAVE
COMPONENT

PASSTHROUGH REAL-TIME
SERVER DATA EXCHANGE

MASTER
COMPONENT

COMM
LINK

SMP GATEWAY

DEVICE

Figure 12 The passthrough process explained

A virtual loopback connection must be set up between SMP Connect and the NVT. This allows
SMP Connect to intercept the communications link from the maintenance or configuration tool,
and forward the data to the SMP Gateway. The SMP Gateway passthrough server then forwards
the data to the device via a serial link. The result is that maintenance and configuration tools can
operate as if the device were directly connected to the PC.
While the PC application is communicating with the IED or RTU, the latter may have to suspend
its data acquisition; depending on the serial link and device type involved, it may be necessary for
all devices on the link to suspend their data acquisition, even though only one device is engaged in
communications with the PC application. This suspension is illustrated using a red “X” in Figure
12.
SMP Connect terminates the passthrough connection if a problem arises or if there is no data
exchanged during a specified timeout period.

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13.1.1 The Direct Access Port and the Command Line Interface
Passthrough connectivity with SMP Connect requires human intervention. To establish
passthrough connections using automated scripts, the SMP Gateway Passthrough Server command
line interface must be used. This interface is available through the Passthrough Direct Access Port.
For more information on this specific passthrough feature, refer to the Using the SMP Gateway
Passthrough Server Command Line Interface technical note, AUT-00316-00059 T.

13.2 Setting up Passthrough Connections

Setting up a passthrough connection involves a number of steps.
• Using SMP Config, you identify the devices that will be accessed through passthrough
connections. For each device, you provide information such as the SMP Gateway port to be
used for the passthrough connection, and the timeout after which the passthrough connection
is to be terminated after the last data exchange.
• In SMP Connect, you identify each application that will communicate with a device via a
passthrough connection. For each of these applications, you specify the type of loopback
connection to be established between SMP Connect and the application, and you define the
communications settings of the loopback connection.

13.2.1 Defining SMP Gateway Passthrough Settings

Using SMP Config, define the SMP Gateway passthrough settings for each device that will be
using a passthrough connection:
‰ In the left pane, click Passthrough, and then click Connections.

‰ Create a new connection by entering the following information in the empty row:
• IED Name.
This name will be used to identify the device in the SMP Connect program. You should
use the same name that you assigned to the device when configuring the master protocol
component that it communicates with.
• Connection.
Choose the serial port or the TCP/IP connection that links the SMP Gateway to the
configuration port of the device. Some devices use separate configuration and data ports.
If it is the case, you must use two separate cables to connect the device to the
SMP Gateway and specify here the port that will be used by the IED maintenance and/or
configuration programs; otherwise, the port must be the same as the one used by the
master protocol.
• Usage.
This setting allows special passthrough usage, in configurations where multiple
simultaneous connections are required, or when the client application uses a protocol that
requires additional processing from the passthrough server. The following options are
available:
• Telnet.
Select this value if the client application uses the Telnet protocol to communicate
with the IED

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• FTP.
Select this value if the client application uses the FTP protocol to exchange files with
the IED.
• SMP Tools.
Select this value to define a passthrough connection that will be used to monitor the
status and activity of another SMP gateway, using the various SMP Tools such as
SMP Manager, SMP Trace and SMP Log.
• Web.
Select this value if the client application is Web-based and uses a Web browser to
communicate with the IED.
• Normal.
Select this value for standard passthrough usage.

Note: Only Normal usage is supported for serial passthrough connections.

Moreover, if the direct access port is enabled on the SMP Gateway, it is not
possible to define passthrough connections for any other usage than Normal.

• Connection Count.
This setting indicates the number of simultaneous passthrough connections that are
required for the Usage specified. In most cases, the Default value is appropriate for this
setting, because the corresponding number of connections that will be created by the
passthrough server is function of that usage.

However, if connectivity or performance issues are encountered, try some specific values
instead of Default.

Note: One typical example is the use of the Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome
browser, which require more simultaneous connections than Microsoft Internet
Explorer. As the default connection count is based on Internet Explorer
requirements, a custom value may be required if another web browser is used.

• Suspend Link.
This setting indicates that data acquisition should be suspended for all other devices
sharing the multidrop link while SMP Connect is communicating with the selected
device. If selected, acquisition of the remaining devices will be suspended. This setting
applies only to devices that support the feature.
• Suspend IED.
This device-specific setting indicates whether or not the master protocol component
should suspend data acquisition while SMP Connect is communicating with the device.
• IED Address.
This address identifies the device in a multidrop configuration. This setting is ignored if
the Suspend IED check box is not selected.
• Modem Signals.
This setting specifies whether or not the serial port associated with the IED supports
modem control signals. If selected, the DTR and RTS modem control signals will be
transferred across the passthrough connection. By default, modem control signals are
NOT transferred.
• Locked at Startup.
This setting is a security feature. If selected, the passthrough connection will not be
available when the SMP Gateway starts up. You can subsequently make it available by

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enabling specific logical data points, as explained under “Locking Incoming RAS and
Passthrough Connections”, page 94.
• Inactivity Timeout.
This mandatory setting specifies how long the passthrough connection link established by
SMP Connect can remain inactive. If the program detects that no data exchange occurred
between the device and the application during the specified timeout period, it prompts the
user to either terminate the session or specify a longer wait time.
• Comments.
This optional setting is used to store the instructions that will be displayed to the
SMP Connect operator, such as telling him which communications program to use with
the device.

13.2.2 Installing a Loopback Cable, if Necessary

There are 3 types of loopback connections that you can set up between the device manufacturer’s
maintenance or configuration application and SMP Connect:
• Virtual serial.
This is the preferred choice.
• Real serial.
You set up this type of connection only if the device manufacturer’s application cannot use a
virtual communications port.
• TCP/IP.
You set up this type of connection only if the device manufacturer’s application uses TCP/IP.
TCP/IP and virtual serial loopbacks do not require any further physical modifications to the
configuration.

To set up a real serial loopback connection:

‰ Configure the device manufacturer’s application to use one of the PC serial ports, COM1 for
example.
‰ Attach a null modem cable to this serial port.

Note: A null modem cable is an RS-232 cable that crosses the sending wire with the
receiving wire.

‰ Instead of attaching the other end of the cable, to the device, attach it to a second serial port of
the same PC, for example COM2.

Note: Most modern PCs are equipped only with a single serial port. If virtual
communications ports are not supported by the application and the PC is only
equipped with a single serial port, a serial expansion card must be installed on
the PC.

13.2.3 Setting Up a List of Applications and Loopback

Connections
SMP Connect communicates with the device manufacturer’s application via a loopback
connection. There may be several applications running on the PC. You have to identify all the
available applications, and for each application that must remotely access a substation device, you
have to provide the following information:

SMP Gateway User Manual • 105

• Specify whether the application is to be started manually, identify the path to the application,
and provide any arguments required by the program.
• Specify what type of loopback connection is to be used between SMP Connect and the
application, and define the communications settings of the loopback connection. Loopback
connection types are described in section 13.2.2, above.

To start SMP Connect:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Connect.

The SMP Connect application window appears, showing a list of all the passthrough
connections you previously configured with SMP Config for this SMP Gateway.

The top portion of the screen shows the settings you entered in SMP Config, with one additional
piece of information: the Status column, which indicates whether a passthrough connection is
currently being used for a particular device. The bottom portion of the screen shows a trace of
passthrough connection events.

To access IED application and loopback settings:

‰ Select the device in the top pane of the SMP Connect window.
‰ From the Control menu, choose IED Application Settings.

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To add an application to the list:
‰ In the IED Application Settings dialog box, click Add.
‰ In the dialog box that appears, type the application name and click OK.
‰ Select the newly created application in the list.
‰ Under Application Settings:
‰ Specify whether the application is to be started manually. If you select to start it
manually, then when you connect to the device, SMP Connect will start the passthrough
and loopback connections without starting the application; you will be able to start the
application manually.
‰ Type the complete path to the application executable file.
‰ Type the command line arguments required by the application, if any (see the
manufacturer’s documentation).
‰ Under Local Communication Settings:
‰ Specify whether SMP Connect is to use a virtual serial loopback, a real serial loopback,
or a TCP/IP loopback connection to communicate with the NVT. Most manufacturers’
tools use a serial (virtual or real) connection. However, if you are using a terminal
emulator program such as Microsoft HyperTerminal to communicate with the device, you
can use a TCP/IP loopback connection.
‰ Click Configure to specify the loopback connection settings:
‰ The application port (serial only).
‰ The communications settings, such as parity, data bits, stop bits, flow control (serial
only).
‰ The SMP Connect port (real serial only).
‰ The logical port number for the TCP/IP connection; type the same TCP/IP port
number that you set in the device manufacturer’s tool or in the HyperTerminal
program (TCP/IP only).

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‰ An indication whether your application uses the Telnet protocol, or not. Most
terminal applications using TCP/IP do use the Telnet protocol, so the check box is
selected by default (TCP/IP only).
‰ Under Remote Communication Settings:
‰ Specify whether you want the passthrough server to wait until the application first data
transmission before initializing the connection between the device and the SMP Gateway,
or initialize it as soon as the application is started.
‰ Specify whether you want the passthrough server to automatically reset the passthrough
connection upon transmission failure. If you select this check box, specify the time to
wait following the detection of the transmission failure before resetting the connection.

Note: You can also use the Apply base settings for arrow-button to apply default
base settings for some type of applications.

Repeat the previous steps for all applications. Make sure you click OK to save the settings and
close the IED Application Settings dialog box.

13.3 Connecting to the Device

Once you have configured the passthrough server and the SMP Connect application, you are ready
to establish a passthrough connection to the device:
‰ In SMP Connect, select the device in the device list.
‰ From the Control menu, select Connect to IED.
‰ In the IED Application Selection dialog box, choose the application /NVT that will
communicate with the device.
‰ Click the Connect button.

If you requested that the application be started manually, the trace window will show that
SMP Connect has established the SMP Gateway passthrough connection and has started the
loopback connection with the application, but the application window will not open. Start the
application now.
You are now ready to use the application the same way you would if you were connected to it
locally.

13.4 Testing the Passthrough Connection

Setting up a passthrough connection is usually a straightforward operation. When problems occur,
it is often because a device cannot communicate and perform data acquisition simultaneously.
You may find the following guidelines useful in identifying and solving problems with
passthrough connections:
• Using SMP Config, check the Suspend IED setting for the selected passthrough connection.
If you modified the setting, remember to load the modified configuration and restart the
SMP Gateway.
• Using SMP Connect, check the message pane to see if the passthrough connection is being
activated correctly.
• Using SMP Trace, open the Master Protocols folder, and check whether the component is
receiving requests from the control center.

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• Using SMP Trace, open the PassThruServer folder, and check whether any data is being
exchanged with the device.
• Using SMP Trace, open the Connections folder, and check whether any data is being
exchanged with the device.

13.5 Deactivating the Passthrough Connection

A passthrough connection is automatically deactivated when the manufacturer’s application or
terminal application is closed. It can also be deactivated manually.

To manually deactivate a passthrough connection:

‰ Click the device in the SMP Connect window.
‰ From the Control menu, choose Disconnect from IED.

The SMP Connect trace window now shows that the passthrough connection is no longer
active.

Note: The passthrough connection is automatically deactivated if there is no data

exchanged on the link during the inactivity timeout period specified in
SMP Config for this particular passthrough connection.

13.6 Using the Trace of Passthrough Connection

Events
The bottom portion of the SMP Connect application window is used to display passthrough
connection event messages. It is quite useful to identify and solve passthrough connection
problems. It can also be configured to display all the data that is exchanged during a given
passthrough session. The whole trace can be printed or saved to a text file.

To display all exchanged data in the trace pane:

‰ Before establishing a passthrough connection, choose Detail Trace from the View menu.

To print the current content of the trace pane:

‰ From the View menu, choose Print Preview, if you want to get a preview of the printed trace,
or Print if you want to print it directly.

To save the current content of the trace pane to a file:

‰ From the View menu, choose Save As.
‰ In the Save As dialog box, select the directory where you want to save the file and type the
file name.
‰ Click Save.

To clear the contents of the trace pane:

‰ From the View menu, choose Clear Trace.

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13.7 Changing How Time Information is Displayed
in SMP Connect
To change how time information is displayed:
‰ From the View menu, choose Time Display Options.
‰ From the Time Display Options dialog box, select the type of display from the Time Display
Format drop box: you can choose between the local time (using the time zone settings of the
PC) and UTC. Normally, the clock of the SMP Gateway is set in UTC, but you can display
the information using the time format you like.

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14 Retrieving Event Files
From Devices

Many devices produce digital fault records or other event files. You can setup your SMP Gateway
so that it automatically retrieves these files and stores them on one or more computers for
subsequent analysis.
Using SMP Config, you will go through the following steps:
• Define system folders. These folders can either be located on the SMP Gateway or on a
remote computer.
• Specify in which system folder(s) master protocol instances will store the event files that they
retrieve from the device.
The following sections explain these steps in details.

14.1 Defining System Folders

System folders are virtual folders, defined for a given SMP Gateway, which are used to store event
files. Two types of system folders can be configured:
• Remote System Folders.
A remote system folder is a shared folder on a remote computer, which is identified using the
Unified Naming Convention (UNC). Essentially, you refer to such a folder by combining the
computer and folder names (ex. \\ComputerName\SharedFolderName). To use
remote folders, the SMP Gateway must have access to a WINS server in order to resolve
computer names. See the SMP Gateway installation guide for more information.
• Local System Folders.
This type of folder is located on the SMP Gateway itself. Be aware that disk space is limited
on an SMP Gateway, if you compare it to nowadays computers hard drives.

To define system folders in a SMP Gateway configuration:

‰ Start SMP Manager.
‰ Select the SMP Gateway that will retrieve event files.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Config.
‰ In the left pane of the SMP Config window, click System Folders.

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‰ For each new remote folder, enter the following information in the Remote System Folders
pane:
• The numerical Folder ID, which is a number ranging from 1 to 99. On an SMP Gateway,
each system folder, remote or local, must have a unique ID.
• The folder Name. This name references the folder in master protocols’ file-retrieval
settings. It is also used in traces, logs and stats.
• The Location of the shared folder, using the Unified Naming Convention. For example,
the location \\cpu104\Events refers to a shared folder called Events on a
computer named cpu104.
• A Username and a Password, if access to the shared folder is secured. You must use the
machinename\username or domainname\username format.
• The number of bytes that will trigger a transition on a specific logical data point, thereby
advising you that space is running low (see the Master Protocol Common Concepts
document for details). The maximum value you can type is 2,147,483,647, and the
default is 0 (no notification at all).
• Select the Compress check box to compress and archive event files to a ZIP file. If a
given event is made of multiple files, all files will be compressed and archived together in
the same ZIP file.
• Optionally, you can provide a description of the folder.
‰ For each new local folder, enter the following information in the Local System Folders pane:
• The numerical Folder ID, which is a number ranging from 1 to 99. On an SMP Gateway,
each system folder, remote or local, must have a unique ID.
• The folder Name. This name references the folder in master protocols’ file-retrieval
settings. It is also used in traces, logs and stats.
• The number of bytes that will trigger a transition on a specific logical data point, thereby
advising you that space is running low (see the Master Protocol Common Concepts
document for details). The maximum value you can type is 2,147,483,647, and the
default is 0 (no notification at all).
• Select the Compress check box to compress and archive event files to a ZIP file. If a
given event is made of multiple files, all files will be compressed and archived together in
the same ZIP file.
• Optionally, you can provide a description of the folder.

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14.2 Configuring Master Protocols for Event File
Retrieval
Having defined system folders, you can now configure an event-retrieving master protocol
component and assign it a system folder.

Note: Configuring an Interconnections master instance for files retrieval requires a

different procedure, which is described in the Interconnecting SMP Gateways
technical note.

To configure a master protocol instance for event retrieval:

‰ Start SMP Manager.
‰ Select the SMP Gateway that will retrieve event files.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Config.
‰ In the left pane of the SMP Config window, expand the master protocol instance branch.
‰ Click Event Files. The list of event files that can be retrieved using this protocol instance is
listed in the right pane.

In the right pane, the event file has automatically been assigned a Name, based on the
protocol. For example, an IEC 60870-5-103 event file is called a “Disturbance Data File”, a
Hathaway BCM-200 event file is called a “Breaker Operation Record”, and a Hathaway DFR
1200 is called a “Digital Fault Record”.

The event file has automatically been assigned a Short Name, also based on the protocol. To
continue with the aforementioned example, the 3 short names would be DDF, BOR and DFR,
respectively. You cannot modify the short name.

Specify the retrieval settings for event type:

‰ Select the Disabled check box if you want to disable the event file retrieval function, in
which case you may skip the remaining steps. By default, the check box is cleared since it
is assumed that you want to retrieve the files.
‰ Choose a folder in the Folder drop-down list. This list contains the names of the system
folders you defined previously (see “Defining System Folders”, page 111).
‰ In the File Rule drop-down list, choose which event files the master protocol instance
will retrieve at the SMP Gateway startup:
• New files only.
Only those files that were generated since the last time a file was retrieved from the
device.
• Files from last X days.
All files generated in the last X days, regardless of whether or not some of them may
have already been stored in the system folder.

If you choose this option, you must specify the number of days in the Max File Age
box.
• All files.
All available files, without restriction.
‰ In the Minimum Free Disk Space box, specify the amount of disk space that has to be
available in the system folder in order to store an event file. When there is less disk space

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available than what you have specified, the event files will no longer be retrieved from
the device. The maximum value you can type is 2,147,483,647, and the default is 0. If
you type a value of 0, available disk space will not be verified.
‰ Optionally, you can type some meaningful information in the Extra Info box. This
information will be appended to each event file name.
‰ Optionally, you can provide a description of the event file(s).

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15 Using the Annunciator
Interface

The SMP Gateway Annunciator option is a cost-effective solution that provides a local HMI for
substation operators. Using SMP Config, you can set up alarms based on the analog and binary
data points of your SMP Gateway, and design simple pages to display the current statuses and
values of these points and alarms on a touch screen, which also allows you to handle the alarms
and perform control operations.

Note: The Annunciator option is only available for the SMP 16/CP and SMP 16/SG.

With the Annunciator option, you can:

• monitor a list of all active alarms, as well as alarms that have returned to normal but have not
been acknowledged yet;
• acknowledge, block and clear alarms;
• consult an history log of recent alarms and operations on alarms;
• access some of the SMP Gateway internal statistics;
• monitor real-time values of the SMP Gateway data points through user-defined and highly
customizable readings pages;
• perform control operations on your SMP Gateway on site, just like you would from the
SCADA.
An example of the Annunciator display is presented on the next page. In this example, we see a
readings page that has been designed to display the simplified single-line diagram of a feeder.

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The Annunciator display is divided in three parts:
• The alarm counters bar.
This bar is located at the top of the display, and shows in real-time the number of active and
blocked alarms.

• The display tabs.

The various display pages can be accessed via a tab-based navigation system. The following
tabs are available:
• Alarms.
Display the list of all alarms that are active, or that have returned to normal and that have
not been recalled yet. You can also use this tab to manage the alarms.

To customize this page, see “Setting Up the Alarms Page”, page 120.
To learn how to manage alarms, see “Managing Alarms”, page 137.
• Readings.
Display user-defined pages that show real-time values of data points and allow control
operations on the SMP Gateway output points.

To create reading pages, see “Creating a User-Defined Readings Page”, page 126.
To learn how to control output points from a readings page, see “Performing Control
Operations From a Readings Page”, page 144.
• Blocked.
Display the list of blocked alarm inputs. The operator can block an alarm input to disable
the triggering of alarms for this given input, even when alarm conditions are met. Such

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behavior may be required, when a certain part of the substation is under maintenance, for
example.

To customize this page, see “Setting Up the Blocked Page”, page 123.
To learn how to block/unblock alarm inputs, see “Blocking Alarm Inputs”, page 139.
• History.
Display the contents of the history log file, which contains entries about recent alarm and
operator actions.

To customize this page, see “Setting Up the History Page”, page 124.
To learn how to use this page, see “Using the History Log”, page 140.
• System State.
Display various system information and statistics about the SMP Gateway and the
Annunciator.

To customize this page, see “Setting Up the System State Page”, page 125.
To learn how to use this page, see “Monitoring System State”, page 141.
• The single alarm display.
This part of the display is used to manage alarms one at a time. Depending on how it is
customized, the oldest or most recent alarm is displayed here, and the operator can
acknowledge or clear the alarm by pressing the display. The single alarm display can also be
hidden at configuration time.

In the following sections, we will describe how to set up the Annunciator using SMP Config,
calibrate and connect a touch screen to the SMP Gateway, and use the various functionalities of
the Annunciator.

15.1 Activating the Annunciator Option

The Annunciator option is available since version 4 of the SMP Gateway Software & Tools. To
use it on your SMP Gateway, its firmware and application must be up-to-date. The Annunciator
must also be part of your SMP Gateway license.
To learn how to update the firmware, see “Updating the SMP Gateway Firmware”, page 207.
To learn how to update the SMP Gateway application, see “Updating the SMP Gateway
Application”, page 208.
The following section walks you through the configuration of the Annunciator within
SMP Config.

15.2 Setting Up the Annunciator

The Annunciator configuration is stored in the SMP Gateway configuration file, which is edited
using SMP Config.

To enable the Annunciator in the configuration file:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.

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‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Config. SMP Config opens, displaying the current
configuration of your SMP Gateway.
‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, select and expand the Annunciator branch.

The resulting tree view should resemble the one that is displayed in the following illustration.

‰ Select the General branch.

‰ Select the Enabled check box.

To configure the Annunciator, you must go through the following steps:

• Configure alarm inputs.
• Set up display pages.
• Create user-defined readings pages, if you like.
• Select which pages will be available for display, and which one will be displayed at startup.

You can also:

• change how time information is displayed in the various pages;
• set up an alarm buzzer to warn the operator of alarm occurrences.

The following sections explain all these steps in details.

15.2.1 Configuring Alarm Inputs

Alarms are the core of the Annunciator. You can use the Annunciator to display real-time values
or to perform control operations, but its most distinctive feature is the display and handling of
alarms.

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Before configuring the various pages, you must configure the conditions that will trigger alarms,
which are called the alarm inputs. The Annunciator supports alarm inputs from analog inputs and
binary inputs. For analog inputs, alarms can be triggered when their value goes beyond a given
threshold. For binary inputs, alarms can be triggered when their state changes.

To define alarm conditions for an analog input:

‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, expand the Alarms branch to reveal the Analog Inputs
branch.
‰ Select the Analog Inputs branch.
‰ In the right pane grid, in the Name cell, type the name of an analog input for which you want
to define the alarm conditions.

Note: The same subscription feature that was available to configure slave protocols can
be used instead of typing names. This is explained a bit further in this section.

‰ In the Alarm Level cell, select a severity level for this input alarms.
‰ In the Low Threshold cell, specify the value under which an alarm will be triggered for this
input. For example, if you specify a low threshold value of -13.1, an alarm will be triggered if
the input value becomes smaller than -13.1.
‰ In the High Threshold cell, specify the value over which an alarm will be triggered for this
input. For example, if you specify a high threshold value of 125.7, an alarm will be triggered
if the input value becomes larger than 125.7.
‰ In the Deadband cell, specify how much the value must go beyond the low or high threshold
to trigger an alarm. For example, if you set the deadband to a value of 5.0 and the high
threshold to a value of 125.5, an alarm will be triggered if the input value becomes larger than
130.5.

Note: This Deadband setting is different from the one found in the configuration of
master protocols, used to determine whether a value should be reported, or not,
to slave protocols through RTDX.

‰ If you want to temporarily disable the triggering of alarms for this data point, select the
Disabled check box. The alarm conditions will be preserved in your configuration file, but
will not be used by the Annunciator.
‰ In the Low Threshold Description cell, you can type a description for low threshold alarms
on this analog input. This description will be displayed in the various Annunciator pages
when such an alarm condition is met, or when an operation (ex. acknowledge) is performed
on such an alarm. The High Threshold Description setting works similarly, for high
threshold alarms on this input.
Typing each point name can be a tedious task, especially if you have a lot of alarm inputs to
define. Instead, you can use the same subscription mechanism you used to configure your slave
protocols.

To subscribe the Annunciator to master data points:

‰ Select the Analog Inputs branch.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose Subscribe To.

The Subscribe to Master I/O dialog box appears. You can then select the master points for
which you want to define alarm conditions. To learn how to use this dialog box, see

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“Subscribing to the Master Data Points”, page 62. Once you click OK, the dialog box closes
and a row is created in the Analog Inputs pane for each data points.
All that is left is to specify the conditions and descriptions for these alarm inputs.

To define alarm conditions for a binary input, proceed as follows:

‰ In the right pane grid, in the Name cell, type the name of an analog input for which you want
to define the alarm conditions, or use the subscription feature as described above for analog
inputs.
‰ In the Alarm Level cell, select a severity level for this input alarms.
‰ In the Appearance Filter cell, specify how long, in milliseconds, the binary input must keep
the active state (TRUE or 1) before triggering an alarm. This setting filters “false” alarms.
‰ In the Disappearance Filter cell, specify how long, in milliseconds, the binary input must
keep the inactive state (FALSE or 0) before considering that the alarm is no longer active.
This setting filters “false” returns to normal.
‰ If you wish to trigger the alarm upon a 0 instead of a 1, select the Inverted check box.
‰ If you want to temporarily disable alarm conditions for this data point, select the Disabled
check box.
‰ In the Description cell, you can type a description for alarms on this binary input. This
description will be displayed in the various Annunciator pages when such an alarm condition
is met, or when an operation (ex. acknowledge) is performed on such an alarm.

Repeat those procedures for all alarm inputs.

15.2.2 Setting Up the Alarms Page

Once alarm conditions are defined, you may set up the various display pages, starting with the
Alarms page.
The Alarms page is essentially where all alarms are displayed in a list, and handled by the
operator of the Annunciator using touch buttons. To learn how to manage alarms, see “Managing
Alarms”, page 137.

To configure the display settings of the Alarms page:

‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, expand the Pages branch and select the Alarms branch.

The resulting content of the right pane is presented in the next screenshot.

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Anytime during the configuration process, you can preview, at the bottom of the pane, how the
alarm list will look like on the Annunciator display.
The preview pane also allows the customization of the alarm list display.

To change the width of a column:

‰ Pass the mouse over the line that separates two column headers. The mouse cursor will
change to this:

‰ Click and drag the mouse to enlarge of reduce the width of the column on the left of the
cursor.
‰ If you want a given column to take all the width space that is actually unused, click the
column header itself.

To change the column order:

‰ Drag and drop each column where you want it to appear on the display.
‰ You can also to this using the Move Up and Move Down buttons appearing under Columns
at the top of the edition pane.

To make a column available/unavailable to the operator:

‰ Right-click any column header in the preview display.

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‰ A checkmark indicates that the column will be available, and it should be displayed as is in
the preview pane.
‰ Select any column name to change its availability state.

The rest of the customization process is performed in the other sections at the top of the edition
pane:
‰ Under Alarm list order, select which alarms should be displayed at the top of the list:
‰ The Oldest alarm at top setting is recommended if you want to deal with each alarm in
order and work them down to the most recent.
‰ If you want to deal with alarms as they occur, select Most recent alarm at top.
‰ If you want the Single alarm display to appear at the bottom of the Annunciator display, put a
checkmark in the Display the single alarm area check box, and then under Single alarm
display, select which alarm should be displayed in this area:
‰ To see the oldest unacknowledged alarm, select Show oldest unacknowledged alarm.
‰ To see the most recent unacknowledged alarm, select Show most recent
unacknowledged alarm.

Note: To learn how to use the single alarm display, see “Using the Single Alarm
Display”, page 139.

‰ Under Alarm acknowledgement, select how alarms will be acknowledged by the operator:
‰ To be free to acknowledge and recall any alarm in any given order, select Alarms can be
acknowledged and recalled in any order.
‰ To force the operator to acknowledge and recall alarms in the order they occur, select
Alarms must be acknowledged and recalled in the order they occurred.
‰ To automatically acknowledge and recall alarms as they occur, without the intervention
of the operator, select Alarms automatically acknowledge and recall.
‰ Under Columns, select which columns should be displayed in the alarms list. Remember that
you can see the result of your selection under Preview.
‰ Still under Columns, you can move the column names up and down using the Move Up and
Move Down buttons. Selected columns will appear from left to right, starting with the
topmost column name in the list.
‰ Under Alarm state colors, set the colors for alarm messages that appear in the Annunciator
various display pages:
‰ Set the text and fill colors for active unacknowledged alarm messages. Different colors
may be specified for major and minor alarms.
‰ Do the same for active acknowledged alarms, unacknowledged alarms that have returned
to normal and acknowledged alarms that have returned to alarms.

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‰ To revert to default colors, click Default Colors.
‰ The leftmost button of the Alarms page will be used to acknowledge the appearance of new
alarms. Not to be confused with the acknowledge button itself, it is as the first step undertaken
by an operator to notify the system that he knows that this alarm was triggered. The name of
this button can be changed, as follows:
‰ Beside Acknowledge new alarms label, type the new name of the button.

For example, if the SMP Gateway is equipped with a sound buzzer, you might want to
name it Clear Sound.

You can see the name of the button changing in the preview section of the edition pane.
‰ You can also use the preview section of the edition pane to modify the columns’ width, order
and availability state, like for the Alarms page (see “Setting Up the Alarms Page”, page 120).

15.2.3 Setting Up the Blocked Page

An operator may want to “deactivate” some alarms at runtime, during maintenance periods for
example. The Annunciator make it possible by allowing some data points to be blocked, which
means that even when alarm conditions are met for these points, they will no longer appear in the
Alarms page: the blocked alarms are then transferred to the Blocked page.
To learn how to block and unblock alarm inputs, see “Blocking Alarm Inputs”, page 139.

To configure the display settings of the Blocked page:

‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, expand the Pages branch and select the Blocked Alarms
branch. The resulting content of the right pane is presented in the following screenshot.

‰ Under Columns, select which columns should be displayed in the blocked alarms list. You
can see the result of your selection under Preview.

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‰ Still under Columns, you can move the column names up and down using the Move Up and
Move Down buttons. Selected columns will appear from left to right, starting with the
topmost column name in the list.
‰ You can also use the preview section of the edition pane to modify the columns’ width, order
and availability state, like for the Alarms page (see “Setting Up the Alarms Page”, page 120).

15.2.4 Setting Up the History Page

Alarms messages are preserved in a log file, which content is displayed in the History page.
To learn how to use this page, see “Using the History Log”, page 140.

To configure the display settings of the History page:

‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, expand the Pages branch and select the History branch.

The resulting content of the right pane is presented in the following screenshot.

‰ Under Columns, select which columns should be displayed in the messages list. You can see
the result of your selection under Preview.
‰ Still under Columns, you can move the column names up and down using the Move Up and
Move Down buttons. Selected columns will appear from left to right, starting with the first
column name in the list.
‰ You can also use the preview section of the edition pane to modify the columns’ width, order
and availability state, like for the Alarms page (see “Setting Up the Alarms Page”, page 120).
‰ The messages list can be filtered by the operator at runtime to display only alarm or operation
messages, using touch buttons. To display these buttons in the History page, select the Show
display types buttons check box.
‰ Finally, you can add a Clear History button to this page, by putting a checkmark in the Show
clear button check box. This button allows you clear the history log of all its contents.
The messages list can hold a limited number of messages, which is called the history length.

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To adjust the history length:
‰ In the tree view, under the Annunciator branch, select the General branch.
‰ In the History Length cell, specify the maximum number of alarm messages that will be
preserved in the history log.

15.2.5 Setting Up the System State Page

Various system information and statistics about the SMP Gateway and the Annunciator can be
displayed in the System State page.

To learn how to use this page, see “Monitoring System State”, page 141.

To select which information should be displayed and how:

‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, expand the Pages branch and select the System State
branch. The resulting content of the right pane is presented in the following screenshot.

‰ Under Analog Points Columns, select which columns should be displayed in analog
inputs/outputs lists. You can see the result of your selection under Analog Points Preview.
‰ Still under Analog Points Columns, you can move the column names up and down using the
Move Up and Move Down buttons. Selected columns will appear from left to right, starting
with the first column name in the list.
‰ Under Binary Points Columns, select which columns should be displayed in binary
inputs/outputs lists. You can see the result of your selection under Binary Points Preview.

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‰ Still under Binary Points Columns, you can move the column names up and down using the
Move Up and Move Down buttons. Selected columns will appear from left to right, starting
with the first column name in the list.
‰ You can also use both preview sections of the edition pane to modify the columns’ width,
order and availability state, like for the Alarms page (see “Setting Up the Alarms Page”,
page 120).
‰ Under Statistics, select the statistics pages you want to display, by marking the corresponding
check boxes. Clear the check boxes for the categories you want to hide. If you do not want to
display any statistics, clear the Show Statistics check box. The following statistics pages are
available in the Annunciator:
• Vital System Information.
Contains the same information that is displayed in the page of the same name in
SMP Stats. Information available includes hardware/software information, temperature
information and power statuses.
• Performance (General).
Contains real-time information about the SMP Gateway CPU load and memory usage.
• Performance (Threads).
Contains real-time information about the SMP Gateway CPU load specific to each
execution thread.
• Real Time Data Exchange.
Contains statistics about real-time data that is exchanged between the masters, the slaves
and other software components of the SMP Gateway.
• SysServer.
Contains various real-time statistics that are maintained by the SMP Gateway system
server.
• Master/slaves Scan Process.
Contains the scan process statistics of every master and slave.

Note: Data point information is always displayed in the System State page.

15.2.6 Creating a User-Defined Readings Page

Readings pages are used to display real-time values of some of the SMP Gateway data points, and
to perform control operations on its output points. With some work, a simplified diagram of your
substation can be made using up to 15 readings pages.
Like other display pages, readings pages are configured using SMP Config:
‰ From the tree view, expand the Pages branch and select the Readings branch.

The Readings Annunciator Page pane appears on the right.

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The readings page list is found on the left. The right part of the pane is occupied by a grid of 18
rows by 9 columns. Each cell is representing a small part of a readings page, and can be used to
display static text, or the current state or value of one of your SMP Gateway input points. A “click
action” can also be configured for the cell. Supported actions include switching the focus to
another readings page and controlling one of the SMP Gateway output points. Above the grid,
there is a toolbar giving access to all the design functions.

To create and populate a readings page:

‰ Under Page List, click Add. A new page called Page 1 was added to the list. Type a
significant name for the page, or leave the default name, and press Enter.

Note: You can create a clone of an existing page, by clicking Duplicate. Also, if you
want to change the name of the page later, just select the page from the list and
click Rename.

‰ Cell(s) selection can be performed in many ways:

‰ To select a single cell, click it.
‰ To select all cells from a given row, click the row header.
‰ To select all cells from a given column, click the column header.
‰ To select multiple cells from different adjacent rows and column, click and drag over the
cells you want to select.
‰ Finally, to select all cells, click the non-editable cell found at the intersection of the row
and column headers.

‰ Select the cell at the intersection of row 1 and column A: let us call it cell 1A. When you click
the cell, the grid toolbar becomes active.

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The toolbar various controls are presented in the following table:

Control(s) Description

Allow you to cut, copy and paste cells in the currently edited page
or from this page to another one.

Allow you to undo last edits, one at a time. If you want to revert to
an edit you just undo, you can use the redo button. Note that a list
of edits is preserved for each page, so you can switch back to a
page you left a few minutes ago and undo the last change you did
to this page, for example.

Change the font and font size of cell text. Only a limited number
of font and sizes are available on the SMP Gateway.

Apply the Bold or Italic font style to cell text. You can also apply
both styles at the same time.

Change the text alignment. Available choices are: left aligned,

centered and right aligned. Text is left aligned by default.

Change the cell font and background colors for normal text. Click
the appropriate button to apply the currently selected color (as
displayed on the button itself) or click the drop-down button to
select the color you like.
Other color options are only accessible through the Cell
Properties dialog box, which is presented later in this section.

Clear the entire content of a cell.

Open the Cell Properties dialog box. Depending on the shortcut

button clicked, either the General, Font or Click tab will be
selected. The Cell Properties dialog box is presented later in this
section.

Enter preview mode. This functionality is described more in

details later in this section.

Note: If you click on any button while multiple cells are selected, the resulting
modifications will be applied to all cells, if possible.

‰ Still in cell 1A, click the General Properties button ( ).

Note: You can also open the Cell Properties dialog box by double-clicking a cell.

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The General tab is used to select the type of content that will be displayed in the cell: static text or
the current reading of an input point (analog or binary). Text and background colors can also be
set here. The resulting display is previewed at the bottom of the tab.
‰ By default, every cell is configured to display static text. For the sake of our example, we will
display the minute field of the SMP Gateway internal clock, which value is available in
analog input _smp___clockMinute. Static text cell can also be used to display a colored
cell with no text at all.

Note: You can also type the text directly in the cell, from the Readings Annunciator
Page pane.

‰ If you like, change the text and background colors.

‰ Click the Font tab to edit the text font, style, alignment and size. A preview is also available
in this tab.
‰ Click OK to complete edition of cell 1A.

To display the real-time value of an analog input:

‰ Select cell 2A and click the General Properties button.
‰ In the Select cell content box, select Display analog data point.

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‰ In the Data Point box, select the desired data point. For our example, select
_smp___clockMinute. You can also type the point name if you prefer.
‰ Select the number of decimals you want to display after the point for the value displayed. You
can also apply a scale factor to the value before displaying it.
‰ If you like, change the text and background colors.
‰ If the data point is configured as an alarm input, you can specify different text and
background colors to use while the input is in alarm. You can also make the cell blinks (it
toggles between the normal and alarm – or state 0 and state 1 – colors) by selecting the Flash
check box.
‰ Similarly, you can specify different colors to use when the data point quality is bad (ex.
communications failure).
‰ You can also use the Font tab to edit the text font, style, alignment and size. Note that the
same font, style, alignment and size will be used when the data point is in alarm or when its
quality is bad.
‰ Click OK to apply changes.

To display the real-time state of a binary input point in a cell:

‰ Select the cell that will display a binary input real-time state and click the General Properties
button.
‰ In the Select cell content box, select Display binary data point.
‰ In the Data Point box, select the desired data point. You can also type the point name if you
prefer.

The bottom part of the General tab is a bit different than for analog data points:

‰ Type the text to display when the input state is 0. For example, if the point represents the state
of a relay, you can type open. If you want the cell to blink in this state, select the Flash
check box.
‰ Type the text to display when the input state is 1. For example, if the point represents the state
of a relay, you can type close. If you want the cell to blink in this state, select the Flash
check box.
‰ You can specify the text and background colors to use while the point is in either state, or
when the point quality is bad.

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‰ You can also use the Font tab to edit the text font, style, alignment and size. Note that the
same font, style, alignment and size will be used when the data point is in alarm or when its
quality is bad.
‰ Click OK to apply changes.
Using the preview mode, you can transform the grid into a preview of the Annunciator display for
this readings page. When you enter this mode, all cells configured for real-time display are
replaced by simulated values.

To enter the preview mode:

‰ From the grid’s toolbar, choose Preview Mode. Value cells display zero values and the Data
Point Simulator window appears.

Note: The Data Point Simulator window will remain open as long as you stay in the
Readings branch of SMP Config tree view.

‰ Using the Data Point Simulator, edit the current value of the points that are used in the current
page. You should see the corresponding cells changing in the preview pane.
‰ Still using the Data Point Simulator, you can also simulate bad quality for any point in the list,
by selecting Error under Quality.
‰ To exit preview mode, click Preview Mode, or select any other branch in SMP Config tree
view.
Finally, you can also attach an “On Click” handler function to a cell. A handler function is an
operation that is performed when a cell is pressed on screen, just like it would be clicked using a
mouse pointer. For example, you might like to add, to your readings pages, buttons that allow you
to control specific binary outputs or to open another readings page. By default, a cell has no
handler attached to it.

To add a Change page handler function to a cell:

‰ Select the cell.
‰ Double-click it, and then click the Click tab or click the On Click Properties button on the
grid toolbar.
‰ In the Select action to perform when user clicks cell box, select Change page.

‰ In the Page box, select which readings page should be displayed when the operator will press
the cell. All configured pages should be available for selection, plus the following options:

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• <First>.
Display the first page of the readings pages list.
• <Previous>.
Display the page that appears just above in the readings pages list.
• <Next>.
Display the page that appears just below in the readings pages list.
• <Last>.
Display the last page of the readings pages list.
‰ When you have made your selection, click OK.
Binary output control requires a bit more configuration work, because you must set up a separate
window that will appear when you press the cell. This window contains customizable buttons that
allow you to set the output to state 0 and 1, and a Cancel button.

To add a Control Binary Output handler function to a cell:

‰ Select the cell.
‰ Double-click it, and then click the Click tab or click the On Click Properties button on the
grid toolbar.
‰ In the Select action to perform when user clicks cell box, select Control Binary Output.

‰ In the Data Point box, select the output point you want to control. You can type the name of
the point directly, if you prefer.
‰ In the Window Title box, type a title for the window that will appear when the cell will be
pressed.
‰ In the State 0 box, customize the button that will set the output point to the state of 0:
‰ Type the button name in the Label edit box.
‰ Specify the text and background colors for the button.
‰ A preview of the button is displayed at the bottom.
‰ Repeat the previous steps, this time in the State 1 box, for the button that will set the output
point to the state of 1.
‰ Click Preview, to have an idea of what it will look like on screen.
‰ Once you are finished, click OK.

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Note: To have a larger control operation button, you can select multiple cells and add to
these cells the same handler function and background color. Enter text for the
center cell and you end up with a button that is more visible and easier to use.

15.2.7 Selecting the Pages to Display

By default, all pages will be available for display. For some reasons, you might want some pages
to be unavailable to the operators.

To select the pages to display:

‰ In SMP Config tree view, under the Annunciator branch, select the Pages branch. The list of
all pages appears in the right pane.

‰ Select the corresponding check boxes for the pages you want to be available for display.
‰ Clear the corresponding check boxes for the pages you want to be unavailable for display.

15.2.8 Selecting the Page Displayed at Startup

You can select which page you want the Annunciator to display at startup.

To select the startup page:

‰ In SMP Config tree view, under the Annunciator branch, select the General branch.
‰ In the Initial Page cell, select the page you want to display at startup.

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15.2.9 Changing How Time Information is Displayed
Unless it is configured otherwise, time information is stored in the UTC format on the
SMP Gateway. However, UTC is not very convenient for display and operation purposes.
Moreover, date information is not formatted the same way in all countries.

To change the date and time display format:

‰ In SMP Config tree view, under the Annunciator branch, select the General branch.
‰ In the Time Zone cell, select the time zone where the SMP Gateway is located.
‰ If you want the time to be automatically adjusted for daylight savings, select the Auto Adjust
DST check box.
‰ In the Date Format cell, select the format to use to display date information. By default, year
is displayed first (all four digits), followed by the month and day, all separated by dashes
(ex. 2008-07-03).

15.2.10 Setting Up an Alarm Buzzer

The SMP Gateway has a normally closed relay that can be used to trigger an output. If you install
a buzzer on the relay output, you can configure the Annunciator to trigger the buzzer upon alarm.

Note: To locate the relay output on the SMP Gateway back panel, refer to the
SMP 16 Installation Guide.

To activate the alarm buzzer feature:

‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, select the General branch under the Annunciator branch.
‰ Select the Close Relay Contact on Alarm check box.

15.2.11 Temporarily Deactivating the Annunciator

For some reasons, you might want to deactivate the Annunciator, without losing its configuration.

To temporarily deactivate the Annunciator:

‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, select the General branch under the Annunciator branch.
‰ Clear the Enabled check box under.

To reactivate the Annunciator:

‰ Select the Enabled check box.

15.3 Setting Up the Touch Screen

Now that you have completed the Annunciator setup, you are ready to connect and calibrate the
touch screen.

Note: Cooper Power Systems recommends the use of a touch screen from Elo
TouchSystems for use with the SMP Gateway.

15.3.1 Connecting the Touch Screen to the SMP Gateway

Two cables are usually provided with a touch screen:

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• A video cable.
This cable should be connected to the VIDEO connector of the SMP Gateway and to the
video input connector of the screen.
• A cable to convey screen-touching information.
When a touch screen is used with a computer, the screen also acts as a mouse when its user
touches it. The touch information is transmitted using either a USB or serial cable.

Note: If you have trouble connecting these cables to the SMP Gateway, refer to the
SMP 16 Installation Guide.

The use of a USB cable is recommended, as the SMP Gateway will detect it automatically: no
configuration is required. Just connect the USB cable to the screen and to one of the USB port of
the SMP Gateway.

If you must use a serial cable:

‰ Connect the serial cable to the screen and to one of the serial port of the SMP Gateway. You
can use any port you like, except the CONSOLE port located on the front panel of the
SMP Gateway.
‰ Start SMP Manager.
‰ Select your SMP Gateway from the list.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Config.
‰ Follow the procedure described in the “Configuring the Serial Port Interfaces” section,
page 32, to specify the appropriate interface (ELO Touchscreen) for the selected serial port.

15.3.2 Setting Up a Screen Saver using SMP Config

Your touch screen may have an energy saving feature, but you can also configure the Annunciator
to enter a screen saver mode during periods of inactivity.

To set up the Annunciator screen saver:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Config.
‰ In SMP Config, from the tree view, select the Annunciator branch, and then the General
branch.
‰ In the Screen Saver Wait Time cell, select the inactivity time to wait before the Annunciator
enters screen saver mode.
‰ You can also turn off this feature by selecting No Screen Saver.

15.4 Uploading the Configuration to the

SMP Gateway
Before you can use the Annunciator, two steps are left. You must:
• upload the configuration file to the SMP Gateway and restart the system;
• calibrate the touch screen at runtime.

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For a little reminder on how to upload the configuration file to the SMP Gateway, see “Sending
the Configuration to the SMP Gateway”, page 38. Once the configuration file has been uploaded,
restart the SMP Gateway.
At the beginning of the SMP Gateway startup sequence, you should see some configuration
information displayed on the touch screen, and then the screen should become totally black. It will
remain black during the rest of the startup sequence, which may take a few minutes.
The calibration screen eventually appears. Calibration is the topic of the next section.

15.5 Calibrating the Touch Screen

The Annunciator enter calibration mode at startup. You can also calibrate the touch screen
anytime by pressing the Calibrate button found at the bottom right of the Annunciator display.
When the Annunciator enters calibration mode, a cross appear in the upper left corner of the
screen display. A message prompts you to touch the screen from a position of normal use. This
means that you should be in your normal working position; either sitting down or in front of the
rack standing up, as you intend to use it most of the times.
‰ Touch the upper-left cross. Repeat for each cross, as they appear on-screen.
‰ When this is over, a message will appear, asking if the cursor follows your finger. Leave your
finger on the screen and move it all over the display.
‰ If these new calibration settings are correct, press yes to accept them.
‰ If you want to keep the old settings, press no.
‰ In both cases, you will be taken back to the Annunciator display. You can recalibrate the
screen anytime by pressing Calibrate.

Note: If, for some reasons, you are no longer able to access the calibration screen and
you do not want to restart the SMP Gateway, you can call back the calibration
screen via a console command, as described in the “Elo Touchscreen Driver
Manager” section, page 226.

15.6 Using the SMP Gateway Annunciator

The following sections explain the various functions of the Annunciator.

15.6.1 Navigating Through the Different Pages

To display a given page, press the name of the page tab.
To select an item from any displayed list, just press the row that contains it. If your fingertips are
too large or if you do not feel at ease with this method, you can use the large arrow key buttons
available at the bottom of each tab.
In all tabs, except readings, up and down arrow key buttons are available to move through each
item of the displayed list:

• In the Alarms, Blocked and History tabs, it allows you to move the selection highlight over
the previous or next alarm message.

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• In the System State tab, there are two sets of up and down arrow key buttons: one under the
selection pane on the left, and another under the display pane on the right. Use the left set to
select an information page to display in the right pane, and the right one to scroll through the
displayed page.
Blocked, History and System State tab also have home and end buttons that allow you to jump
the selection highlight to the first or last item of the list. These buttons are represented by up and
down double-arrows.

The Readings tab has a slightly different navigation scheme.

The index of the currently displayed readings page is displayed on the left, with the total number
of pages available. On the right, two large arrow key buttons allow you to navigate through the
different pages. If your configuration contains a lot of readings pages, we suggest you add Change
page buttons to each page, to customize the navigation for your needs (see “Creating a User-
Defined Readings Page”, page 126).

15.6.2 Managing Alarms

If you previously defined alarm conditions, you will have to manage the alarms that will be
triggered when these conditions will be met.
When an alarm condition is met for a given alarm input, this condition is detected by the
Annunciator, which:
• turns on the sound warning system, to alert the operator that something requires its attention;
• adds the data point to the Alarms page, as an alarm message that uses the text and
background colors configured for the severity level of the condition (major or minor). The
alarm message will be preceded by the ‘A’ letter, displayed on a red background.

You must turn off the sound warning system before you can acknowledge the alarm. The sound
warning system also acts as an interlock, ensuring that you are aware of all the alarms that occur.
To really hear a sound, you need to install a buzzer on the SMP Gateway as described in the
“Setting Up an Alarm Buzzer” section, page 134.

To turn off the sound warning system:

‰ From the Alarms page, press the leftmost button, which is named Ack New Alarms by
default. You can change the name of this button using SMP Config (see “Setting Up the
Alarms Page”, page 120).

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To handle the alarm condition:
‰ Press General Ack/Clear to acknowledge all new alarms. It also clears the Alarms display of
all data points that have returned to their normal condition.

OR

Press Acknowledge to acknowledge the alarm. The entire row turns to a paler shade of its
original color. If more than one alarm is active, the alarm that will be acknowledged depends
on the alarm acknowledgement rule selected in SMP Config for the Alarms page (see
“Setting Up the Alarms Page”, page 120). If you selected Alarms can be acknowledged and
recalled in any order, you must select the alarm to acknowledge before pressing the button.

OR

Press Block to move the data point in alarm to the Blocked page. Make sure the data point
you want to block is selected before pressing the button. For more details about the block
feature, see “Blocking Alarm Inputs”, page 139.
The data points that are in an alarm condition remain in the alarm display until the points return to
their normal condition, at which time you can clear them from the display.
When a point returns to its normal condition, the sound warning system turns on again and the ‘A’
letter that precedes the alarm message is replaced by an ‘R’ letter, displayed on a green
background.

You must once again clear the sound before you can acknowledge and recall the data point, which
will then no longer be displayed in the Alarms page.

To handle the return-to-normal condition:

‰ Click Clear Sound to clear the sound warning system.
‰ Handle the return-to-normal event. This can be performed in two different ways:
‰ Click General Ack./Clear to acknowledge all alarms and clear the alarm display of all
data points that have returned to their normal condition.

OR
‰ Press Acknowledge to acknowledge the alarm. Again, if more than one alarm can be
acknowledged, the alarm that will be acknowledged depends on the alarm
acknowledgement rule selected in SMP Config for the Alarms page. If you selected
Alarms can be acknowledged and recalled in any order, you must select the alarm to
acknowledge before pressing the button.

Then, press Clear in order to clear the alarm display of the data point that has returned to
normal. The alarm acknowledgement rule defined in SMP Config also applies to clear
(recall) operations.
If an alarm is triggered more than once for a given alarm input before it can be handled, the ‘x’
character will be appended either to the ‘A’ or ‘R’ character to notify the operator about this
matter.

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15.6.3 Blocking Alarm Inputs
For some reasons, you might want to temporarily deactivate some alarm conditions. Such behavior
may be required, when a certain part of the substation is under maintenance, for example. For this
matter, the Annunciator offers an alarm input blocking feature. When an alarm input is blocked, it
no longer triggers alarms, even when alarm conditions are met.
You can only block an alarm input that is currently displayed in the Alarms page. When it is
blocked, the alarm input is moved to the Blocked page, and it will not appear in the Alarms page
until it is reactivated. In fact, alarms will no longer be triggered for this input.

To block an alarm input:

‰ From the Alarms page, select the data point that you want to block.
‰ Press Block.
‰ Select the Blocked page. The blocked alarm input should be displayed here.

To reactivate a blocked alarm input:

‰ From the Blocked page, select the data point that you want to reactivate.
‰ Press Reactivate. The alarm input is moved back to the Alarms page. The sound warning
system turns on and you will then have to take action, to acknowledge and recall the input
current condition (see “Managing Alarms”, page 137).

To reactivate all blocked alarm inputs simultaneously:

‰ From the Blocked page, press Reactivate All.

15.6.4 Using the Single Alarm Display

The single alarm display is found at the bottom of the Annunciator display.

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It is used to manage alarms one at a time. Depending on how it is customized, the oldest or most
recent alarm is displayed here, and the operator can acknowledge or clear the alarm by pressing
the display.
To customize the single alarm display, see “Setting Up the Alarms Page”, page 120.
Using the single alarm display is easy:
• If the sound warning system is on, press the single alarm display, which will give the same
result than pressing Clear Sound in the Alarms page: the sound warning system is turned off
and the alarm is ready to be acknowledged.
• If the sound warning system has already been turned off, press the single alarm display to
acknowledge the alarm just like you would do using the Alarms page Acknowledge button.

15.6.5 Using the History Log

A history log file is stored in the gateway non-volatile memory to keep track of the most recent
alarms that were triggered, and of the operations that were executed to handle them. The log file is
circular and has a limited size: when it is full, new entries replace the oldest ones. The history log
file entries are displayed in the History page, in chronological order, starting with the oldest one at
the top.

This page resembles the Alarms page, with an additional column that indicates the type of entry.
Two types of entry are displayed in the History page:
• Alarms (an ‘A’ is displayed in the T column).
Every time an alarm appears or returns to normal, an entry is added to the log file. The
message displayed is the same that appears in the Alarms page, with the ‘A’ or ‘R’ icon that
indicates what happened.

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• Operator actions (an ‘O’ is displayed in the T column).
Whether the operator clears sound, acknowledges or recalls alarms, blocks or unblocks alarm
inputs, or performs control operations, an entry is added to the log file. The action executed is
described in the Description column.
To customize the History display page and to set the size of the history log file, see “Setting Up
the History Page”, page 124.
As stated previously, large arrow key buttons are available to scroll through the list of entries, and
when you select an entry, all related entries are highlighted. Two filtering buttons are also
available.

These buttons are kept “pressed” by default, which means that no filter is apply to the log display.

To filter alarm entries:

‰ Touch the Alarms (A) button. The button will appear “unpressed”, and only operator action
entries should be displayed.

To display alarm entries:

‰ Touch the Alarms (A) button again. The button will appear “pressed” and the alarms entries
should be displayed.

To display only operator action entries:

‰ Touch the Operator (O) button. The button will appear “unpressed”, and only alarm entries
should be displayed.

To display operator action entries:

‰ Touch the Operator (O) button again. The button will appear “pressed” and operator action
entries should be displayed.

To clear the history log:

‰ Touch the Clear History button. This button is only visible if configured accordingly using
SMP Config (see “Setting Up the History Page”, page 124).

15.6.6 Monitoring System State

The System State page provides access to the SMP Gateway internal statistics and the current
value of all its data points.

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The left pane lists all information or statistics pages that can be displayed in the right pane.
Under the Data Points branch, some branch names might be displayed in orange. This means that
the value of some data points displayed in these branches is unavailable due to communications
failure. These points are also displayed in orange in the right pane.
When an analog inputs or analog outputs branch is selected, the right pane displays the following
information for each analog input:

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• Name.
The input name.
• Floating Point Value.
The input actual value.
• Integer Value.
The input actual raw value.
• Low Threshold.
The value under which an alarm will be triggered for this input, if configured to trigger
alarms. Nothing is displayed if the data point is not configured to trigger alarms.
• High Threshold.
The value over which an alarm will be triggered for this input, if configured to trigger alarms.
Nothing is displayed if the data point is not configured to trigger alarms.
• Deadband.
Indicates how much the value must go beyond the low or high threshold to trigger an alarm.
Nothing is displayed if the data point is not configured to trigger alarms.
When a binary inputs or binary outputs branch is selected, the right pane displays the following
information for each binary input:

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• Name.
The input name.
• State.
The input actual state.
• Alarm.
Indicates it this input is in alarm (1), or not (0). Nothing is displayed if the data point is not
configured to trigger alarms.
• Filter(s).
The appearance and disappearance filters, which respectively indicates how long, in
milliseconds, the binary input must keep the active state (TRUE or 1) before triggering an
alarm, and how long, in milliseconds, the binary input must keep the inactive state (FALSE or
0) before considering that the alarm is no longer active. Nothing is displayed if the data point
is not configured to trigger alarms.
Statistics branches/pages are quite similar to those available through the SMP Stats tool. For more
information about statistics and the SMP Stats tool, see “Viewing Communications Statistics in
Real Time”, page 53.

15.6.7 Performing Control Operations From a Readings Page

As seen previously in the “Creating a User-Defined Readings Page” section, page 126, you can
create touch buttons that allow operators to perform control operations.
When you press such a button, a modal window appears over the Annunciator main display.

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This window is also customizable, as described in the same section. In the snapshot above, the
State 0 button is named Open and the State 1 button is named Close.

To perform a control operation:

‰ Press either the State 0 or State 1 button:
‰ To force the corresponding output to state 0 (FALSE), press the State 0 button.
‰ To force the corresponding output to state 1 (TRUE), press the State 1 button.
‰ Press Cancel to close this window without forcing the output state.

The control operation window is replaced by a confirmation window.

‰ Press Execute to proceed with the execution of the control operation.

‰ Press Cancel to close this window without executing the control operation.
‰ If you pressed Execute, two entries will be added to the history log: one to indicate that a
control operation has been performed on the given binary output, and another to indicate the
result. The same entries, and more precise information, are also stored in the Control log file,
which can be accessed using the SMP Log tool. For more information about this tool, see
“Viewing the SMP Log Files”, page 45.
‰ If you press Cancel, the window is closed and no control operation is performed.

15.6.8 Using the Screen Saver

A screen saver can be configured to replace the Annunciator display by a black screen during
periods of inactivity.
To learn how to set up the screen saver, see “Setting Up a Screen Saver using SMP Config”,
page 135.
To leave screen saver mode, just touch the screen.
The screen saver also automatically ends its execution when an alarm occurred, or when the data
point that triggered it return to its normal condition.

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16 Automation Functions

Because it is connected between the substation devices and the control centers, the SMP Gateway
is well positioned to implement advanced processing functions that would be impossible to
perform by less sophisticated devices.
The SMP Gateway provides the following automation capabilities:
• The SMP Gateway Automation Functions module, which add basic automation functions.
See “The SMP Gateway Automation Functions Module”, next.
• The Soft PLC module and CoDeSys development platform, which allow the creation of
sophisticated automation scripts, such as closing circuit breakers and load balancing.
See “The Soft PLC”, page 158.

16.1 The SMP Gateway Automation Functions

Module
The SMP Gateway Automation Functions module is an optional software package designed to
extend the capabilities of existing devices by adding local automation capabilities similar to what
could be implemented using an external PLC. The module adds the following functions to the
SMP Gateway:
• The Analog Control function, which performs a control operation on a physical analog
output point, based on the value change of a physical input point. Basically, it writes the value
of an input point to an output. A deadband value, in engineering units, can be specified so that
only changes that exceed the deadband value will trigger a control operation. A time filter, in
milliseconds, can be applied to value changes of the source point, to prevent control
operations from being triggered on transitions of short duration.
• The Best Of function, which makes a logical input or output point an exact replica of the best
source point available of the same type. The evaluation of the best source point is based on
quality. An exact replica involves the support for redundant devices: value or state, the quality
and the timestamp. Furthermore, if the “best of” operation involves output points, the
requested command is sent to the best source point. Up to 8 source points can be specified.
• The Binary Control function, which performs a control operation on a binary output point,
based on the state change of a binary input point. A millisecond time filter can be applied to
value changes in the source point, to prevent control operations from being triggered on
transitions of short duration.
• The Binary Debouncing function is the answer to a typical binary signals problem, by
filtering short-term transitions, considered as non-significant.
• The Create function, allows you to create a logical analog or binary input point that acts as a
data holder. The only way to modify the data point is by using a Force operation, using the

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Force function. A validity delay can be specified to define a refresh period after which the
value of the created point must be refreshed to maintain a valid status. If the value is no longer
refreshed using the Force function after this delay, the point inherits the bad quality status.
This function, in conjunction with the Force function, allows a slave to update an input point
value (binary or analog) that can be read by any other slave.
• The Force function, which forces the value or state of an analog or binary input point, based
on control operations performed on force and unforce output points created by the function.
• The Grouped Control function, which performs a control operation on a group of output
points, based on the value or state change of an analog or binary control point.
• The Inhibition function, which uses a logical output point to control a group of physical
output points for the purpose of enabling or disabling control functions. This function can also
be used with physical input points, in which case it enables or disables reporting of transitions
for those points.
• The Input Latching and Reset function, which changes the state of a logical input point,
called a latched point, whenever it detects a transition or pulse on a physical binary input
point. The latched point remains “on” until either a reset operation is done on a binary output
reset point or an internal timer expires. Optionally, the control operation on the reset point can
also apply to a physical binary output point called the controlled point.
• The Logical function, which dynamically computes an “AND” or “OR” operation on a group
of binary input points. The result of this computation is stored in a logical binary input point.
• The Logic Processor defines logical data points which values are based on calculations
performed on physical points that you build in the Logic Editor, to process existing points
through different operations described further. It is a much more elaborated version of the
Logical function.

16.1.1 Adding an Automation Functions Instance

To add an Automation Functions instance using SMP Config:
‰ In the left pane, click Automation Functions, under Master Protocols.
‰ In the right pane, assign a name to the new instance, and then press ENTER.

The new instance appears in the left pane.

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‰ As shown in the screenshot, the newly added instance includes the following items:
‰ General settings, which set the general behavior of the component.
‰ Settings for various data point types. Initially, there are no data points. You will create
logical data points for each function you set up. You will then specify the settings for
each of these logical data points.
‰ Functions. All the currently supported functions appear in the list. You will define
specific functions of these various types, and these functions will refer to logical data
points.
‰ In the left pane, click General.
‰ Type a prefix in the right pane. This prefix must be unique for each Automation Functions
instance.

16.1.2 Defining an Automation Function

Each instance includes one or more automation functions, such as Best Of, Force, Create, and so
on.
The procedure that follows shows how to define a Best Of function, but the process is similar for
all the various types of functions.
‰ In the left pane, under Functions, click Best Of.

The right pane shows the settings you need to enter for the Best Of function.

The Best Of function makes a logical input or output point an exact replica of the best source
point available of the same type. The logical point is referred to as the “result point”. This example
uses only 2 source points, but up to 8 source points can be specified.
‰ In the right pane, type a name for the function.
‰ Define the result point:
‰ In the left pane, click the type of data point you want for the result point. For the benefit
of the example, click Analog Inputs, and then on Logical Inputs. Thus, the result point
will be a logical analog input point.
‰ In the right pane, type a name of your choice for the result point. Let us call it “Best Of
Result Point”, and enter its settings: scale, offset, units, etc.
‰ In the left pane, click again on Best Of.
‰ In the right pane (see previous screenshot), choose “Best Of Result Point” in the Result
Point drop-down list.
‰ Define the first source point, using one of the two following methods:
‰ Type the name of the point in the Point 1 box.

OR
‰ Put the cursor in the Point 1 box.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose Select Points.

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‰ In the Select Points dialog box, choose the first source point to which you want to
subscribe. This point has to be an analog input point, to match the data point type of the
result point. In our example, we selected an analog input point on a DNP3 device. This
point represents the phase A current.
‰ Click Paste to have the point appear in the Point 1 box.

‰ Define the second source point, using one of the two following methods:
‰ Type the name of the point in the Point 2 box.

OR
‰ Without closing the dialog box, put the cursor in the Point 2 box.
‰ In the Select Points dialog box, choose the second source point to which you want to
subscribe. This point also has to be an analog input point, to match the data point type of
the result point. In our example, we chose an analog input point on a MODICON
MODBUS device, which represents the phase A current, as did the DNP3 point.
‰ Click Paste to have the point appear in the Point 2 box.
‰ Type a description of the automation function, if you like.
The resulting screen is shown next.

The Best Of function will choose the better of the 2 source points, and put the result in the result
point.

Note: In the example, we subscribed to device data points, but we could have
subscribed to any data point available in the SMP Gateway.

16.1.3 Understanding Automation Functions Settings

Complete documentation on the automation functions is available in the Application Notes
folder of the SMP Gateway Software & Tools CD-ROM, in a document called SMP Gateway
Automation Functions, GUI-00316-00061 T.

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16.1.4 Using the Logic Processor
SMP Config enables you to derive a data point through a mathematical expression that includes
existing data points.
For instance, you may want to export the value of a certain power aspect such as phase imbalance
but no such data point is available. If data points are available for voltage and current, you can
define three new data points calculated as the voltage times the current for each phase, then check
power imbalance between the three points.
The expression for deriving a calculated data point can be evaluated in one of two ways:
• By exception.
Whenever there is a transition on the data points included in the expression. If you choose this
option, you also specify whether the evaluation is to be triggered by a specific data point or by
any data point in the expression.
• Periodically.
Every X milliseconds.
You can choose to have the expression evaluated either by exception or periodically, or both. If
you choose both, the expression will be evaluated once every X milliseconds as well as anytime
there is a transition on a data point or signal used in the expression. If you do not choose either
method, the expression will be evaluated only once, on the SMP Gateway startup.

To create a calculated data point:

‰ In the left pane, at the bottom of the automated functions list, expand Functions and right-
click Logic Processor.
‰ From the shortcut menu, choose Logic Editor.

The Logic Editor is used to enter the expression that generates the value of a calculated data
point. It is displayed across several panes, which allow you to set the attributes of the calculated
data point and assist you in editing the expression.

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Use the toolbar at the top of the dialog box to validate, save and close the expression, or to undo
the last change to the expression.
The table below describes the various areas of the dialog box:

Window Description

Properties Used to specify the different attributes of the calculated data point. These
attributes are described in the sections below.

Data Points Used to select and enter existing data points in the expression. You can select
data points from the list of available data points. These are grouped together in
folders, based on grouping criteria that you established with the Group Settings
tab of the Display Options window.
If you open the various folders, you will note that binary points are displayed in
blue, while analog points are displayed in green.
The list is a memory jogger for selecting I/O points to be used in the expression.
Double-click on an item to insert it at the cursor location in the expression
window.

Functions Displays the list of all the functions that can be inserted in the expression.
Double-click on an item to insert it at the cursor location in the expression
window. The various functions are described in the sections below.

Operators Displays the list of all the operators, constants and variables that can be inserted
in the expression. Double-click on an item to insert it at the cursor location in
the expression window. The various operators are described in the sections
below.

Expression Used to enter and edit the expression to be evaluated. You can type the
(empty window at expression directly or use the memory-jogging windows described above.
the bottom of the
application The result of the evaluation of the expression is assigned as the value of the
window) calculated data point.

A calculated data point has the following properties:

Properties Description

Produced point Resulting data point.

Name Name of the calculated data point for which the expression is currently being
edited. This field cannot be edited. To edit an expression for another calculated
data point, close the editor and select another data point in one of the analog or
binary point pages in the Site view.

Description Optional space for you to type a description of the new point.

Timestamp Defines how the calculated data point is to be time-stamped. Specify "Server" if
you want the system time to be used as the timestamp, and specify Triggered
point if you want the timestamp to be the time of the point that triggered the
calculation.
By default, the calculated data point is time-stamped by the SMP Gateway.

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Properties Description

Quality Specifies whether the quality of the calculated data point will always be good,
or will depend on the quality of its source point(s).
If you select Use source quality, as soon as the quality of one of the source
points is bad, the calculated data point quality will also be bad. In a conditional
statement, only the quality of the points considered for the calculation is used to
determine the quality of the calculated data point. For more information, see
“Condition Statements”, page 154.

Time-based Specifies whether the expression is to be evaluated on a periodic basis. The time
interval is then specified via the Time interval attribute. Normally, expressions
are not evaluated on a periodic basis.

Time interval (ms) Specifies that the expression is to be evaluated every X milliseconds. This time
interval applies only if the Time-based attribute specifies "Yes". The minimum
value is 50 milliseconds. If this condition is

By exception Specifies whether the expression is to be evaluated whenever there is a

transition on one of the data points or signals in the expression.

Specific trigger Specifies whether the evaluation of the expression is to be triggered by a single
data point (Yes) or by any data point (No) in the expression. This attribute is
ignored if By exception is set to No.

Triggered by Used to specify the name of the data point or signal that will trigger the
evaluation of the expression. This attribute is ignored if Specific trigger is set
to No.

16.1.4.1 Data Point Names in Expressions

To use a data point in an expression, type the name of the data point. Make sure to include the
prefix, if applicable.
A data point name used in an expression must adhere to the following Visual Basic-like notation:
• It must begin with a letter.
• It can include alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9), the underscore separator " _ " (without
the quotes), and special characters, such as a period.
If the data point name contains a special character, it must be surrounded by the delimiter
character " (the quotation mark). For example, a physical data point name of T5.APHA must be
declared as "T5.APHA".
Here are some examples of valid expressions:
• 120 + ( CurrentPoint * 0.02 * ( Rand() - 1 ) )
• ( 0.85 "T5.APHA" * "T5.KVAB" ) / 1000
• "1B17.MA" AND ("120-1.MA" AND NOT "120-1.MB" ) AND "1B1.MA"
• Imbalance("T5.APHA", "T5.APHB", "T5.APHC")

16.1.4.2 Comments in Expressions

Expressions can span several lines. To insert a comment into an expression, put a single quote at
the beginning of the line.

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For instance:
' Calculates the imbalance of transformer #5
Imbalance("T5.APHA", "T5.APHB", "T5.APHC")

16.1.4.3 Condition Statements

You can use the following condition statements in expressions:

Statement Description

If <condition> Then Evaluates the specified expression if the logical condition is true.
<expression>
Endif

If <condition> Then Evaluates the expression specified after the Then if the logical condition
<true expression> is true, or evaluates the expression specified after the Else if the logical
Else condition is false.
<false expression>
Endif Note that the expression can contain several embedded If and Else
statements, in which case each Else statement is associated with the If
statement closest to it.

If the Quality of the calculated data point is set to Use Source Quality, only the quality of the
data points used in the executed statement are considered, in addition to the quality of the data
points used in the condition statement.
For example, if one source point is used in the Else statement, but not in the Then statement, the
quality of this point will be considered only if the Else statement is executed.

16.1.4.4 Mathematical Functions

You can use the following built-in mathematical functions in expressions:

Function Description

Abs( x ) Calculates the absolute value of x.

Pow( x, y ) Calculates the value of x to the power of y.

Sqrt( x ) Calculates the square root of x.

Exp( x ) Calculates the value of e raised to the power of x.

Log( x ) Calculates the logarithm of x to the base 10.

Sin( x ) Calculates the sine of angle x, expressed in radians.

Cos( x ) Calculates the cosine of angle x, expressed in radians.

Tan( x ) Calculates the tangent of angle x, expressed in radians.

ArcSin( x ) Calculates the arcsine of angle x.

ArcCos( x ) Calculates the arccosine of angle x.

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Function Description

ArcTan( x ) Calculates the arctangent of angle x.

Min( x, y ) Compares the values of x and y, and retains the lesser of the two.

Max( x, y ) Compares the values of x and y, and retains the greater of the
two.

16.1.4.5 Data Point Functions

You can use the following built-in data point functions in expressions.

Function Description

Imbalance Calculates the imbalance among three phases, for the current
( point A, point B, point C ) represented by the three data point names.
The calculation is defined as follows for a three-phase current:
((Imax - Imin) / Iavg) * 100
where:
Iavg = (AI + AB + IC) / 3
Imax = max (IA, IB, IC)
Imin = min (IA, IB, IC)

IsEqual( point1, point2, precision ) Compares point1 and point2, to the nearest precision significant
digits.
The expression evaluates to TRUE or FALSE, depending on
whether or not point1 = point2.

IsTrigger( point ) Evaluates to TRUE if the specified point causes the expression
to be reevaluated.

QualityOf( point ) Evaluates to TRUE if the value of the specified data point is
valid.

TimestampOf( point ) Returns the timestamp of a point, as a number of milliseconds

that have elapsed since an internal reference date and time. Use
this function for the sole purpose of comparing timestamps that
were obtained via a previous call to the TimestampOf()
function.

BAD_QUALITY Sets the quality of a data point to BAD, which means that the
value of the data point cannot be assumed as valid.

16.1.4.6 Generators
You can use the following built-in generators in expressions. Generators are used to
mathematically generate input values for data points.

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Generator Description

Sine( amplitude, frequency, phase ) Generates an expression of the form: Sine( A, f, P ).

Calculates the value of a sinusoid with an amplitude A, a
frequency f in hertz, and an initial phase P in degrees. P is
optional and if you don't specify it, it will be assigned a value of
0.

Pulse( amplitude, frequency, duty Generates an expression of the form: Pulse( A, f, dc, d ).
cycle, delay )
Calculates the value of a pulse stream with an amplitude A, a
frequency f in hertz, a duty cycle dc in percent, and a delay of d
milliseconds. d is optional and if you don't specify it, it will be
assigned a value of 0.

Saw( amplitude, frequency, delay ) Generates an expression of the form: Saw( A, f, d ).

Calculates the value of a sawtooth wave with an amplitude A, a
frequency f in hertz, and a delay of d milliseconds. d is optional
and if you don't specify it, it will be assigned a value of 0.

Randn( mean, variance ) Generates an expression of the form: Randn( mean, var ).
Calculates a random value with a normal distribution that has a
mean value of mean and a variance of var.

Rand() Generates an expression of the form: Rand( ).

Calculates a random value with a uniform distribution ranging
between 0.0 and 1.0.

16.1.4.7 Arithmetic Operators

You can use the following arithmetic operators in expressions:

Operator Description

+ [Add] Calculates the sum of the left and right operands.

- [Subtract] Calculates the difference between the left and right operands.

* [Multiply] Calculates the product of the left and right operands.

/ [Divide] Divides the left operand by the right operand.

% [Modulo] Obtains the remainder of the division of the left operand by the right
operand.

( [Opening parenthesis] Expressions are evaluated according to standard operator precedence.

Parentheses are used to group sub-expressions and control the order in
which expressions are evaluated.
1 + 2 * 3 evaluates to 7
(1 + 2) * 3 evaluates to 9

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Operator Description

) [Closing parenthesis] Expressions are evaluated according to standard operator precedence.

Parentheses are used to group sub-expressions and control the order in
which expressions are evaluated.
1 + 2 * 3 evaluates to 7
(1 + 2) * 3 evaluates to 9

16.1.4.8 Binary Operators

Binary operators are used to manipulate the individual bits of expressions or data points.
You can use the following binary operators in expressions:

Operator Description

BAND Calculates a bitwise AND between the left and right operands.
For instance, 12 BAND 5 evaluates to 4 (1100 BAND 0101 is 0100).

BOR Calculates a bitwise OR between the left and right operands.

For instance, 12 BOR 5 evaluates to 13 (1100 BAND 0101 is 1101).

BNOT Calculates a bitwise NOT of the value to the right.

For instance, BNOT 0 evaluates to -1 (BNOT …0000 is …1111).

BXOR Calculates a bitwise XOR between the left and right operands.
For instance, 12 BXOR 5 evaluates to 9 (1100 BXOR 0101 is 1001).

BEQV Calculates a bitwise EQV between the left and right operands.
For instance, 12 BEQV 9 evaluates to 6 (1100 BEQV 0101 is 0110).

16.1.4.9 Logical Operators

Logical operators are used to combine the results of logical expressions such as comparisons.
You can use the following logical operators in expressions:

Operator Description

AND Evaluates to TRUE if the left and right operands are both TRUE.

OR Evaluates to TRUE if either the left or right operand is TRUE.

NOT Evaluates to TRUE if the value to the right is FALSE.

XOR Evaluates to TRUE if the left and right operands have different values.

EQV Evaluates to TRUE if the left and right operands have the same value.

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16.1.4.10 Relational Operators
You can use the following relational operators in expressions:

Operator Description

< [Less than] Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is less than the right operand.

> [Greater than] Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is greater than the right operand.

<= [Less than or equal Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is less than or equal to the right
to] operand.

>= [Greater than or equal Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is greater than or equal to the right
to] operand.

= [Equal to] Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is equal to the right operand.

!= [Not equal to] Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is different from the right operand.

16.1.4.11 Constants and Variables

You can use the following built-in constants and pseudo-variables in expressions:

Operator Description

CurrentPoint [Point Represents the current value, i.e., the value of the logical point being
value] edited, just prior to its evaluation.

16.2 The Soft PLC

The Soft PLC is an optional software module available on all models. Using this module, you can
create automation scripts that access the data points in the SMP Gateway real-time database in
order to create sophisticated control functions.
Since the Soft PLC is part of the internal architecture of the SMP Gateway, the scripts you define
can be used to:
• create new logical data points, with values based on the result of calculations performed on
real data points;
• process data in real time before sending it to control centers;
• implement sophisticated local automation functions, such as automatic closing of circuit
breakers and load balancing.
The Soft PLC module is provided with the CoDeSys development platform, a complete
development environment that supports the IEC 61131 programming languages:
• Instruction List (IL)
• Structured Text (ST)
• Function Block Diagram (FBD)
• Continuous Function Chart (CFC)
• Ladder Diagram (LD)

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• Sequential Function Chart (SFC)

16.2.1 The CoDeSys Development Environment

CoDeSys is one of the most popular IEC 61131-3 programming systems for PLCs and industrial
controllers. It supports the full range of standard IEC 61131-3 data types, as well as user-defined
data types: arrays, structures, enumerations, aliases and pointers. The tools provide a comfortable
programming environment, with full debugging support. The following illustration presents
CoDeSys application main window.

16.2.2 Using CoDeSys to Create SMP Gateway Automation

Scripts
While a detailed description of how to create automation scripts is beyond the scope of this
document, the process can be summarized in the following steps:
‰ Install the CoDeSys development system on your PC.
‰ Start CoDeSys and install the SMP Target Support Package. A Target Support Package (TSP)
contains all the files and configuration information necessary to control the SMP Gateway
from a program created in CoDeSys.
‰ Add the SMP Library to the CoDeSys project. This library contains all the information
necessary to access the SMP Gateway components from a programming language.
‰ Create your automation script using one of the IEC 61131-3 programming languages.
‰ Connect the CoDeSys development platform to the SMP Gateway.
‰ Load the script on the SMP Gateway and use CoDeSys’ advanced debugging features to test
and debug the script.
For complete details on using CoDeSys to create scripts for the SMP Gateway Soft PLC module,
see the SMP Gateway PLC User Manual, GUI-00316-00003-T.

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17 Using Syslog with an
SMP Gateway

Syslog is a method for delivering log information from a sender to a receiver, typically across an
IP network. Typically used for computer system management and security auditing, syslog is
supported by a wide variety of devices and receivers across multiple platforms. Because of this,
syslog can be used to integrate log data from many different types of systems into a central
repository. It is then possible for the system administrator to dispatch these messages to email or
SMS systems, for example.
The SMP Gateway syslog component uses the UDP protocol to send its log entries to a single
receiver. It is configured using SMP Config, and is active as soon as the SMP Gateway starts up.
For an overview of the messages that an SMP Gateway may send to a syslog receiver, launch
SMP Log and take a look at the various log files’ contents.
If you need to know more, open SMP Log and look at the log content. You can also refer to the
“Viewing the SMP Log Files” section, page 45.
The following section describes the few steps to follow to set up syslog on your SMP Gateway.

17.1 Setting Up Syslog

Because it is based on the built-in log feature of the SMP Gateway, the syslog feature is easy to
configure on an SMP Gateway. The receiver of the syslog messages must first be specified. If
needed, the facility qualifiers attached to messages can be customized to your needs.

To enable and configure SMP Gateway syslog, proceed as follows:

‰ In SMP Manager, from the Tools menu, choose SMP Config to open it.
‰ In the left pane, under the SMP Gateway name branch, expand the System branch.
‰ Select the Syslog branch, and then select the General branch.
‰ Select the time zone used by the receiver server. If the server is configured for daylight saving
time schedule adjustments, select the Auto Adjust DST check box.
‰ Select the Receiver branch. Type the server name and IP address. Leave both port numbers to
their default value, which are set to 514.
‰ Select the Facilities branch.

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‰ Assign, if needed, an appropriate facility code to each log file. The default settings, as
illustrated above, should satisfy your requirements.

Note: Facility codes are used to distinguish different classes of syslog messages.
These codes are mainly useful for message classification.

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18 Redundancy

The SMP Gateway is a critical component in a substation automation system. Hence, there are
circumstances in which losing an SMP Gateway can severely impact substation operations. With
the redundancy option, you can group two SMP Gateways together in a redundant configuration,
to ensure continued operation of the substation automation system in the event of a failure. If one
gateway fails, the other one takes over. There are different types of redundancies, as IEDs,
SMP Gateways and networks can be redundant in many combinations.
Redundant SMP Gateways are addressed by a SCADA center as if they were a single
SMP Gateway with a single IP address. In the event that one SMP Gateway fails, the second
SMP Gateway immediately becomes active and takes ownership of the logical IP address.
Failover from the active SMP Gateway to the standby SMP Gateway typically takes less than 5
seconds. Network connections from the control center are temporarily lost when the active
gateway goes offline. The control center simply needs to reconnect to the same group IP address
in order to re-establish a new connection and restore system operation.
An additional benefit is that you can update SMP Gateway settings with minimum down time, by
updating the settings of the standby SMP Gateway, which will take over the other SMP Gateway
during its own update.

Note: The redundancy function is not available on the SMP 4.

18.1 Redundant Group Operation

In an SMP Gateway redundancy group, one SMP Gateway plays an active role while the other
stands by. The active gateway polls the substation devices and responds to requests from control
centers. The standby gateway initializes itself, places its serial links in a high-impedance state and
waits to become active.
The active SMP Gateway uses a special protocol to send regular heartbeat messages to the standby
SMP Gateway. If the standby SMP Gateway fails to receive these messages, it automatically
assumes that it should become active. Two distinct communications channels are used for the
heartbeat messages, to minimize the chances of both SMP Gateways becoming active due to a
single faulty connection. These channels can be LAN connections, dedicated serial connections, or
a mixture of both.
The two SMP Gateways in a group must have identical configurations and be physically
connected to the same substation devices.

18.1.1 Redundant IEDs

When needed, breakers can be monitored and controlled by multiple protection relays to make
sure that a fault is always detected; normally different relays from different manufactures are used.

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To report only one data set to the control center the SMP Gateway has the “best of” automation
function (see “Defining an Automation Function” on page 149).
INFORMATION FROM
ACQUISITION OVER TWO SECONDARY SOURCE
LINKS TO TWO DEVICES. IS USED

INFORMATION FROM TRYING TO RESTORE INFORMATION FROM

PRIMARY SOURCE IS COMM. WITH PRIMARY PRIMARY SOURCE IS
PREFERRED SOURCE PREFERRED

COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
FAILURE RESTORED

You should know that:

• The “best of” automation function is protocol independent.
• It is a per-point redundancy, allowing any failure in the acquisition path.
• Connection with two links to the same device can also be done. However, this achieves
almost the same as the Master link redundancy but with more configuration effort.
• When both IEDs have the same data map, a redundant master can be used instead of a “best
of” configuration.
The main advantage of the “best of” function over master link redundancy is that the “best of”
allows the mixing of different devices. On the other hand, the disadvantage is the size of the
configuration, as 3 points are needed to get the data from a single input/output: 2 master points
and 1 best of point.

18.1.2 Giving Priority to an SMP Gateway of the Group

It is possible to give one of the SMP Gateways the priority; the SMP Gateway that has priority
will become active when there are no error conditions. This setting will cause an additional
failover when the SMP Gateway that has priority recovers from a fault. This is explained in the
following sections.

18.2 Grouping 2 SMP Gateways for Redundancy

Basic SMP Gateway redundancy consists of an active SMP Gateway and a standby
SMP Gateway. The active gateway is polling the devices and communicates with the control
center as if it was a stand-alone system. The active and standby gateways are communicating with
each other so that when the active gateway fails, the standby one becomes active.
Both SMP Gateways share a public IP address to which the control center can connect. This
ensures that no special network configuration is needed at the control center; in fact, when the
control center connects to the public IP-address, it has no indication which gateway is active and
which one is on standby. In the following example, SMP Gateways 10.2.15.1 and 10.2.15.2 are
grouped under the public IP address 10.2.15.3.
10.2.15.3 10.2.15.3 10.2.15.3

10.2.15.1 10.2.15.2 10.2.15.1 10.2.15.2 10.2.15.1 10.2.15.2

SMP SMP
GATEWAY GATEWAY
FAILURE RESTORED

ACTIVE STANDBY ACTIVE STANDBY ACTIVE

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You should know that:
• Each SMP Gateway has its own private IP address.
• Both SMP Gateways share a public IP address which is assigned to the active gateway.
• Basic failover condition is the detection of a hardware failure on the active SMP Gateway.
• The standby SMP Gateway can still be accessed by its private IP address for maintenance.
• It is possible to force a failover, as explained in the “Forcing an Active SMP Gateway to Fall
on Standby” section, page 170.

18.2.1 Prerequisites
Two SMP Gateways can be grouped together for redundancy if:
• The same version of the software (bootstrap, firmware and application) is installed on both
SMP Gateways;
• Both gateways have the same configuration;
• The redundancy option is included in the license of both SMP Gateways.
• Both gateways are not already part of a redundancy group.
Additionally, if NIC teaming is required, it needs to be configured on both SMP Gateways. For
more information, see “Teaming NICs for Network Fault Tolerance (SMP 16 Only)”, page 174.
Finally, if both SMP Gateways are connected to IEDs through serial links, Y-cables must be used
unless redundancy is also implemented at the device level (see “Redundant IEDs”, page 163).

18.2.2 Setting Up a Redundancy Group Using SMP Manager

SMP Manager is used to create SMP Gateway redundancy groups. The sections that follow
provide an overview of the configuration process.

To create a redundancy group:

‰ In the SMP Manager window, choose the 2 SMP Gateways you want to group together. Note
that they must be of the same model and have the same configuration file currently loaded.
Select one SMP Gateway, and use the mouse and the SHIFT or CTRL key on your keyboard,
as for any standard Windows selection, to select the second SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Redundancy menu, choose Group SMP Gateways.

The Group Properties dialog box allows you to specify redundancy settings such as the
virtual IP address, the LAN and serial connections to be used, and the conditions that have to
exist for the SMP Gateways to switch roles.

Redundancy is defined by 3 categories of settings, corresponding to the tabs in the dialog box.

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‰ In the General settings tab, specify the basic properties of the group:
‰ The keep-alive settings, i.e., the frequency at which keep-alive messages are to be sent by
the active SMP Gateway (every x milliseconds, where x is between 200 and 10,000), and
the timeout interval after which the standby SMP Gateway presumes that the active
gateway has failed and takes over as the active one (between 600 and 30,000
milliseconds).
‰ The virtual address and subnet mask used to communicate with the group. The virtual IP
address must be different from the physical IP addresses you set up during the initial
configuration of your SMP Gateways. It identifies the group and is used by the control
center to communicate with the active gateway. If the active gateway fails, the virtual IP
address and subnet mask are assigned to the standby gateway.
‰ Optionally, the virtual address and subnet mask of the secondary network, if you are
using a secondary network for communication between the SMP Gateways and the
control center.
‰ Optionally, you can give priority to one of the SMP Gateways: if neither SMP is in a
failure state, the one that has priority will become active.
‰ Select the Links tab.

The Links tab is used to specify the 2 connections that will be used to link the redundant
SMP Gateways to each other.

These can be any combination of LAN or serial connections. The SMP 16 supports 2 LAN
connections. The active SMP Gateway uses these links to send regular heartbeat messages to
the standby SMP Gateway. If the standby gateway fails to receive the messages, it
automatically assumes that it should become active. 2 distinct communications links are used,
in order to minimize the chances of both SMP Gateways becoming active due to a single
faulty connection.

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‰ Specify the Links settings:
‰ The type of first connection: LAN or serial.
‰ The type of the second connection: LAN or serial.
‰ The communication mode, either RS-232 or RS-422, if you are using one or more serial
connections between the 2 SMP Gateways.

Note: To link two SMP 16 using RS-232 or RS-422, use a standard null modem cable.

‰ Select the Failover tab.

A failover will automatically happen if the active SMP Gateway faces a major problem, such
as a power failure, that prevents it from sending heartbeat messages.

‰ Select the conditions that will trigger a failover. The available conditions are:

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• High-temperature alarm (if available).
If selected, a failover will be triggered when the high temperature alarm is triggered. Only
legacy SMP 4-20 and SMP 8-40 models support such an alarm feature.
• Less than “X” % memory available.
If selected, a failover will be triggered when the system available memory falls below the
specified threshold.
• Low voltage alarm.
If selected, a failover will be triggered when the low voltage alarm is triggered.
• LAN trigger.
If this condition is enabled, a failover will be triggered if the active SMP Gateway is unable to
detect the presence of a network through its Ethernet connectors.

To extend this LAN availability check, the SMP Gateway can ping the IP address of the
SCADA, control center or master station that is monitoring the SMP Gateway, instead of
solely detecting network activity. To do so, select the Determine LAN availability by
sending a ping to the following address check box, and enter the IP address below.

The following LAN trigger options are available:

• No LAN connection lost.
Disable the LAN trigger condition: it will not be considered.
• All LANs connections lost.
Trigger a failover when both LAN A and B are unreachable.
• LAN A connection lost.
Trigger a failover when the LAN connected to ENET1 can no longer be reached.
• LAN B connection lost.
Trigger a failover when the LAN connected to ENET2 can no longer be reached.
‰ Click OK.

SMP Manager sends the settings to both SMP Gateways. You will need to restart both
SMP Gateways to activate redundancy.
‰ In the Restart Gateway dialog box, choose Shutdown and Restart to have the
SMP Gateways restart in normal mode.

The next screenshot shows two grouped SMP Gateways in SMP Manager:

18.2.3 SMP Manager Redundancy Column

The Redundancy column shows the current state of each SMP Gateway within a redundancy
group. In the previous section example, the second SMP Gateway is on hot standby. This happens
if the data points of the devices connected to the SMP Gateways have been configured for hot

168 • SMP Gateway User Manual

standby (for details, see “Hot Standby”, page 173). There can be several intermediate states, such
as “initial”, “listen” or “speak”, while the grouping takes place. Thereafter, the following states
may be displayed:
• Active.
Indicates that this SMP Gateway is active. It communicates with the field devices and sends
“keep alive” messages at a frequency set through parameter settings. In the event of a failover,
it becomes the standby SMP Gateway.
• Standby.
Indicates that this SMP Gateway is on standby. It listens for “keep alive” messages from the
active SMP Gateway and takes over as the active SMP Gateway if the latter fails to send a
message within the expected number of milliseconds.
• Hot Standby.
Indicates that this SMP Gateway is on hot standby. It listens for “keep alive” messages from
the active SMP Gateway. It also synchronizes all the data points that have been set up for hot
standby in SMP Config. See “Hot Standby”, page 173, for more information about this
particular redundancy feature.
• Partial Hot Standby.
Indicates that this SMP Gateway is on hot standby (see above), but that the SMP Gateways
have different configuration files or that there are some real-time data synchronization issues.
When nothing is displayed, SMP Manager is not able to communicate with the SMP Gateway for
one of the following reasons:
• The SMP Gateway redundancy software is not running because you have not set its
redundancy parameters.
• The redundancy software has not been installed correctly on the SMP Gateway.
• The SMP Gateway is down.
This column may also advise you of exceptional situations, as described here:
• Peer IP: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn.
Indicates that one SMP Gateway of the group is not present in the SMP Gateway list of
SMP Manager. To fix the problem, add the second gateway to the list.
• Too Many SMPs.
There are more than 2 SMP Gateways in this redundancy group. To fix the problem, remove
the excess SMP Gateways.
• Different parameters.
The 2 SMP Gateways in this group do not have the same redundancy settings. See below to
learn how to fix this configuration problem.
• Peer IP: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn => Not in redundancy.
The Peer IP is in the SMP Gateway list, but is not part of the redundancy group. This can
happen if one of the 2 SMP Gateways in the group lose its redundancy configuration.
To fix the problem, ungroup the SMP Gateway that is still in the redundancy group (see
“Ungrouping SMP Gateways”, page 171) and regroup both gateways again.
• Virtual gateway (IP: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn).
You have added, to the SMP Gateway list, an SMP Gateway with the virtual IP address you
assigned as the public IP address of the redundancy group. The address of the active gateway
is indicated in parentheses.
The redundancy configuration of all SMP Gateways in the list is retrieved cyclically. This
mechanism allows you to see the current redundancy state of all SMP Gateways, on
SMP Manager main screen. Since the refresh cycle is relatively slow, the redundancy

SMP Gateway User Manual • 169

configuration of a given SMP Gateway is automatically retrieved when the SMP Gateway is
added to the list, when it is restarted, and when one or more files are sent to it.

To refresh the redundancy state of all SMP Gateways:

‰ From the View menu, choose Refresh.

To update the parameters of grouped SMP Gateways that have different

parameters:
‰ Click one or both SMP Gateways.
‰ From the Redundancy menu, choose Group Properties.
‰ A warning message appears, telling you that SMP Manager will use the default redundancy
settings and asking you if you want to go on. If you reply in the affirmative, the Group
Properties dialog box appears and you can change the settings to your liking. When you
close the dialog box, both SMP Gateways will have the same settings.
‰ Restart both SMP Gateways to activate the parameters. For each gateway:
‰ Select the SMP Gateway to restart.
‰ From the Gateway menu, choose Restart.
‰ In the Restart Gateway dialog box, select Shutdown and Restart.
‰ Click OK.

Warning: Do not reset the SMP Gateways by pressing the reset button on the gateway
itself, or you will lose your parameter settings.

18.3 Managing Redundancy

18.3.1 Forcing an Active SMP Gateway to Fall on Standby
To force an active SMP Gateway to fall on standby:
‰ Using SMP Manager, select the active SMP Gateway in the list.
‰ From the Redundancy menu, choose Force Standby.

The selected SMP Gateway will enter standby mode, while the other SMP Gateway in the
group will enter active mode.

18.3.2 Additional Failover Conditions

It is possible to define additional failover conditions to have a better control of which
SMP Gateway is active. The failover conditions are defined in the SysServerConfig.txt
file and that file can be uploaded to the SMP Gateway as any other file. In this file, 16 additional
error conditions can be defined which will force a failover. An example file was copied on your
computer hard drive during the SMP Tools’ installation, at the following location:

\Program Files\Cybectec\SMP Tools\Documentation\Technical notes

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18.3.3 Modifying the Redundancy Settings of an Existing Group
To modify the redundancy settings of an existing group of SMP Gateways:
‰ In the SMP Gateway list, select one or both SMP Gateways of the group.
‰ From the Redundancy menu, choose Group Properties.
‰ Modify the desired settings in the Group Properties dialog box.

For a complete definition of the settings, refer to the “Setting Up a Redundancy Group Using
SMP Manager” section, page 165.

18.3.4 Ungrouping SMP Gateways

To separate 2 SMP Gateways that had been grouped together for redundancy:
‰ In the SMP Gateway list, select both SMP Gateways.
‰ From the Redundancy menu, choose Ungroup SMP Gateways.

18.3.5 Testing and Validating the Configuration

SMP Manager displays the current state of both SMP Gateways in a redundancy group. You can
also use SMP Log and SMP Trace to display additional information.
Using SMP Log with both SMP Gateways:
‰ Verify in the Redundancy folder that one SMP Gateway is stated as active, and that the other
one is stated as “on standby”, waiting for a failover.
For each SMP Gateway, using SMP Stats:
‰ In the System folder, open the Redundancy folder to view additional redundancy information
and statuses.

18.3.6 Monitoring Redundancy Status

The GRP LED on the front panel of the SMP 16 displays the redundancy status.
Refer to your SMP Gateway installation guide for details.

18.3.7 Testing a Redundant Network

So far, we have discussed SMP Gateway redundancy. However, with the SMP 16, you can also set
up network redundancy. The SMP Gateways and the control center can communicate via either
network. Next figure illustrates a typical redundant network configuration, where the control
center communicates with an SMP Gateway group through two subnets.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 171

10.3.30.3 10.3.30.3

10.2.15.3 10.2.15.3

10.2.15.1 10.3.30.1 10.2.15.2 10.3.30.2 10.2.15.1 10.3.30.1 10.2.15.2 10.3.30.2

NETWORK
FAILURE

ACTIVE STANDBY ACTIVE STANDBY

SCADA SWITCHES OVER TO THE

SCADA ACCESSES ACTIVE BACKUP NETWORK TO ACCESS THE
SMP GATEWAY THROUGH ACTIVE SMP GATEWAY
THE 10.2.15.X NETWORK

10.3.30.3

10.2.15.3

10.2.15.1 10.3.30.1 10.2.15.2 10.3.30.2

SMP GATEWAY
FAILURE

ACTIVE STANDBY

THE STANDBY SMP GATEWAY TAKES

OVER AS THE ACTIVE SMP GATEWAY, NO
CHANGE REQUIRED AT SCADA LEVEL

Note: Setting up a redundant network is out of the scope of this document. However,
the following procedure describes how you can use the SMP Tools’ IP address
switching feature to test a redundant network configuration.

Normally, the control center accesses the primary network and switches to the secondary network
only if the primary network fails. You should therefore make sure the secondary network is
working properly. To do this, you need to switch to the secondary IP address of your
SMP Gateway, and then run SMP Log and SMP Trace.

To switch from the first IP address to the second IP address:

‰ In SMP Manager, from the Tools menu, choose Use Second Address.
Note that the switch to the second IP address applies not only to the SMP Gateway that is in the
redundant network, but to all the gateways in the list. From this point on, if you launch any SMP
Tools, console or Internet Explorer for any SMP Gateway, these applications will use the second
IP address.

To switch back to the first IP address:

‰ From the Tools menu, choose Use First Address.
Note that once a tool has been launched, it never switches IP addresses regardless of how many
times you toggle the address selection. Address switching applies only to commands that take
place after you instruct SMP Manager to switch addresses.

172 • SMP Gateway User Manual

Note further, that if there are other models in your SMP Gateway list that support only one IP
address, such as the SMP 4, toggling back and forth between the first and second IP address will
have no effect. You will see the same logs, traces and statistics, regardless of which address you
specify.

18.4 Hot Standby

The SMP Gateway software has the possibility to maintain a complete up-to-date image of the
data of the active SMP Gateway on the standby SMP Gateway. This feature is called “hot
standby”. It is available for the most common master protocols.
Whenever a transition occurs on a hot-standby data point, data point information is first updated in
the real-time database of the active SMP Gateway; it is then transmitted to the standby
SMP Gateway, which updates its own database. Using hot standby, integrity scans are not always
required, since the hot-standby data points are already synchronized, reducing the failover time
significantly.
To configure a master protocol instance for hot standby, refer to the specific protocol manual
found on the SMP Gateway Software & Tools CD-ROM.
To take full advantage of the hot standby, the slave protocol should be configured to be active
anytime, even on standby.

To configure hot-standby for a slave protocol:

‰ In SMP Config, select the General node of the slave protocol instance.
‰ In the Hot-Standby Support cell, Disabled should be selected. Instead, select the behavior
that is expected from the slave component, between the following:
• Acquisition.
The slave protocol will receive data from its masters without accepting control
commands from the control center.
• Acquisition and control.
The slave protocol will receive data from its masters and it will accept control commands
from the control center. These commands will be forwarded to the active SMP Gateway,
which will forward the control commands to the devices.
The following illustration presents the acquisition data flow for an SMP Gateway redundancy
group that supports hot standby.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 173

10.2.15.3

10.2.15.1 10.2.15.2
3 3
2

ACTIVE STANDBY
1

1. The active SMP Gateway receives data from the device.

2. The standby SMP Gateway is updated.
3. Data is sent to the control center by both SMP Gateways.

Note: The public IP address is always associated with the active SMP Gateway. When
the control center wants to connect to the standby SMP Gateway, it needs to use
the physical IP address.

18.5 Teaming NICs for Network Fault Tolerance

(SMP 16 Only)
All SMP 16 models are equipped with two Network Interface Cards (NICs). You can group both
NICs for network fault tolerance. This process is called NIC Teaming.
The SMP 16 implementation of NIC Teaming cannot be used for load balancing. Its sole purpose
is for network fault tolerance: if one NIC fails, the network connection does not cease and
continues to operate on the other NIC.
To learn how to configure your SMP 16 for NIC Teaming, refer to the SMP 16 Installation Guide,
under the “Configuring your TCP/IP settings” section.

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19 Setting Up the SNMP
Server

The SNMP server is an optional software module that allows the SMP Gateway to export statistics
using the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) standard.
The SMP Gateway SNMP agent publishes and supports both standard MIBs (management
information bases) that are supported by the Windows CE operating system and custom MIBs that
are supported by the SMP Gateway application. The agent supports extensive reading capabilities
as well as limited writing and trap capabilities.

19.1 SNMP Traps

SNMP traps are messages that are automatically sent to selected SNMP clients when specific,
unusual events occur. They are the text equivalent of alarms. Traps are automatically sent to
listening SNMP clients whenever:
• the SMP Gateway restarts;
• a communications link used by a master or slave protocol instance fails for more than 60
consecutive seconds (these traps are called link down traps);
• a communication link used by a master or slave protocol instance becomes active (these traps
are called link up traps).
In order to send traps, the SMP Gateway needs to know the IP addresses of the SNMP clients that
are listening on the network. You can enter a maximum of 32 SNMP client IP addresses using the
SNMP Manager console application.

19.2 Configuring the SNMP Server

To configure the SNMP server:
‰ Select the SMP Gateway in SMP Manager.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Console.

The SMP Console tool starts in a new console window.

‰ Type the following command:

snmpmgr

SMP Gateway User Manual • 175

SNMP manager lists all available commands, as shown next:

\> snmpmgr

SNMP Manager

Available commands (case insensitive):

A Add a client.
R Remove a client.
L Display all clients.
M Modify the community membership of a client.
C Change a client description.
G Add a community.
D Remove a community.
B Display all communities and their permissions.
I Modify the permissions of a community.
T Modify the name of the system contact.
O Modify the location of the gateway on which the agent is
running.
F List information on system contact and gateway location.
W Modify the firewall settings.
H Display the list of all commands.
esc Abort the current operation.
Q Quit.

(H) Help, (Q) Quit:

You can display the previous list any time, by using the H command.
You should specify the SNMP settings in the following order:
• Add communities and their permissions.
• Add a system contact.
• Add a system location.
• Add a number of clients and associate them to communities.
Any modifications you make will be effective the next time the SMP Gateway will restart.

Note: If the built-in firewall is enabled on the SMP Gateway, SNMP services must be
allowed through the firewall. To learn how to open ports and allow services
through the built-in firewall, see “Setting Firewall Rules”, page 92.

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20 Time Adjustment

This chapter describes the different time adjustment features of the SMP Gateway.

20.1 Monitoring Time Information

The SMP Gateway offers multiple ways to monitor the time information and statuses:
• Some system data points provide time information. They are all prefixed by “_smp___clock”
and are visible using the SMP Gateway Web server (see “Using a Web Browser to View Data
in Real Time”, page 57). For more information on system data points and an exhaustive list of
time-specific points, see “System Data Points”, page 214.
• Current data and time can also be seen in SMP Stats, in the Vital System Information folder,
from the Internals folder located in the System folder. For more information on
SMP Gateway statistics, see “Viewing Communications Statistics in Real Time”, on page 53.
• SMP 16 time information is displayed on the gateway front panel, using the SYNC LED. For
a complete description of the different SYNC LED states, refer to the gateway installation
guide on the SMP Gateway Software & Tools CD-ROM.
• Also for the SMP 16 model, more precise time information can be seen in SMP Stats, in the
Clock folder, from the Internals folder located in the System folder.

20.2 Setting the SMP Gateway Internal Clock

The SMP Gateway has a real-time clock installed, with battery backup. It is set once during the
installation. If the clock does not indicate the accurate time or was not set right, you can change it
manually, using SMP Manager.

Note: If the SMP Gateway is synchronized by a GPS clock or any other external time
source, setting time manually will not work.

To set the SMP Gateway clock using SMP Manager:

‰ Start SMP Manager.
‰ Select the SMP Gateway for which you want to adjust time.
‰ From the Gateway menu, choose Set Time.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 177

‰ Select whether the SMP Gateway clock will be set to UTC or Local Time.
‰ If you selected Local Time, select the time zone to use for the time conversion. Select Apply
daylight saving time if needed.

Note: Daylight saving time automatic adjustment is not supported by the

SMP Gateway. If you use local time on your SMP Gateway, you must manually
adjust the gateway internal clock at every DST clock shift.

The time at which the clock will be set is displayed just above the buttons.
‰ If it is as expected, click OK to set the SMP Gateway clock to this date and time.
The SMP Gateway internal clock is not an atomic clock, which means that it drifts from actual
time. Over time, data timestamps become less accurate. Moreover, manual time adjustment using
SMP Manager displays an accuracy of ±1 second. Consequently, time adjustment via an external
source is highly recommended for the SMP Gateway to provide accurate timestamps. This is the
topic of the next section.

20.3 Automatic Clock Adjustment

By configuring the SMP Gateway for automatic clock adjustment, you no longer have to worry
about internal clock drifting. All I/O changes, logs, traces and other data provided by the
SMP Gateway are time-tagged with a greater degree of accuracy - typically one second or better.
There are four ways to adjust the internal clock automatically:
• Directly from a GPS signal, if you have an SMP 16 pre-installed with the GPS clock option.
You must then have a GPS antenna receiving the highly accurate satellite signal.
• Using an external source, such as an IRIG-B signal. It may come from another GPS antenna
connected to another device that redistributes demodulated or modulated IRIG-B. It may also
come from another SMP 16 equipped with the GPS clock option that distributes IRIG-B to
your SMP Gateway.
• Directly from an SNTP server. SNTP stands for Simple Network Time Protocol, and is briefly
presented in section “About GPS, IRIG-B and SNTP”, below.
• Using a SCADA protocol, such as DNP3.
Here is a list of the possible time adjustment solutions that are available for the different
SMP Gateway types:

178 • SMP Gateway User Manual

Modulated Demodulated
SMP Gateway model Protocol SNTP IRIG-B IRIG-B GPS

SMP 4 √ √ - - -

SMP 16/CP √ √ √ √ G

SMP 16/SG √ √ √ √ G

Legend: √ = Available, G = with the SMP 16 GPS clock option.

Note: Only one time adjustment solution should be implemented at a time for an
SMP Gateway.

These different solutions are presented in the next sections.

20.3.1 About GPS, IRIG-B and SNTP

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system operated and maintained
by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). GPS uses a constellation of satellites to calculate the
exact position and altitude of GPS receiver stations.
GPS technology requires a very accurate time source in order to calculate the orbital position of
the satellites and determine the position of the receiver. To ensure the required level of accuracy,
each GPS satellite is equipped with 4 atomic clocks that are kept in synchronization with the
Master Clock of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Each satellite continuously transmits its current
position and a time code. This time code can be used to synchronize the SMP Gateway, if
equipped with the appropriate hardware.
IRIG-B is a military standard of the Inter Range Instrumentation Group. The best known IRIG
standard is the IRIG Timecode standard used to timestamp video, film, telemetry, radar, and other
data collected at test ranges. The main difference between the codes that are classified in letters
from A to H is their bit rate, which varies between 1 pulse per second and ten thousand pulses per
second. The IRIG-B standard operates at 100 pulses per second.

Note: IRIG-B signals come in two flavors: demodulated and modulated. Demodulated
IRIG-B signals cannot be carried over long distances while the modulated IRIG-B
can be carried over distances larger than 350 meters (1000 feet) without
degrading.

NTP stands for Network Time Protocol, and is a standard Internet protocol used to synchronize the
clocks of computers to a time reference. NTP was originally developed by Professor David L.
Mills of the University of Delaware. As a full implementation of the NTP protocol seemed too
complicated for many systems, a simplified version of the protocol was defined: SNTP (Simple
Network Time Protocol). SNTP is basically NTP minus certain internal algorithms that are not
required by all types of servers.

20.3.2 Configuring the SMP 16 GPS Clock Option

The SMP 16 GPS clock option uses the time information provided by the GPS system to provide a
highly accurate time source for the substation.
Setting up the GPS clock option is explained in detail in the SMP 16 GPS Clock Option
Installation Guide, GUI-00316-00047 T, which is included on the SMP Gateway Software &
Tools CD-ROM.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 179

To complete the GPS clock option configuration, using SMP Config:
‰ Under the System branch, select Time, and then select GPS Synchronization.
‰ In the Cable Length cell, type the total length, in meters, of the cable that links the
SMP Gateway to the GPS antenna. By default, a 25 m length is specified.

Specifying a precise cable length is essential to get the best accuracy possible during the
synchronization process.

20.3.3 Using IRIG-B for Internal Clock Adjustment

If your SMP Gateway supports IRIG-B and is not equipped with a GPS clock, the preferred time
adjustment solution is to use an external IRIG-B time source.
Setting up IRIG-B is described in the installation guide of your SMP Gateway, which is included
on the SMP Gateway Software & Tools CD-ROM.
If your IRIG-B source provides its time information as “local” time, instead of UTC, some
software configuration is required on the SMP Gateway, as the gateway internally uses UTC.

To set up IRIG-B synchronization in the SMP Gateway configuration:

‰ Under the System branch, select Time, and then IRIG-B Synchronization.
‰ In the Time Zone cell, select the time zone of the IRIG-B source.
‰ Select the Auto Adjust DST check box if the IRIG-B source is automatically adjusted for
daylight savings.

20.3.4 Setting Up the SMP Gateway as an SNTP Client

Another alternative is to configure the SMP Gateway as an STNP client.

To set up the SMP Gateway as an SNTP client:

‰ Start SMP Config.
‰ Under the System branch, select SNTP, and then Client.

‰ Select the Enabled check box.

‰ Under Server Address, enter the SNTP server IP address or network name.
‰ Type the Refresh rate, which is the frequency, in minutes, at which the SMP Gateway will
connect to the SNTP server in order to be resynchronized.

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‰ Type the Recovery Refresh rate, which is the frequency, in minutes, at which the
SMP Gateway will retry to connect to the SNTP server following a connection failure. This
value must be smaller than the normal Refresh rate.
‰ Type the Maximum Time Variance allowed, which is the maximum time difference allowed
between the new time provided by the server and the actual time of the SMP Gateway. If the
difference is larger, the time update is ignored.

20.3.5 Using the Time Adjustment Feature of a SCADA Protocol

When no external time source is available to the SMP Gateway, the SCADA or control center can
itself serves as a time source, if the protocol it uses to communicates with the gateway supports
time adjustment (synchronization). DNP3 and IEC 60870-5-104 are such protocols.
As each protocol has its own distinctive characteristics, refer to the protocol documentation found
on the SMP Gateway Software & Tools CD-ROM to learn how to enable this protocol-specific
feature.

20.4 Using the SMP Gateway as a Time Source

Following the August 2003 blackout, NERC has recommended that substation devices be
synchronized using a GPS clock. When the SMP Gateway is synchronized by an accurate time
source such as an external IRIG-B source or an internal GPS clock, it can distribute accurate time
to substation devices in one of the following ways:
• Through a modulated or demodulated IRIG-B signal.
• By acting as an SNTP server.
• Using a master protocol, such as DNP3, IEC 60870-5-101 or IEC 60870-5-104. The accuracy
may be limited by the protocol, but the overall synchronization of all the devices is typically
accurate to within one second.
A slight delay may be introduced in the time information transmitted to devices. Output time
accuracy is function of the type of time input used to adjust the SMP Gateway internal clock, and
of the type of protocol or signal used to synchronize the devices. The resulting delays are
presented in the following table.

Output Delay Accuracy (± ms)

Protocol SNTP Modulated Demodulated
output output IRIG-B IRIG-B
output output
Protocol 500 500 - -
input
SNTP input 500 100 - -

Modulated 500 100 10 10

IRIG-B input
Demodulated 500 100 10 1
IRIG-B input
GPS input 500 100 10 1

SMP Gateway User Manual • 181

For example, if the SMP Gateway is time-adjusted using demodulated IRIG-B, a device clock
adjusted by the gateway using demodulated IRIG-B may show a delay of ± 1 milliseconds. Note
that the SMP Gateway can be more accurate: consider these values as “worst case scenarios”.
Also, the SMP Gateway does not perform accurate time-tagging when I/O changes are received
from a device, because the transmission delay is unpredictable. For the time tag to be accurate, the
device must time-tag the I/O changes itself.
The following sections present the various time distribution features of the SMP Gateway.

20.4.1 Configuring IRIG-B Time Distribution

IRIG-B time distribution is the ability, for an SMP Gateway, to distribute time adjustment
information to various devices using IRIG-B signals.
Unlike using SNTP or the time adjustment feature of a master protocol, IRIG-B time distribution
requires the SMP Gateway to be time-adjusted by a reliable source such as an IRIG-B signal or by
GPS.
Setting up IRIG-B is described in the installation guide of your SMP Gateway, which is included
on the SMP Gateway Software & Tools CD-ROM.
Some additional configuration may be required, using SMP Config.

To specify the availability of the IRIG-B output signal:

‰ Under the System branch, select Time, and then IRIG-B Distribution.

‰ In the Output Signal Availability cell:

‰ Select When synchronized with IRIG-B or GPS to prevent IRIG-B distribution when
the SMP Gateway is not currently synchronized with a time source.

OR

Select Always to distribute the IRIG-B signal regardless of the current synchronization
state of the SMP Gateway. This option should only be used temporarily, for testing
purpose for example, as the accuracy of the signal cannot be guaranteed under this
condition.

If the SMP Gateway is time-adjusted using IRIG-B:

‰ Under the System branch, select Time, and then IRIG-B Distribution.
‰ To reuse the IRIG-B input signal “as-is”, without any changes, as the IRIG-B output signal,
select Forward Input Signal. The Format, Time Zone, and Auto Adjust DST settings will
be ignored by the SMP Gateway software.
‰ Otherwise, specify how the conversion settings of the input signal:
‰ In the Format cell, select the IRIG-B format to which the IRIG-B input signal should be
converted.
‰ In the Time Zone cell, select the time zone to use for the IRIG-B output signal.
Essentially, it should be the time zone of the area where your substation is located.

182 • SMP Gateway User Manual

‰ If required, select Auto Adjust DST to update the IRIG-B output signal for daylight
savings.

If the SMP Gateway is time-adjusted using GPS:

‰ Under the System branch, select Time, and then IRIG-B Distribution.
‰ In the Format cell, select the IRIG-B format to which the GPS time information should be
converted.
‰ In the Time Zone cell, select the time zone to use for the GPS time information. Essentially,
it should be the time zone of the area where your substation is located.
‰ If required, select Auto Adjust DST to update the GPS time information for daylight savings.

If the SMP Gateway is part of a redundancy group:

‰ Under the System branch, select Time, and then IRIG-B Distribution.
‰ To distribute time information even while the SMP Gateway is on-standby, select At System
Boot from the Activation cell.
‰ Otherwise, select When system has successfully started from the Activation cell.

20.4.2 Setting Up the SMP Gateway to Act as an SNTP Server

If some devices can be configured as SNTP clients, the SMP Gateway can itself be configured to
act as an SNTP server for these devices.

Note: To configure the devices as SNTP clients, refer to the user manual of each
device.

To set up the SMP Gateway as an SNTP server:

‰ Start SMP Config.
‰ Under the System branch, select SNTP, and then Server.

‰ Select the Enabled check box.

‰ Select from the Accessible From list box whether it will be accessible from any computer or
a specific one through the SMP Gateway built-in firewall.
‰ If you selected Specific computer or subnet, type an address or an address range in the last
cell.

20.4.3 Adjusting Devices Clocks Using Master Protocols

Some devices may not be able to retrieve information from an STNP server or an IRIG-B time
source. However, if the communications protocols used by the SMP Gateway to communicate
with these devices support some sort of time adjustment/synchronization feature, it can be used to
adjust these devices’ clock.
As each protocol has its own distinctive characteristics, refer to the protocol documentation found
on the SMP Gateway Software and Tools CD-ROM to learn how to enable this protocol-specific
feature.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 183

21 SMP Tools Remote Access
to the SMP Gateway

You may want the SMP Tools to connect to an SMP Gateway that is not itself connected to your
network. You would typically do this by setting up a dial-up connection and using a modem to call
the SMP Gateway from your PC running Windows Vista, Windows XP or Windows 2000. Less
typically, you might choose to access the SMP Gateway by setting up a direct serial connection
between a serial port on your PC and a serial port or the CONSOLE port on the SMP Gateway
from your PC running Windows XP or Windows 2000.
This section explains how to set up dial-up and direct serial connections between a personal
computer and an SMP Gateway. The procedure differs slightly, depending on whether the
SMP Tools run under Windows Vista, Windows XP or Windows 2000.

21.1 Windows Vista Setup Procedure

If the SMP Tools run under Windows Vista, use the procedures outlined in this section to:
• Set up a dial-up (modem) connection between the PC and the SMP Gateway.

Note: Windows Vista does not support direct serial connections. For more information,
see “Incoming Direct Serial Connections and Windows Vista”, page 188.

21.1.1 Setting Up a Dial-Up (Modem) Connection

This section contains the procedure for setting up a dial-up (modem) connection between a PC
running Windows Vista, and an SMP Gateway.
If security features are activated on your SMP Gateway, you must first make sure your computer
is authorized to access the SMP Gateway and that you selected the Remote Access privilege for
the Guests group in the Local Security Database Security Editor, accessible from the Security
menu of SMP Manager (see “Managing SMP Gateway Security Databases”, page 81).

SMP Gateway User Manual • 185

You must perform the steps in the order presented in the table.

Step To do this Follow these steps:

1 Set up the Perform these steps for each SMP Gateway with which you want to
SMP Gateway to communicate via modem.
accept a dial-up
1. Start SMP Manager. Select the SMP Gateway to be configured and
connection
from the File menu, choose SMP Gateway Properties. In the
Gateway Properties dialog box, clear the Automatically Poll SMP
Status at startup check box. This will prevent polling on the dialup
connection.
2. From the Tools menu, choose SMP Console.
3. Type RASMGR to start the RAS Manager application.
4. Type L, to display the device list. The device list is actually the list of
ports available on the SMP Gateway, including the CONSOLE port.
5. Type M, to modify the SMP Gateway COM port you intend to use for
the dial-up connection.
6. Type the number of the “MODEM device” to be modified. Note that
you cannot specify the number of the CONSOLE port, as the latter
does not support modem connections.
7. All the default settings should be correct, except for the last one: Use
device for incoming connections. Type Y to allow incoming
connections on the port and exit RASMGR.
8. Press Q to exit RAS Manager, and then close the console window.

2 Install the 1. From Windows’ Start menu, access the Control Panel.
modem, if
2. Click Hardware and sound.
necessary
3. Click Device Manager.
4. Click Continue.
5. Click on the name of your PC in the three views.
6. Click the Action menu then scan for hardware changes.
7. If the modem is supported by Vista, it will configure itself. If this
does not work, consult the modem’s manufacturer manual.

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Step To do this Follow these steps:

3 Set up a new Perform these steps for each SMP Gateway with which you want to
dial-up (modem) communicate via modem.
connection for
1. From Windows’ Start menu, access the Control Panel.
the
SMP Gateway 2. Click Network and Internet.
3. Click Network and Sharing Center.
4. Click Set up a connection or network.
5. In the Wizard dialog box, select Set up a dial-up connection then
click Next.
6. If you have only one modem, skip this point. Click on the modem
you wish to use to connect.
7. Type the phone number you will dial to connect to the SMP Gateway
and a useful name then click Connect. Windows Vista will try to
connect to the device for real.
8. During the connection attempt, click Skip.
9. Click Set up the connection anyway.
10. Click Finish.
11. Click Manage network connections.
12. Right-click the Dial-up Connection just created and select Rename.
Write a useful name then press return.
13. Right-click the Dial-up Connection just created and select
Properties.
14. From the General tab, select the modem you want to use for this
connection and click Configure.
15. In the Modem Configuration dialog box, select the Enable
hardware flow control check box, the Enable modem error
control check box and the Enable modem compression check box.
Then press Ok.
16. Click the Options tab, and then click PPP Settings.
17. In the PPP Settings dialog box, select the Enable LCP extensions
check box and the Enable software compression check box. Clear
the Negotiate multi-link for single link connections check box.
Click OK.
18. Click the Networking tab.
19. Under This connection uses the following items, clear the Client
for Microsoft Networks check box.
20. Click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and click
Properties.
21. In the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties dialog
box, click Advanced.
22. In the Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog box, clear the Use default
gateway on remote network check box and the Use IP header
compression check box and click OK three times.

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Step To do this Follow these steps:

4 Configure 1. Start SMP Manager. Select the SMP Gateway to be configured and
SMP Manager from the File menu, choose SMP Gateway Properties.
to communicate
2. In the Gateway Properties dialog box, type a significant name for
with the
the new SMP Gateway, such as “SMP Gateway via modem”.
SMP Gateway
3. In the First IP Address box, type the IP pool starting address that
you specified when you installed your SMP Gateway (see your
SMP Gateway installation guide).
4. Do not type anything in the Second IP Address box. Click Add.
Note that even if you set up a number of SMP Gateways to communicate
via a dial-up connection, the PC will be able to communicate with only
one SMP Gateway at a time, and will use the addresses specified here.

21.1.2 Incoming Direct Serial Connections and Windows Vista

Windows Vista does not support direct incoming connections that either use a serial cable or an
infrared link. To work around this behavior, Microsoft recommends the use of an Ethernet
connection, a wireless connection, or a home phone network adapter (HPNA) technology
connection.
For more information, visit the Microsoft Website at the following URL:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930086

21.2 Windows XP Setup Procedures

If the SMP Tools run under Windows XP, use the procedures outlined in this section to:
• set up a dial-up (modem) connection between the PC and the SMP Gateway;
• set up a direct serial connection between the PC and the SMP Gateway.

21.2.1 Setting Up a Dial-Up (Modem) Connection

This section contains the procedure for setting up a dial-up (modem) connection between a PC
running Windows XP, and an SMP Gateway.
If security features are activated on your SMP Gateway, you must first make sure your computer
is authorized to access the SMP Gateway and that you selected the Remote Access privilege for
the Guests group in the Local Security Database Security Editor, accessible from the Security
menu of SMP Manager (see “Managing SMP Gateway Security Databases”, page 81).

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You must perform the steps in the order presented in the table.

Step To do this Follow these steps:

1 Set up the Perform these steps for each SMP Gateway with which you want to
SMP Gateway to communicate via modem.
accept a dial-up
1. Start SMP Manager. Select the SMP Gateway to be configured and
connection
from the File menu, choose SMP Gateway Properties. In the
Gateway Properties dialog box, clear the Automatically Poll SMP
Status at startup check box. This will prevent polling on the dialup
connection.
2. From the Tools menu, choose SMP Console.
3. Type RASMGR to start the RAS Manager application.
4. Type L, to display the device list. The device list is actually the list of
ports available on the SMP Gateway, including the CONSOLE port.
5. Type M, to modify the SMP Gateway COM port you intend to use for
the dial-up connection.
6. Type the number of the “MODEM device” to be modified. Note that
you cannot specify the number of the CONSOLE port, as the latter
does not support modem connections.
7. All the default settings should be correct, except for the last one: Use
device for incoming connections. Type Y to allow incoming
connections on the port and exit RASMGR.
8. Press Q to exit RAS Manager, and then close the console window.

2 Install the 1. From Windows’ Start menu, access the Control Panel.
modem, if
2. Double-click Phone and Modem Options.
necessary
3. In the Phone and Modem Options dialog box, click the Modems
tab.
If the modem you plan to use appears in the list, skip the rest of this step
and proceed to the next item in the table, since your modem is already
installed.
4. Click Add.
5. In the Add Hardware Wizard dialog box, allow Windows to detect
your modem automatically, and then click Next.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 189

Step To do this Follow these steps:

6. Insert the installation CD for the modem driver, if you have one.
7. In the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box, choose whether
you want Windows to install the driver automatically or from a
specific location and click Next.
8. Once Windows advises you that it has installed the driver, click
Finish.
9. Click Finish to close the Add Hardware Wizard dialog box.
10. Click OK to close the Phone and Modem Options dialog box.

3 Set up a new Perform these steps for each SMP Gateway with which you want to
dial-up (modem) communicate via modem.
connection for
1. From Windows’ Start menu, access the Control Panel.
the
SMP Gateway 2. Double-click Network Connections.
3. Double-click New Connection Wizard.
4. In the New Connection Wizard dialog box, click Next.
5. Select Connect to the network at my workplace and click Next.
6. Select Dial-up connection and click Next.
7. If your PC is only equipped with a single modem, skip this step.
Otherwise, select the modem you want to use for this connection, and
click Next.
8. Type a descriptive name for the connection and click Next.
9. Type the phone number you will dial to connect to the SMP Gateway
and click Next.
10. If your PC is not equipped with a smart card slot, skip this step.
Otherwise, the wizard will ask you if you want the use a smart card to
log you into the remote network. Select the option that suits you the
most and click Next (by default, the Do not use my smart card
option is selected).
11. Under Create this connection for, select Anyone’s use, click Next
and click Finish.
12. In the Connect <Connection Name> dialog box, click Properties.
13. From the General tab, select the modem you want to use for this
connection and click Configure.
14. In the Modem Configuration dialog box, select the Enable
hardware flow control check box, the Enable modem error
control check box and the Enable modem compression check box.
15. Click the Networking tab, and then click Settings.
16. In the PPP Settings dialog box, select the Enable LCP extensions
check box and the Enable software compression check box. Clear
the Negotiate multi-link for single link connections check box.
Click OK.
17. Under This connection uses the following items, clear the Client
for Microsoft Networks check box.
18. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click Properties.
19. In the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box, click

190 • SMP Gateway User Manual

Step To do this Follow these steps:
Advanced.
20. In the Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog box, clear the Use default
gateway on remote network check box and the Use IP header
compression check box and click OK, three times
21. Close the Connect <Connection Name> dialog box.

4 Configure 1. Start SMP Manager. Select the SMP Gateway to be configured and
SMP Manager from the File menu, choose SMP Gateway Properties.
to communicate
2. In the Gateway Properties dialog box, type a significant name for
with the
the new SMP Gateway, such as “SMP Gateway via modem”.
SMP Gateway
3. In the First IP Address box, type the IP pool starting address that
you specified when you installed your SMP Gateway (see your
SMP Gateway installation guide).
4. Do not type anything in the Second IP Address box. Click Add.

Note that even if you set up a number of SMP Gateways to communicate

via a dial-up connection, the PC will be able to communicate with only
one SMP Gateway at a time, and will use the addresses specified here.

21.2.2 Setting Up a Direct Serial Connection

The following table outlines the procedure for setting up a direct serial connection between a PC
running Windows XP, and an SMP Gateway.
You must perform the steps in the order presented in the table.

Step To do this Follow these steps:

1 Set up the By default, an incoming direct connection is supported on

SMP Gateway to SMP Gateway CONSOLE port: skip to step 2 if you want to use this
accept a direct port; to allow an incoming direct connection on any other port, proceed
connection as follows:
1. In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway to be configured.
2. From the Tools menu, choose SMP Console.
3. Type RASMGR to start the RAS Manager application.
4. Type L, to display the device list. The device list is actually the list
of ports on the SMP, including the CONSOLE port.
5. Type M, to modify the SMP Gateway COM port you will use for the
direct connection.
6. Type the number of the “DIRECT device” to be modified.
7. All the default settings should be OK, except for the last one: Use
device for incoming connections. Type Y to allow incoming
connections on the port.
8. Press Q to exit RAS Manager, and then close the console window.

2 Add a 1. From Windows’ Start menu, access the Control Panel.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 191

Step To do this Follow these steps:
communications
2. Double-click Phone and Modem Options.
cable between the
PC and the 3. In the Phone and Modem Options dialog box, click the Modems
SMP Gateway tab. Click Add.
4. In the Add Hardware Wizard dialog box, select the Don’t detect
my modem; I will select it from a list check box. Click Next.
5. Under Manufacturer, select Standard Modem Types.
6. Under Models, click Communications cable between two
computers. Click Next.
7. Click Selected ports.
8. Click the communications port (COM1 or COM2) you want to use
for the communications cable.
9. Click Next, and then click Finish.
10. Click OK to close the Phone and Modem Options dialog box.
11. Connect the communications cable to both ports.

3 Set up a new 1. From Windows’ Start menu, access the Control Panel.
direct serial
2. Double-click Network Connections.
connection to the
SMP Gateway 3. Double-click New Connection Wizard.
4. In the New Connection Wizard dialog box, click Next.
5. Select Set up an advanced connection. Click Next.
6. Select Connect directly to another computer. Click Next.
7. Select Guest. Click Next.
8. Type a descriptive name for the connection. Click Next.
9. In the Select a device drop-down list, click Communications cable
between two computers. Click Next.
10. Under Create this connection for, click Anyone’s use. Click Next.
Click Finish.
11. In the Connect <Connection Name> dialog box, click Properties.
12. From the General tab, click Configure.
13. In the Maximum speed drop-down list, select 115200 bps.
14. Clear the Enable hardware flow control check box. Click OK.
15. Click the Networking tab, and then click Settings.
16. In the PPP Settings dialog box, clear the Enable LCP extensions
check box, the Enable software compression check box, and the
Negotiate multi-link for single link connections check box. Click
OK.
17. Under This connection uses the following items, clear the Client
for Microsoft Networks check box.
18. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click Properties.
19. In the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box, click
Advanced.
20. In the Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog box, clear the Use default

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Step To do this Follow these steps:
gateway on remote network check box and the Use IP header
compression check box. Click OK three times.
21. Close the Connect <Connection Name> dialog box.

4 Configure 1. Start SMP Manager. Select the SMP Gateway to be configured and
SMP Manager to from the File menu, choose SMP Gateway Properties.
communicate
2. In the Gateway Properties dialog box, type a significant name for
with the
the new SMP Gateway, such as “SMP Gateway direct connection”.
SMP Gateway
3. In the First IP Address box, type the IP pool starting address that
you specified when you installed your SMP Gateway (see your
SMP Gateway installation guide on the SMP Gateway Software &
Tools CD-ROM).
4. Do not type anything in the Second IP Address box.
5. Click Add.
The PC will communicate with the SMP Gateway using the addresses
specified here.

21.3 Windows 2000 Setup Procedures

If the SMP Tools run under Windows 2000, use the procedures outlined in this section to:
• Setup a dial-up (modem) connection between the PC and the SMP Gateway.
• Setup a direct serial connection between the PC and the SMP Gateway.

21.3.1 Setting Up a Dial-Up (Modem) Connection

The following table outlines the procedure for setting up a dial-up (modem) connection between a
PC running Windows 2000, and an SMP Gateway.
You must perform the steps in the order presented in the table.

Step To do this Follow these steps:

1 Set up the Perform these steps for each SMP Gateway with which you want to
SMP Gateway to communicate via modem.
accept a dial-up
1. In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway to be configured.
connection
2. From the Tools menu, choose SMP Console.
3. Type RASMGR to start the RAS Manager application.
4. Type L, to display the device list. The device list is actually the list of
ports on the SMP Gateway, including the CONSOLE port.
5. Type M, to modify the SMP Gateway COM port you will use for the
dial-up connection.
6. Type the number of the MODEM device to be modified. Note that
you cannot specify the number of the CONSOLE port, as the latter
does not support modem connections.
7. All the default settings should be OK, except for the last one: Use

SMP Gateway User Manual • 193

Step To do this Follow these steps:
device for incoming connections. Type Y to allow incoming
connections on the port.
8. Press Q to exit RAS Manager, and then close the console window.

2 Install the 1. From Windows’ Start menu, choose Settings, and then click
modem, if Control Panel.
necessary
2. Double-click Phone and Modem Options.
3. In the Phone and Modem Options dialog box, click the Modems
tab.
If the modem you plan to use appears in the list, skip the rest of this step
and proceed to the next item in the table, since your modem is already
installed. Click Add.
4. In the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard dialog box, allow Windows
to detect your modem automatically, and then click Next.
5. In the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box, click Next.
6. Choose whether you want Windows to search for a suitable driver or
whether you want to choose the driver from a list. Click Next.
7. If you have an installation CD, insert it in the drive, click CD-ROM
drives and clear the other check boxes; otherwise, click Microsoft
Windows Update and clear the other check boxes. Click Next.
8. Once Windows advises you that it has found the driver, click Next.
9. Once Windows has finished installing the driver, click Finish.
10. Click Finish to close the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard dialog
box.
11. Click OK to close the Phone and Modem Options dialog box.

3 Set up a new Perform these steps for each SMP Gateway with which you want to
dial-up (modem) communicate via modem.
connection for
1. From Windows’ Start menu, choose Settings, and then click
the
Control Panel.
SMP Gateway
2. Double-click Network and Dial-up Connections.
3. Double-click Make New Connection.
4. In the Network Connection Wizard dialog box, click Next.
5. Select Dial-up to private network. Click Next.
6. Type the phone number you will use to dial the SMP Gateway. Click
Next.
7. Under Create this connection, click For all users. Click Next.
8. Type a descriptive name for the connection. Click Finish.
9. In the Connect <Connection Name> dialog box, click Properties.
10. In the General tab, click Configure.
11. In the Modem Configuration dialog box, select the Enable
hardware flow control check box, the Enable modem error
control check box and the Enable modem compression check box.
12. Click the Networking tab, and then click Settings.

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Step To do this Follow these steps:

13. In the PPP Settings dialog box, select the Enable LCP extensions
check box and the Enable software compression check box, and
clear the Negotiate multi-link for single link connections check
box. Click OK.
14. Under Components checked are used by this connection, clear the
Client for Microsoft Networks check box and the File and Printer
Sharing for Microsoft Networks check box.
15. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click Properties.
16. In the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box, click
Advanced.
17. In the Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog box, clear the Use default
gateway on remote network check box and the Use IP header
compression check box. Click OK three times.
18. Close the Connect <Connection Name> dialog box.

4 Configure 1. From the File menu of SMP Manager, choose Add SMP Gateway.
SMP Manager to
2. In the Gateway Properties dialog box, type a significant name for
communicate
the new SMP Gateway, such as “SMP Gateway via modem”.
with the
SMP Gateway 3. In the First IP Address box, type the IP pool starting address that
you specified when you installed your SMP Gateway (see your
SMP Gateway installation guide).
4. Do not type anything in the Second IP Address box. Click Add.

Note that even if you set up a number of SMP Gateways to communicate

via a dial-up connection, the PC will be able to communicate with only
one SMP Gateway at a time, and will use the address(es) specified here.

21.3.2 Setting Up a Direct Serial Connection

The following table outlines the procedure for setting up a direct serial connection between a PC
running Windows 2000, and an SMP Gateway.
You must perform the steps in the order presented in the table.

Step To do this Follow these steps:

1 Set up the By default, an incoming direct connection is supported on the

SMP Gateway to SMP Gateway CONSOLE port. If you want to use a direct connection on
accept a direct any other port, you have to set it up as follows:
connection
1. In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway to be configured.
2. From the Tools menu, choose SMP Console.
3. Type RASMGR to start the RAS Manager application.
4. Type L, to display the device list. The device list is actually the list of
ports on the SMP Gateway, including the CONSOLE port.
5. Type M, to modify the SMP Gateway COM port you will use for the
direct connection.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 195

Step To do this Follow these steps:

6. Type the number of the DIRECT device to be modified.

7. All the default settings should be OK, except for the last one: Use
device for incoming connections. Type Y to allow incoming
connections on the port.
8. Press Q to exit RAS Manager, and then close the console window.

2 Add a 1. From the Windows Start menu, choose Settings, and then click
communications Control Panel.
cable between
2. Double-click Phone and Modem Options.
the PC and the
SMP Gateway 3. In the Phone and Modem Options dialog box, click the Modems
tab. Click Add.
4. In the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard dialog box, select the Don’t
detect my modem; I will select it from a list check box. Click Next.
5. Under Manufacturers, click Standard Modem Types.
6. Under Models, click Communications cable between two
computers. Click Next.
7. Click Selected ports.
8. Click the communications port (COM1 or COM2) you want to use
for the communications cable. Click Next. Click Finish.
9. Click OK to close the Phone and Modem Options dialog box.
10. Connect the communications cable to both ports.

3 Set up a new 1. From Windows’ Start menu, choose Settings, and then click
direct serial Control Panel.
connection to the
2. Double-click Network and Dial-up Connections.
SMP Gateway
3. Double-click Make New Connection.
4. In the Network Connection Wizard dialog box, click Next.
5. Click Connect directly to another computer. Click Next.
6. Click Guest. Click Next.
7. In the Select a device drop-down list, click Communications cable
between two computers. Click Next.
8. Under Create this connection, click For all users. Click Next.
9. Type a descriptive name for the connection. Click Finish.
10. In the Connect <Connection Name> dialog box, click Properties.
11. From the General tab, click Configure.
12. In the Maximum speed drop-down list, select 115,200 bps.
13. Clear the Enable hardware flow control check box. Click OK.
14. Click the Options tab, and select the Redial if line is dropped check
box.
15. In the Time between redial attempts drop-down list, select 30
seconds.
16. Click the Networking tab, and then click Settings.

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Step To do this Follow these steps:

17. In the PPP Settings dialog box, clear the Enable LCP extensions
check box, the Enable software compression check box, and the
Negotiate multi-link for single link connections check box. Click
OK.
18. Under Components checked are used by this connection, clear the
Client for Microsoft Networks check box and the File and Printer
Sharing for Microsoft Networks check box.
19. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click Properties.
20. In the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box, click
Advanced.
21. In the Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog box, clear the Use default
gateway on remote network check box and the Use IP header
compression check box. Click OK three times.
22. Close the Connect <Connection Name> dialog box.

4 Configure 1. From the File menu of SMP Manager, choose Add SMP Gateway.
SMP Manager to
2. In the Gateway Properties dialog box, type a significant name for
communicate
the new SMP Gateway, such as “SMP Gateway direct connection”.
with the
SMP Gateway 3. In the First IP Address box, type the IP pool starting address that
you specified when you installed your SMP Gateway (see your
SMP Gateway installation guide).
4. Do not type anything in the Second IP Address box. Click Add.

The PC will communicate with the SMP Gateway using the addresses
specified here.

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22 Using a Dial-Up Connection
for DNP3 or IEC 60870-5-
101

The SMP Gateway could need a dialup connection for DNP3 or IEC 60870-5-101 protocols in a
situation where there is no network between the SMP Gateway and the control center and you
cannot establish a network connection to the SMP Gateway using the procedures described under
“SMP Tools Remote Access to the SMP Gateway”, page 185.
If the control center uses the DNP3 or IEC 60870-5-101 protocol, you can establish a serial
connection, via a dial-up modem, between the SMP Gateway and the control center. The control
center will call the SMP Gateway.
The same holds true if you need to communicate between the SMP Gateway and a device that uses
DNP3 or IEC 60870-5-101and that supports a modem connection. The SMP Gateway will call the
device.
Communication via modem is available as an option on all SMP Gateway models. On the SMP 4,
you use an internal modem. However, you have to order the modem at the time you purchase the
SMP Gateway, and the modem port replaces one of the serial ports. On the SMP 16/CP and
SMP 16/SG, the modem is internal and has its own port. Note that will all SMP Gateway models,
you can always plug an external modem into any serial port.
Having the SMP Gateway communicates, via dial-up modem with a PC or a device using DNP3
or IEC 60870-5-101, requires that you perform the following configuration steps using
SMP Config:
• Define which serial ports have a modem.
• Create a modem pool.
• Add modems to the pool.
• Create a modem pool master connection if the SMP Gateway will call a device, or create a
modem pool slave connection if the control center will call the SMP Gateway.

22.1 Specifying Which Serial Ports Have Modems

To indicate that a modem is connected to a specific serial port:
‰ Start SMP Config from the SMP Manager window.
‰ In the left pane, click Serial Ports.
‰ In the right pane, in the Interface drop-down list of the corresponding serial port, click
Modem Asynchronous.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 199

22.2 Creating a Modem Pool
A modem pool manages a certain number of physical modems so that when an outgoing call is to
be made, the pool selects an available modem to perform the call. Similarly, when an incoming
call is received, the pool identifies the caller and dispatches the call to the appropriate connection
(eventually to the protocol component).
There must be at least one modem per pool.
When it receives an incoming call, a modem pool needs to identify the caller in order to dispatch
the call to the appropriate protocol component. Since the identification is protocol-specific, each
protocol has its own method for identifying the caller. The identification procedure returns the
caller DEVICE ADDRESS. This DEVICE ADDRESS is then compared with the DEVICE
ADDRESS of each modem pool slave connection connected to the pool. Note that a modem pool
slave connection DEVICE ADDRESS is set by the protocol components. When a match is found,
the communication path is set up from the modem pool slave connection to the modem.
Identification is performed by the Call Dispatcher. The identification procedure for each protocol
supported is specified in the table next.

Protocol Identification Procedure

IEC 60870-5-101 The Call Dispatcher sends an IEC 60870-5-101 RESET OF LINK
broadcast frame. The slave device is expected to respond with an ACK
frame containing its own DEVICE ADDRESS.

DNP3 The Call Dispatcher sends a DNP3 RESET OF LINK broadcast frame.
The slave device is expected to respond with an ACK frame containing
its own DEVICE ADDRESS as the source address.

To add a modem pool:

‰ In the left pane, click Serial Ports, then on Modem Pools.
‰ In the right pane, type the name of the pool.
‰ Edit the modem pool settings.

These settings set up the behavior of the Call Dispatcher, as described in the next table.

Setting Description

Type The communications protocol supported by the modem pool. The

default value – automatic – means that the supported protocol will be
determined automatically.
Allowed values: Automatic
IEC 60870-5-101
DNP
Default value: Automatic

Dispatcher Address Size The size of the DEVICE ADDRESS, in bytes. This setting is taken into
account when a frame is sent or received, since it affects the size of the
frame.
Range: 1 to 8
Default value: 1

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Setting Description

Dispatcher Response This setting specifies how much time the dispatcher will wait for the
Timeout reception of a response to a request.
Range: 0 to 60,000 milliseconds
Default value: 10,000 milliseconds

Dispatcher Interchar Delay This setting specifies the maximum time allowed between 2 received
bytes of a frame, for the frame to be considered valid.
Range: 0 to 10,000 milliseconds
Default value: 250 milliseconds

Dispatcher Recover This setting specifies how much time the dispatcher will wait after a
Timeout failure (invalid frame format, etc.), before retrying.
Range: 0 to 10,000 milliseconds
Default value: 1,000 milliseconds

Dispatcher Max Request This setting specifies how many times the dispatcher will try to identify
Retry the device.
Range: 0 to 20
Default value: 3

22.3 Adding a Modem to a Modem Pool

To add a modem to a modem pool:
‰ In the left pane, click Serial Ports, then on Modems.
‰ In the right pane, choose a modem pool in the drop-down list for each modem.
This will add the modem to the modem pool.
‰ Edit the modem settings for each modem (see following table).
‰ In the left pane, click Asynchronous Serial Ports.
‰ In the right pane, edit the serial port settings for each modem.
The meaning of each modem setting is given below:

Setting Description

AT Init String This AT string is sent to the serial port to initialize the modem. It should
be a valid AT string to which the modem will respond with an OK.
Default value: ATZ

AT Off-Hook String This AT string is sent to the modem to answer the call when a RING
message is received. The modem must, therefore, be configured to NOT
auto-answer the calls (avoid S0=X, where X is other than 0).
Default value: ATA

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Setting Description

AT Dial String This AT string is prefixed to the phone number and sent to the modem to
make outgoing calls.
Default value: ATDT

AT On-Hook String This AT string is sent to the modem to hang up. After a call has been
completed, the “AT Init String” is always sent to reinitialize the modem.
Default value: ATH0

Incoming Only Put a checkmark if you want the modem to receive incoming calls but
not be able to make outgoing calls. If you do not put a checkmark, the
modem will be able to make and receive calls.
Allowed values: checkmark / no checkmark
Default value: no checkmark

AT Response Timeout Specifies how much time the modem pool will wait for an answer to an
AT string command. There is an exception for the ATDT and ATA
commands, since it can take some time to synchronize the carriers and
complete the call. For these exceptions, the maximum time is set to 3
minutes.
The timeout value depends on the modem and more specifically, on the
response time required for the +++ and ATH commands.
Range: 0 to 60,000 milliseconds
Default value: 5,000 milliseconds

22.4 Adding a Modem Pool Master Connection

A modem pool master connection is used by a protocol component to make outgoing calls to a
device. This connection makes the link between the protocol component and the modem pool.

To add a modem pool master connection:

‰ In the left pane, click Connections, then on Modem Masters.
‰ In the right pane:
‰ Type the name of the connection.
‰ Specify, via the drop-down list, the modem pool with which the connection will be
associated. The modems belonging to the specified modem pool will be used to make
outgoing calls for this connection.
‰ Type the phone number and a supplementary AT initialization string. The phone number
is mandatory and can contain any characters recognized by the modem. See your modem
documentation about the availability and meaning of each dialing option. This setting
cannot contain the ATDT prefix, since the latter is already configured in the modem
settings. The supplementary AT initialization string is an optional AT string that will be
sent to the modem just before the calling ATDTxxx command. This setting can be used
to fine-tune modem options for specific calls, which means that you can override options
specified in the general modem initialization string.

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22.5 Adding a Modem Pool Slave Connection
A modem pool slave connection is used by a protocol component to receive incoming calls from a
control center. This connection makes the link between the protocol component and the modem
pool.

To add a modem pool slave connection:

‰ In the left pane, click Connections, then on Modem Slaves.
‰ In the right pane:
‰ Type the name of the connection.
‰ Specify, via the drop-down list, the modem pool with which the connection will be
associated. Calls received by this modem pool will be dispatched to this connection
component if the DEVICE ADDRESS matches.

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23 Updating SMP Gateway
Software and Tools

This chapter explains the software architecture of the SMP Gateway and describes how to update
the SMP Tools and the SMP Gateway software.

23.1 Software Architecture of the SMP Gateway

To configure the SMP Gateway, you use the SMP Tools, software that runs on your computer
under Windows Vista, XP or 2000. Inside the SMP Gateway, there are also software components
that need upgrading:
• The SMP Gateway runs on Windows CE, called a firmware, the equivalent of Windows XP
on your computer. Other firmware that runs on the SMP Gateway includes the bootstrap
programs and the SMP Gateway application.
• The SMP Gateway application (.app file), which contains your protocol translators and other
gateway software files.
• The configuration file (.par file), which tells the gateway how to communicate with the
computer.
One of the SMP Tools is specialized in carrying files from the computer to the gateway:
SMP Loader.
Consequently, whenever you receive a CD-ROM from Cooper Power Systems (or the contents of
the CD-ROM via FTP access to a download site), you should perform an update of all these pieces
of software. Follow these steps, in the order they are presented:
‰ Update the PC software, i.e. the SMP Tools (see “Updating the SMP Tools on the PC”,
page 206).
‰ For each SMP Gateway:
‰ Update the SMP Gateway firmware (see “Updating the SMP Gateway Firmware”,
page 207).
‰ Update the SMP Gateway application (see “Updating the SMP Gateway Application”,
page 208).
‰ Update the SMP Gateway configuration file (see “Updating the Configuration File”,
page 209).
The table below shows the exact order in which you will update the SMP Gateway components,
and the SMP Tool that you will use to perform the update.

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Component to update Tool(s)

Bootstrap programs SMP Manager (requires version

4.0 or later of the SMP Gateway
software already installed)
OR
SMP Loader

Resident diagnostics SMP Manager

Windows CE SMP Manager

SMP Gateway application SMP Manager

Configuration file SMP Config and SMP Manager

23.2 Version Packs

A version pack is a software package that contains all that is required by SMP Manager to manage
a specific version of the SMP Gateway software. This package includes:
• The corresponding version of SMP Config and 61850 Config, which will be started by
SMP Manager for SMP Gateways that use this specific version of the software.
• The corresponding versions of the SMP Gateway software, which can be uploaded to the
SMP Gateway using SMP Manager.
• The corresponding documentation.
Version packs are integrated with the SMP Tools installer starting with version 5.2. However, for
versions 5.1 or earlier, version packs are available on-demand, from Cooper Power Systems, as
self-extractable files.

23.3 Updating the SMP Tools on the PC

Whenever you receive a new version from Cooper Power Systems, with a new version or release
of the SMP software and tools, you will start by updating the SMP Tools on your PC. Much more
rarely, you may need to update JRE (Java 2 Runtime Environment).

To update the SMP Tools:

‰ Insert the SMP Software and Tools CD-ROM in your computer CD drive.
‰ In the Welcome to the SMP Gateway window, click Upgrading.
‰ There may be specific instructions that apply to the version you were using previously. If so,
follow these instructions before performing the upgrade.
‰ Click the item you want to upgrade and follow the instructions.

The SMP Tools installer will automatically remove the previous version before installing the
new one.

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23.4 Updating the SMP Gateway Software
The functions of the SMP Gateway are provided by a sophisticated embedded software system
that includes a number of components:
• The bootstrap program, which loads the SMP Gateway application and the Windows CE
operating system into memory when the SMP Gateway starts up.
• The Windows CE operating system, which provides real-time system services, network
services, and device drivers.
• The resident diagnostics, which allow you to ensure that the SMP Gateway is working
properly.
• The SMP Gateway application, which implements all the functionalities of the SMP Gateway.

23.4.1 Updating the SMP Gateway Firmware

To update the firmware:
‰ Update the bootstrap program:

Note: If the Windows CE version number you read from your SMP Gateway using
SMP Stats (for more information, refer to page 53) is older than version 4.0, then
you must use the SMP Loader tool to update the bootstrap (see “SMP Loader”,
page 218).

‰ In the SMP Manager window, click your SMP Gateway.

‰ From the Update menu, choose Update SMP Gateway.
‰ In the Update SMP Gateway dialog box:
‰ Select Bootstrap.
‰ In the Select version box, select the version of the bootstrap program to upload to
the SMP Gateway.
‰ Click OK.
‰ Click Yes.

SMP Manager transfers the file to your SMP Gateway and then informs you that you
have to restart your SMP Gateway for the new firmware to go into effect.
‰ In the Restart SMP Gateway dialog box, choose Shutdown and Restart to restart the
SMP Gateway.
‰ Click OK.

Note: All restarts are automatically logged in SMP Gateway Reset log file. If you want
to, you can type a comment in order to indicate why you restarted the
SMP Gateway. This comment will be included in the log entry.

‰ Update Windows CE:

‰ In the SMP Manager window, click your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Update menu, choose Update SMP Gateway.
‰ In the Update SMP Gateway dialog box:

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‰ Select Operating System.
‰ In the Select version box, select the version of the operating system to upload to the
SMP Gateway.

Note: In the case of the operating system, this version number does not refer to the
version of the Windows CE operating system. This is the version number of the
SMP Gateway software package, which includes a version of Windows CE that is
customized for the SMP Gateway.

‰ Click OK.
‰ Click Yes.

SMP Manager transfers the file to your SMP Gateway and then informs you that you
have to restart your SMP Gateway for the new firmware to go into effect.
‰ In the Restart SMP Gateway dialog box, choose Shutdown and Restart to restart the
SMP Gateway.
‰ Click OK.
‰ Update the resident diagnostics. Proceed as for Windows CE, but:
‰ In the Update SMP Gateway dialog box, select Diagnostics Tools.
‰ In the Select version box, select the version of the resident diagnostics to upload to the
SMP Gateway.
‰ Click OK.

SMP Manager transfers the file to your SMP Gateway and then informs you that you
have to restart your SMP Gateway for the new firmware to go into effect.
‰ In the Restart Gateway dialog box, choose Shutdown and Restart to have the
SMP Gateway restart in normal mode.
‰ Click OK.

The SMP Gateway will go through a series of startup steps, which will be displayed in
the Status column in SMP Manager.
Once the startup is complete, the Status column will display the current status of the
SMP Gateway. The Status column should display Started. If the Status column shows that the
SMP Gateway did not start up normally, refer to “Troubleshooting”, page 227.

23.4.2 Updating the SMP Gateway Application

Proceed as follows:
‰ In the SMP Manager window, click your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Update menu, choose Update SMP Gateway.
‰ In the Update SMP Gateway dialog box:
‰ Select Application.
‰ In the Select version box, select the version of the application to upload to the
SMP Gateway.
‰ Click OK.

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‰ Click Yes.

SMP Manager sends the software to the specified SMP Gateway, and then informs you that
you have to restart the SMP Gateway for the new application to go into effect.
‰ In the Restart Gateway dialog box, choose Shutdown and Restart to have the
SMP Gateway restart in normal mode.
‰ Click OK.

The SMP Gateway will restart and load the new application.

23.4.3 Updating the Configuration File

The last step in upgrading to a new version of the SMP Gateway software and tools consists of
updating the configuration file.

Note: If you just updated the SMP Gateway application, please wait until the
SMP Gateway completes its startup process, to ensure that SMP Manager starts
the version of SMP Config that corresponds to the new SMP Gateway
application.

To update the configuration file:

‰ From SMP Manager, start SMP Config and open your configuration file.

The file name in the title bar should have a star (*) beside to inform you there is a change.
‰ From the File menu, choose Save.

A message box will inform you that the current configuration file will be upgraded to a
current version. A backup is automatically saved, which includes the previous version number
in the file name.
‰ Send the configuration file to the SMP Gateway using SMP Manager:
‰ From the Update menu, choose Send Configuration File.

SMP Manager will transfer the file on the SMP Gateway, and then informs you that you
have to restart the SMP Gateway for the new application to go into effect.
‰ In the Restart Gateway dialog box, choose Shutdown and Restart to have the
SMP Gateway restart in normal mode.
‰ Click OK.

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24 Activating a New License

Whenever you contact Cooper Power Systems to request support for a new device that you want
to connect to your SMP Gateway, or to add support for a particular feature, Cooper Power
Systems will provide you with a new license, which consists in an ID and a key.
A license ID is a user-readable identifier that helps distinguishes one license from another. A
license key is composed of up to 4 character sequences that define the list of software features
supported by the license, such as redundancy, Soft PLC and automation functions. The license key
also contains information about the maximum number of master protocols (one per device) and
slave protocols (one per control center) that are supported.

24.1 Updating the License of an SMP Gateway

Before proceeding, make sure you have the new license information at hand. This information is
usually provided by a Cooper Power Systems’ sales representative, in an email or in a license file.

To update the license of an SMP Gateway:

‰ Start SMP Manager.
‰ Select the SMP Gateway to update.
‰ From the Update menu, choose Update SMP Gateway License.

‰ Enter the new license information:

‰ If this information is available as a file, click Browse to open a file browser and locate
the license file.

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‰ Otherwise, type the License ID and Key (2 or 4 rows) in the corresponding boxes.
‰ (Optional) To verify the features and limitations that are part of the specified license, click
Details.

‰ Click OK to upload the license information to the SMP Gateway.

‰ If new protocols and components are now part of the license, update the SMP Gateway
application before restarting the gateway, as described in “Updating the SMP Gateway
Application” page 208.

24.1.1 Protocol Classes

The License Information dialog box contains lots of information, including the maximum
number of master and slave protocols of each class that can be configured according to a given
license.
Protocols are divided into classes according to their respective features and complexity. Here are
the classes in increasing order of complexity, along with some examples:
• Class 1.
Includes commonly-used protocols, such as DNP3, Modicon MODBUS, SEL protocols and
IEC 60870-5.
• Class 2.
Includes, but is not limited to, UCA 2.0, IEEE C37.118, IEC 61850 GOOSE and IEC 61850
(master).
• Class 3.
Currently only includes ICCP and IEC 61850 (slave).

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25 Miscellaneous SMP Tool
Features

This section presents SMP Manager and SMP Config commands that provide useful capabilities,
and that were not discussed in other sections of the document.

25.1 SMP Manager Features

SMP Manager has a number of handy features:
• Displaying only those SMP Gateways with which SMP Manager is currently in
communication.
(Click Active Gateways from the View menu.)
• Choosing the time display format: local time or UTC.
(Click Options from the Tools menu. See also “Modifying SMP Manager Settings”, below.)
• Exporting your SMP Gateway list.
(Click Export List from the File menu.)
• Importing an SMP Gateway list.
(Click Import list from the File menu.)
Also, some SMP Manager settings can also be customized to your needs, as described in the
following section

25.1.1 Modifying SMP Manager Settings

To modify SMP Manager settings:
‰ From the Tools menu, choose Options.

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‰ Select the format you want to use to display time information in SMP Manager:
• Local Time.
Time information obtained from SMP Gateways will be adjusted to the time zone and
daylight saving time information of your PC.
• UTC.
Time information obtained from SMP Gateways will be displayed as is.
‰ Under IED Manager Suite, you will find settings that are specific to global security, which is
not covered by this manual. Refer to Cybectec Enterprise Solutions for more information
about this settings and global security.
‰ Under Paths, you can change the name and the location of the file containing the list of
SMP Gateways that are currently displayed in SMP Manager. This file has a VEP extension.

25.2 SMP Config Features

SMP Config has a few handy features:
• Exporting your SMP Gateway configuration to a CSV file.
(Click Export from the File menu.)
• Importing an SMP Gateway configuration previously saved as a CSV file.
(Click Import from the File menu.)
• Clearing the message pane.
(Click Clear Message Pane from the Validate menu.)

25.3 System Data Points

The SMP Gateway has system points for various purposes and features, such as remote access,
security, time adjustment and redundancy. When they are present on an SMP Gateway, they can
be seen using the SMP Gateway Web Server. When an SMP Gateway slave protocol subscribes to
them, they provide useful information to the SCADA.
The following list describes all available system data points:

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Data Point Name Description

Power Status

_smp___voltage_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the voltage of
the SMP Gateway power supply is within its normal range of
operation.

Temperature

_smp___temperature This analog input point states the temperature, in °C, inside
(available on SMP 16/SP) the gateway.

Clock-Related Information

_smp___clockYear This analog input point states the year information of the
SMP Gateway internal clock.

_smp___clockMonth This analog input point states the month information of the
SMP Gateway internal clock.

_smp___clockDay This analog input point states the day information of the
SMP Gateway internal clock.

_smp___clockHour This analog input point states the hour information of the
SMP Gateway internal clock, using the 24-hour notation.

_smp___clockMinute This analog input point states the minute information of the
SMP Gateway internal clock.

_smp___clockSecond This analog input point states the second information of the
SMP Gateway internal clock.

_smp___clockSynchronized If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the internal
(available on SMP 4 and SMP 16) clock of the SMP Gateway is actually synchronized with an
external time source, such as GPS or IRIG-B.

_smp___battery_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the clock
(available on SMP 4) battery is operational.

Local Control

_smp___setLocalControl This binary output point allows you to switch from local
control (by a local HMI, such as Visual T&D), to remote
control (by the SCADA). _smp___localControl indicates the
current control state of the SMP Gateway.

_smp___localControl If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the

SMP Gateway is actually controlled locally, by Visual T&D
or another HMI. If the gateway is currently controlled by the
SCADA, this point is set to 0. At the SMP Gateway startup,
this point is set to 0.

_smp___restartSystem This binary output point allows you to restart the

SMP Gateway.

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Data Point Name Description

_smp___setNOrelay This binary output point allows you to open and close the
(available on SMP 16) SMP Gateway normally open (NO) relay.
_smp___stateNOrelay indicates the actual state of the relay.

_smp___stateNOrelay This binary input point indicates the actual state of the
(available on SMP 16) SMP Gateway normally open (NO) relay. If set to 1, the relay
is closed.

Security

_smp___secAccLocked This binary input point shows if there is an account locked on

the SMP Gateway.

_smp___secLogFailCnt This analog input point states the number of unsuccessful

user logon attempts.

_smp___secLogFail This binary input point indicates if a user logon attempt failed
since last _smp___secLogFailCnt counter reset.

_smp___secLogFailCntRst This binary output point allows you to reset the

_smp___secLogFailCnt analog input point to 0. It also resets
the _smp___secLogFail binary input point to 0.

Remote Access

_smp___dialupEnable This binary output point allows you to accept or block all
incoming RAS dialup connections to the SMP Gateway. Set
it to 1 to accept all incoming RAS dialup connections.
_smp__dialupEnabled indicates the resulting state.

_smp___dialupEnabled This binary input point indicates if all incoming RAS dialup
connections to the SMP Gateway are accepted of blocked. If
set to 1, all connections are accepted.

_smp___dialupInUse This binary input point indicates whether or not there is

actually communication in progress via an incoming RAS
dialup connection.

Passthrough
(for each passthrough connection named “<connection>”)

_smp___<connection>Enable This binary output point allows you to lock or unlock the
passthrough connection. Set it to 0 to lock the connection.
_smp___<connection>Enabled indicates if the connection is
locked or not.

_smp___<connection>Enabled This binary input point indicates the passthrough connection

lock state. If set to 0, the connection is locked and cannot be
used.

_smp___<connection>InUse If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the

passthrough connection is currently active.

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Data Point Name Description

System Folders
(for each system folder named <folder name>)

_smp___Folder<id><folder name> If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the system
_Available folder is available to the SMP Gateway.

_smp___Folder<id><folder name> This analog input point states the amount of disk space that is
_FreeDiskSpace available on the host of the system folder.

_smp___Folder<id><folder name> If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the system
_LowDiskSpace folder host is running low on disk space.

Redundancy

_smp___rsLocal_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the

SMP Gateway is currently operational.
This point is mirrored in the _smp___rsRemote_ok binary
input point of the other SMP Gateway of the group.

_smp___rsRemote_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the other
SMP Gateway of the group is currently operational.
This point is mirrored in the _smp___rsLocal_ok binary input
point of the other SMP Gateway.

_smp___rsLocal_active If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the

SMP Gateway is active.
If set to 0, it indicates that the SMP Gateway is on standby.

_smp___rsRemote_standby If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the other
SMP Gateway of the group is on standby.
If set to 0, it indicates that the other SMP Gateway of the
group is active.

_smp___rsRemote_hotStandby If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the other
SMP Gateway of the group is on hot standby.
For more information about Hot-Standby, refer to the “Hot
Standby” section, page 173.

_smp___rsFirstConnection_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the first link
between the redundant SMP Gateways is operational.

_smp___rsSecondConnection_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the second
link between the redundant SMP Gateways is operational.

_smp___rsSynchronized If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the RTDX
databases of both SMP Gateways of a group are
synchronized.

_smp___rsLan_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that SMP Gateway
access to the LAN is operational. This point state can be used
as a failover condition.

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Data Point Name Description

_smp___rsVoltage_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the voltage of
the SMP Gateway power supply is within its normal range of
operation. This point state can be used as a failover condition.

_smp___rsTemp_ok If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that the internal
temperature of the SMP Gateway is within an acceptable
range. This point state can be used as a failover condition.

_smp___rsMem_ok If set to 0, this binary input point indicates that the

SMP Gateway is running low on memory. This point state
can be used as a failover condition.

_smp___rsGroupAddress_ok If set to 0, this binary input point indicates that the public IP
address defined for the group conflicts with another device
that uses the same address. This point state can be used as a
failover condition.

Soft PLC

_smp___plcProgramRunning If set to 1, the binary input point indicates that a Soft PLC
automation script is currently running on the SMP Gateway.

Annunciator

_annunciator___alarmActiveCount This analog input point states the number of active alarms.

_annunciator___alarmBlocked This analog input point states the number of blocked alarms.
Count

_annunciator___alarmConfigCount This analog input point states the number of data points
configured to trigger alarms.

_annunciator___alarmToAckCount This analog input point states the number of alarms that
require acknowledgment.

_annunciator___alarmToClear This analog input point states the number of alarms that have
Count been acknowledge and that may be cleared.

_annunciator___generalAlarm If set to 1, this binary input point indicates that at least one
alarm is currently active.

25.4 SMP Loader

SMP Loader should be used for the following purposes:
• To update the bootstrap programs.
• You can, in fact, load Windows CE and the resident diagnostics with SMP Loader, but you
should use SMP Manager unless there is a problem.
When the SMP Gateway is powered up or reset, the following components are started up, in the
order listed:

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• The primary bootstrap program.
• The secondary bootstrap program.
• Windows CE.
In order to use SMP Loader, you need to interrupt the startup process before it reaches
Windows CE startup. You accomplish this by putting the SMP Gateway into Command mode.

25.4.1 Setting Up SMP Loader

Setting up SMP Loader requires that you go through 3 steps:
• Connect your PC to the SMP Gateway CONSOLE port.
• Start SMP Loader.
• Put the SMP Gateway into Command mode.

To connect your PC to the SMP Gateway:

‰ Connect one of the communications ports of your PC to the SMP Gateway CONSOLE port,
using a standard RS-232 direct cable equipped with a DB9 male connector at one end and a
DB9 female connector at the other end.

Note: If you are using a portable computer that does not have an external serial port,
you will need to use an USB-to-RS-232 serial converter.

To start SMP Loader:

‰ Click Start on the Windows taskbar.
‰ Point to All Programs, then to Cybectec, and then to SMP Tools.
‰ From the SMP Tools menu, choose SMP Loader.
‰ From the Connection menu, choose Communication Settings to display the
Communication Settings dialog box.

Most of the communication settings are unavailable, as they cannot be changed.

‰ Select the communications port that will be used on your PC (ex. COM1).
‰ Specify 115,200 bps as the file transfer speed. If your computer does not support the specified
speed, try a lower value for this setting.
‰ Click OK.
‰ Do not close SMP Loader: it will connect to the SMP Gateway automatically when the latter
will enter Command mode.

To put the SMP Gateway into Command mode, you need to reset the SMP Gateway. The
procedure differs, depending on the SMP gateway model.

To put an SMP 4 into Command mode:

‰ Insert a pointed object in the reset aperture and apply pressure until the watchdog timer LED
stops flashing.

SMP Loader will automatically connect to the SMP Gateway, as described in the previous
section.

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Warning: Do not use a lead pencil, since lead is a conductor, as it could break and
damage the SMP 4.

To put an SMP 16 into Command mode:

‰ Power off the SMP 16.
‰ Power it up again.

SMP Loader will automatically connect to the SMP Gateway, as described in the previous
section.
In both cases, the SMP Loader window will show the files that are currently loaded on the
SMP Gateway as soon as the latter will complete its startup into Command mode.

25.4.2 Main Window

The SMP Loader main window is shown next, for an SMP 16/SG.

As you can see, the display only shows Windows CE. The same applies to an SMP 4. It is
important to note that the display area does not list the bootstrap programs, even though these do
indeed reside on the SMP Gateway. However, the secondary bootstrap version is shown at the
bottom right of the window, on the status bar.

To view the bootstrap programs’ version numbers:

‰ From the Connection menu, choose Bootstrap Versions.

A dialog box appears, showing the versions of both bootstrap programs.

Note: The dialog box indicates that the primary bootstrap version is unavailable since it
resides in the ROM and cannot be modified in the field.

25.4.3 Transferring Files to the SMP Gateway

You can transfer one or more files to the SMP Gateway, and you can choose the files individually.

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To transfer files to the SMP Gateway:
‰ Using Windows Explorer, drag and drop the files in your SMP Loader main screen display.

OR
‰ In SMP Loader:
‰ Choose Send from the File menu.

‰ Point to SMP Tools\Version Pack\<version number>\SMP Firmware Libraries, and

then to the SMP 4, SMP 16 or SMP 16 PM folder, depending on the model of
SMP Gateway.
‰ Choose SMP Loader Files (*.vl) in the Files of type drop-down list. This will display
one or more files with the VL extension. Select the file you want to send, and click Open.

The File Information dialog box appears, giving you a description of each file, within
the .VL file, that you are about to transfer and asking you to confirm your intention to
carry out the transfer.

The transfer takes place once you have responded to the question for all the files that were listed in
the VL file, and a dialog box shows you the progress of the operation.
‰ Remove the cable that you connected between the SMP Gateway CONSOLE port and the PC
when you used SMP Loader.
‰ Start SMP Manager, and monitor the progress of the reset operation.

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Notes:
• The SMP Gateway will not use the transferred files until next reset.
• If you transferred a bootstrap program, it will not appear in the list even though the file has
indeed been transferred. Furthermore, if you look at the bootstrap version numbers (by
choosing Bootstrap Versions from the Connection menu), you will see that the secondary
bootstrap number has not been updated. The version number will be updated on next reset of
the SMP Gateway.

25.4.4 Viewing the Log File

SMP Loader records every significant event until you exit the application, including startup, file
transfers, file deletions, requests for bootstrap programs version numbers, communications port
settings, transfer cancellations, refreshes, communication errors, and so on.
The log file, which can be read using Notepad, is located in the following folder, under the name
Loader.log:

SMP Tools\Version Pack\<version number>\Manager\SMP Firmware

Libraries

Note: Each time you start the application, SMP Loader overwrites the information
contained in the file.

25.4.5 Updating Bootstraps under Unusual Circumstances

Unexpected events, such as a blackout during a bootstrap program file transfer, could cause the
secondary bootstrap program to become corrupted.
If the secondary bootstrap of your SMP Gateway is corrupted, contact Cooper Power Systems’
Technical Support (see “Getting Assistance”, page 2).

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26 SMP Console Functions

Console access to the SMP Gateway provides you with a command line prompt for running tools
and low-level commands on the SMP Gateway. Console tools are gradually being replaced by
Windows-based tools.
However, if you feel more at ease with the command line interface, you can use the following
console commands:
• FirewallMgr (Firewall Manager)
• Time and Date.
• TCP/IP address and RAS setup, as described in the installation manual of each device.
• SnmpMgr (SNMP Manager), as described in the “Configuring the SNMP Server” section,
page 175.
• ClockMgr (Clock Manager).

26.1 Starting SMP Console

All the aforementioned commands can be called on the SMP Console command line.

To start SMP Console:

‰ In SMP Manager, select your SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Tools menu, choose SMP Console.
‰ In the console window, type the username and password of a user account that has the System
Management privilege.
You can now execute any of the console commands that are described in the following sections.

26.2 Firewall Manager

Since version 4 of the SMP Gateway Software & Tools, the firewall is configured using
SMP Config. Firewall Manager can now only be used to view the current status and custom rules
of the firewall.
If you have setup a firewall using a previous version of the SMP Gateway software, you can still
use Firewall Manager to set up rules. However, these rules will be overridden if you set up a
firewall instance using SMP Config (see “Configuring the Firewall”, page 92).

Note: To use Firewall Manager, the user must have the System Management privilege
for the SMP Gateway.

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To use Firewall Manager:
‰ In the console window, type the following command at the prompt:

firewallmgr

Firewall Manager displays the list of available commands, as the following shows:
Firewall Manager.

Available commands (case insensitive):

Note: Use "SMP Config" to change the firewall configuration.

R Show custom firewall rules.

S Show the current firewall and VPN status.
H Display the list of available commands.
Q Quit.

The commands are described in the following sections.

26.2.1 R Command
The R command displays the list of firewall rules you have set-up.

26.2.2 S Command
The S command shows the current status of the firewall and VPN connections.

Example:
Firewall: disable
Firewall log: enable
VPN connections: 2

26.2.3 H Command
The H command displays the list of available commands, as shown at the beginning of this section.

26.2.4 Q Command
The Q command is used to exit the firewall manager.

26.3 Time and Date

You can now set the SMP Gateway date and time using SMP Manager, as described in the
“Setting the SMP Gateway Internal Clock” section, page 177. But the Time and Date console
commands are still available for that matter.

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To set the SMP Gateway time:
‰ In the console window, type the following command at the prompt:

time
The current UTC time is displayed, followed by a prompt for the new time. For example:

The current time is: 3:22:40 PM

Enter the new time (hh:mm:ss):

‰ Type the new UTC time in the requested format and press ENTER.

To set the SMP Gateway date:

‰ In the console window, type the following command at the prompt:

date
The current time is displayed, followed by a prompt for the new time. For example:

The current date is: Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Enter the new date (mm-dd-[yy]yy):

‰ Type the new date in the requested format (year can be specified using two digits) and press
ENTER.

Note: For both commands, the time/data will remain unchanged if you do not type
anything and press ENTER.

26.4 Clock Manager

Clock Manager was used for time adjustment setup. It has been replaced by SMP Config since
version 4 of the SMP Gateway Software & Tools. It is now mainly used to get an overview of the
GPS clock settings; for more details, refer to the SMP 16 GPS clock option installation manual.

To use Clock Manager:

‰ In the console window, type the following command at the prompt:

clockmgr

Clock Manager displays the list of available commands, as the following shows:
Clock Manager.

Available commands (case insensitive):

Note: Use "SMP Config" to change the clock configuration.

D Display the current settings.

H Display the list of available commands.
Q Quit.

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The commands are described in the following sections.

26.4.1 D Command
The D command shows the current settings of the optional GPS clock.

Example:
GPS Cable length: 0 m
IRIG-B distribution format for the GPS: IRIG-BXX0 IEEE 1344
Always distribute the IRIG-B signal: No

26.4.2 H Command
The H command displays the list of available commands, as shown at the beginning of this section.

26.4.3 Q Command
The Q command is used to exit the clock manager.

26.5 Elo Touchscreen Driver Manager

If you use a touch screen with your SMP Gateway, you may no longer be able to reset the
calibration settings via the touch screen itself. At runtime, you can use the Elo Touchscreen Driver
Manager for this matter.

To enter the touch screen calibration mode:

‰ In the console window, type the following command at the prompt:

elomgr.exe /c
To learn how to recalibrate the touch screen, see “Calibrating the Touch Screen”, page 136.

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27 Troubleshooting

The SMP Gateway is a highly reliable substation-grade device. Most operational problems result
from configuration errors, and there are a few simple steps you can take to identify and solve
these problems.
This section discusses the following types of problems:
• Startup problems.
• Communications problems.
• Problems with data validity.
• Problems executing control operations.
• Firewall-related problems.

27.1.1 Getting Additional Help

There are a number information sources that can help you solve your problems. You can turn to
our Website - www.cooperpowereas.com, to find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ).
Also, if your problem seems to be related to a protocol instance, you can refer to the Cooper
Power Systems documentation for the particular protocol.

To access a document:
‰ Click Start on Windows’ taskbar.
‰ Point to All Programs, then Cybectec, then SMP Tools, and then Documentation.
‰ From the Documentation menu, choose Protocols.

The list of available documents is displayed in a Windows Explorer window.

‰ Click the document you want to read.
‰ From the File menu of the Explorer window, choose Open with Adobe Reader (or Adobe
Acrobat Reader, depending on the version installed).

Your Adobe Reader program starts up and displays the document in a window.

27.1.2 Creating an SMP Gateway Report File

In the upcoming sections, we will take you through the steps required to solve your problems.
If after going through all the required procedures, you find that you need to contact Cooper Power
Systems’ Technical Support, you will need to create a report file. This file will help the technical
support team in identifying and solving the problem.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 227

SMP Gateway report files are stored in Reports folder of SMP Manager. Each time a report is
generated, SMP Manager creates an event log file, indicating all operations performed during the
report generation. The event log file is also stored in the Reports folder.

To create an SMP Gateway report file:

‰ In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway.
‰ From the Gateway menu, choose Make Report.

Note: The Make Report command is only available if the SMP Gateway is online.

‰ Click the Tell me more button to display the information that will be collected from the
SMP Gateway;
‰ Type additional information in the text box, such as the problem description, or the
reason why you are requesting technical support.
‰ Assign a name to the report, in the Report Name box. SMP Manager will automatically
append the date and time to the report name.
‰ Select the Extract Automatically check box, if you want to see where the report is
located as soon as SMP Manager has finished retrieving the report information. The
information will be displayed in a Windows Explorer window.
‰ Click OK.
‰ Select the folder where you want to save the report file. You can also change the file name
here.
‰ Click Save to start the report generation.

The Gateway Report progress dialog box appears, showing each operation performed and
when the report generation is complete, the dialog box indicates the completion status of the
operation.
‰ Click Details to display the event log for the report generation.
‰ Click Close button.

If you selected the Extract Automatically check box, a Windows Explorer window appears,

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showing where the report file is located. You will see a LOG file, a GRF file, and a folder
bearing the same name as the GRF file. If you click the folder, you will see a group of files
and folders with information about the data points, crashes, logs, and so on.
‰ Send the GRF file to Cooper Power Systems’ Technical Support with your request. The GRF
file is, in fact, a zipped file, which contains the files and folders discussed previously.

27.1.3 Viewing an SMP Gateway Report File

At the time you generate a report, you can choose to see the report immediately. However, at all
times, you can view an existing report for any SMP Gateway.

To view an SMP Gateway report file:

‰ In SMP Manager, select the SMP Gateway.
‰ From the File menu, choose Extract SMP Gateway Report.
‰ In the Open dialog box, choose the desired GRF file and click Open.

A Windows Explorer window opens.

‰ Double-Click the folder that has the same name as the GRF file you selected.
‰ You will now see a group of files and folders. Open the desired items to view the information
they contain.

27.2 Startup Problems

When you start the SMP Gateway or reset it using SMP Manager, it goes through a sequence of
steps, after which you should see Started in the Status column of SMP Manager application
window. However, if the SMP Gateway software detects a problem during startup, you may see
something else in the Status column. Here are some suggestions for troubleshooting the problem.
If the problem persists, do not hesitate to contact our technical support team.

27.2.1 No Configuration File

If the status is No configuration file, you have not loaded a configuration file on the
SMP Gateway.

To correct the problem:

‰ Create a configuration file using SMP Config, if you have not already done so.
‰ Use SMP Manager to send the file to the SMP Gateway.
‰ Restart the SMP Gateway using SMP Manager, in order to activate the configuration.

27.2.2 Protocols Failed

If the status is Protocols failed, it may be due to one of the following reasons:
• You changed the SMP Gateway license, but did not update the SMP Gateway application.
• There is a problem with a master or slave protocol instance.
• There is an incompatibility in the settings.

SMP Gateway User Manual • 229

To correct the problem:
‰ If you have changed the SMP Gateway license without updating your SMP Gateway
application, update the SMP Gateway application using SMP Manager, as some components
may be missing. See “Updating the SMP Gateway Application”, page 208.
‰ Otherwise, start SMP Log and examine the startup log.
‰ Make sure you are using the correct configuration file:
‰ If you are using the wrong configuration file, use SMP Manager to send the correct file
to the SMP Gateway.
‰ If you are using the correct configuration file, but it contains errors, fix them all using
SMP Config, and then send the file to the SMP Gateway using SMP Manager.
‰ Make sure you have described your hardware correctly.
For example, you may have specified the wrong SMP Gateway model in SMP Config.
‰ Check the protocol settings.
The log will show you the startup actions of each protocol instance. You will see which
one failed to load or did not start up properly. Check its parameter settings. Make sure
you have associated the protocol instance with an existing serial port (the number of
available ports depends on the hardware configuration settings).
‰ Check the version numbers of the SMP Gateway software.
A component may not be up-to-date:
‰ Send an updated version of the SMP Gateway application to the SMP Gateway,
using SMP Manager.
‰ If the application update does not work, you probably need to have SMP Config
convert your configuration file, after which you can send the file to the
SMP Gateway.
‰ If the problem persists after the SMP Gateway has restarted, try using a reduced version of
the configuration file, in an attempt to isolate the problem. For example, use a configuration
file that has only one device and one protocol instance.

27.2.3 Critical Components Missing

If the status is Critical components missing, there is a missing component in the SMP Gateway
application. This situation can arise if you change your license without updating the
SMP Gateway application.
‰ Update the SMP Gateway application using SMP Manager. See “Updating the SMP Gateway
Application”, page 208.
‰ If the problem persists, contact Cooper Power Systems’ Technical Support.

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27.3 Communications Problems
Communications problems always occur in one of the following layers:

SMP Trace and SMP Stats are the ideal tools for you to troubleshoot a communications problem
and determine in which layer the problem occurred. SMP Trace shows you the information that
was sent back and forth between the SMP Gateway and the device, while SMP Stats supplies you
with statistics that can help you detect an anomaly. For example, the statistics may show you that
there were no exchanges whatsoever on a particular connection, or the trace may show you that
the SMP Gateway never got responses when it polled a particular device.

27.3.1 Physical Layer

The physical connection between the SMP Gateway and a device is often at the root of a problem.
You should therefore ask yourself the following questions:
• Am I using the correct type of cable?
Do I need to use a cable for RS-232 or for RS-485 communications?
Should I be using a 2-wire or a 4-wire cable for RS-485 communications?
• Is the device connected properly?
Make sure the cable is connected to the correct port.
• Do I need an adaptor?
For example, do I need a null-modem adapter for RS-232 communications?
• Are the connection settings configured correctly?
Use SMP Config to check the Asynchronous Serial Ports settings, under Connections:
• If I’m using RS-485 4-wire, did I choose RS-422?
If I’m using RS-485 2-wire, did I choose RS-485?

27.3.2 Link Layer

Problems in the link layer are often related to the settings of the communications component.
Here are examples of settings that can cause problems:

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• The baud rate, parity, start and stop bit settings of both the SMP Gateway and the device, for
serial communications.
• The TCP/IP address and port configuration, for TCP/IP communications.

To correct this problem:

‰ Examine the link layer byte exchanges, using SMP Trace and SMP Stats.
‰ Using SMP Config, look at the Connections settings:
‰ If your SMP Gateway communicates with the device over a serial link, check the
communications settings of the link used to communicate with the device, such as baud
rate and parity. These settings must be configured identically at both ends.
‰ If your SMP Gateway communicates with the device over a WAN or LAN, make sure
you have specified the correct TCP/IP address and port number.

27.3.3 Protocol Layer

Protocol problems are directly related to the settings of the protocol instance used to
communicate with the device.
You should proceed as follows:
‰ Examine the protocol layer byte exchanges, using SMP Trace and SMP Stats.
‰ Using SMP Config, make sure you have specified the correct protocol.
‰ Look at the SMP Config general settings:
‰ Check the settings of the protocol instance, such as packet size.
‰ Make sure the device or link address is correct.
‰ Check the polling parameters.
Some devices are not able to respond to rapid polling requests because they process the
information very slowly. Other devices only allow slow communications links - 9600
baud or less. If you poll too quickly, the request will arrive before the last block of data is
read, thereby causing communications problems.

27.4 Problems with Data Validity

When all the exchanges are taking place correctly and there are no protocol errors reported in the
statistics, but some of the acquired values are erroneous or incoherent:
‰ Using SMP Config, examine the following settings for the points that are invalid:
• Data point address.
Is the address of the physical data point correct? Some devices have flexible
configuration options, so you have to compare the SMP Config values with the values set
by the device manufacturer’s software.
• Conversion factors.
For physical analog data points, are the scale and offset factors correct?
• Polarity.
For physical binary input points, is the polarity set correctly?
• Warning messages.
Are there any warning messages in the message pane, regarding the data points that have
erroneous values?

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27.5 Problems Executing a Control Operation
When a control operation fails:
‰ Use SMP Log to look in the Control log.
All control operations are recorded in this log.
‰ Use SMP Trace to see the data exchanges.
Note, however, that you have to be connected to the SMP Gateway to view a control
operation in real time.
‰ Make the following checks to determine the cause of the failure:
‰ Using SMP Log, look at the control log and make sure the SCADA is sending the correct
sequence (direct operate, select before operate) of messages.
‰ Using SMP Config, check the general settings of both the master and the slave protocol
instances. Make sure each that for each of them, the Control Enabled check box is
selected.
‰ Using SMP Config, make sure the binary and analog physical output points are set up
correctly. For example, for the DNP3 protocol, Control Type requires a value other than
“Not supported”. See the device manufacturer’s documentation for the required setup and
refer to the appropriate Cooper Power Systems protocol documentation.
‰ Refer to the device manufacturer’s documentation to check whether the device allows for
a polling message to be sent between a select and an operate or whether polling has to
wait until after the select and operate have completed. Some manufacturers deselect the
device if a polling message is sent between a select and an operate. If polling has to wait,
use SMP Config to make sure that the Tx During SBO check box is selected in the
master protocol general parameters.
‰ Using the Web browser, make sure the point called _smp___localControl is set either to
0 to enable commands from the SCADA or to 1, to enable commands from Visual T&D.
If the value is not set properly, send either an open command to the point called
_smp___setLocalControl to set the value to 0, or a close command to set the value to 1.
‰ Using the Web browser, check whether the point is set to inhibit operations. If so,
remove the inhibition.

27.6 Firewall-Related Problems

27.6.1 Recovering from a Firewall Lockout
If, for some reasons, access to the SMP Gateway management port (TCP 6650) is restricted in the
built-in firewall, you may no longer be able to connect to the SMP Gateway using any
SMP Tools: this situation is called a “firewall lockout”.
Since the firewall configuration is specified in the SMP Gateway configuration file (PAR), it is
possible to recover from a firewall account if you have physical access to the SMP Gateway, to
force the SMP Gateway to reset and enter the maximum safe mode, where the restrictions over the
SMP Gateway management port are not effective.

To recover from a firewall lockout:

• Power off the SMP Gateway, and then power it up again.
• Pay attention to the various traces that appear in the terminal window. Eventually, the
following prompt appears:

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********************************************
Press ENTER now to access configuration mode
********************************************
The SMP Gateway will start in 15 seconds...
• Press ENTER before the end of the 15-second period.

Note: If security is enabled on the SMP Gateway, a login prompt will be displayed.
Enter a valid login name, followed by the corresponding password.

The SMP Gateway enters the configuration mode and the following appears on the terminal
window:
***************************
Starting configuration mode
***************************

Current UTC time: 2009/05/28 17:14:55

Available commands:
S Set the clock
C Configure TCP/IP parameters
U Update the firmware
F Reset the SMP Gateway configuration to the factory
default
D Start on-line diagnostics
M Start the SMP Gateway in MAX SAFE MODE
W Start the SMP Gateway
Note. The SMP Gateway will start after 60 seconds if you have
not pressed any key.

>
‰ Type M to restart the SMP Gateway in Maximum Safe Mode.

The SMP Gateway will restart and it should now be accessible via SMP Manager.
‰ If you do not have a copy of the configuration file, retrieve it from the SMP Gateway.
‰ Start SMP Config.
‰ Remove or modify the settings and/or access rules that restrict access to the SMP Gateway
management port (TCP 6650).
‰ Save the configuration file.
‰ Upload the configuration file to the SMP Gateway.
‰ Restart the SMP Gateway in Normal mode.

The SMP Gateway should now be working properly and should be accessible via all
SMP Tools.

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