Reference Manual

Qualitrol-Hathaway
DFR-1200 Master
Protocol
Documentation for part number P-SMPR-1801
© 2012 Cooper Power Systems, LLC – All rights reserved.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Cooper Power Systems

Energy Automation Solutions
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Suite 200
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Canada G6Z 2C5
Phone: +1.418.834.0009
Fax: +1.514.227.5256
Email: PSMO-sales@cooperindustries.com
Web: http://www.cooperpower.com

Technical Support: PSSJ-support@cooperindustries.com

S1120-59-2, version 5
Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
2. Features.................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Communication ........................................................................................................................ 2
2.2 Supported Commands .............................................................................................................. 2
2.2.1 Device Data Retrieval ................................................................................................. 3
2.2.2 Device Control ........................................................................................................... 3
3. Configuration Settings ............................................................................................................. 4
3.1 General Settings....................................................................................................................... 4
4. Implementation Details ........................................................................................................... 6
4.1 Startup Sequence ..................................................................................................................... 6
4.2 Scan Cycle ............................................................................................................................... 6
5. Troubleshooting ....................................................................................................................... 8

QUALITROL-HATHAWAY DFR-1200 MASTER PROTOCOL REFERENCE MANUAL ●I

Tables
Table 2-1 Communication Features .................................................................................. 2
Table 2-2 Supported Commands ....................................................................................... 2
Table 2-3 Command Types ................................................................................................ 2
Table 2-4 Command Directions ......................................................................................... 3
Table 3-1 General Settings ............................................................................................... 5
Table 5-1 Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 8

QUALITROL-HATHAWAY DFR-1200 MASTER PROTOCOL REFERENCE MANUAL ● III

1. Introduction
This manual provides the information required to install and set up a Qualitrol-Hathaway DFR-
1200 master protocol component in an SMP Gateway.
This protocol component is used to retrieve data from a Qualitrol-Hathaway DFR-1200 device.
The reader must be familiar with the SMP Gateway environment, master protocol concepts and
the Qualitrol-Hathaway DFR-1200 protocol specification before proceeding with this document.
This information can be acquired by reading the following documents:
 DFR 1200 Operation & Service Manual - Appendix D Replay Communications Protocol,
Document No. 408328, Rev. 02, 1995, Hathaway Systems Limited.
 Protocol Common Concepts Reference Manual, S1120-11-1, Cooper Power Systems, LLC.
 SMP Gateway User Manual, S1120-10-1, Cooper Power Systems, LLC.

QUALITROL-HATHAWAY DFR-1200 MASTER PROTOCOL REFERENCE MANUAL ●1

2. Features
This chapter enumerates the features provided by the Qualitrol-Hathaway DFR-1200 master
protocol component.

2.1 Communication
The following communication features are available when interconnecting devices to the
SMP Gateway hardware:

Feature Comment
Serial Port This protocol component supports RS-232 interfaces at bit rates of
up to 19,200 b/s.
Passthrough This protocol component allows passthrough connections. Note that
Connections it is necessary to suspend IED activity to do so.

Table 2-1 Communication Features

2.2 Supported Commands

The following table enumerates the commands currently supported by the master protocol
component, along with their respective expected answers:

Type Direction Description

A C Directory Request command
A A Directory Request answer
C C Record Request command
C A Record Request answer
F D Clock Set command
F A Clock Set answer

Table 2-2 Supported Commands

A DFR-1200 command/answer block is defined as a combination of a type and a direction. The

type defines the nature of the data exchanged. The following table outlines the command types
used in the protocol component.

Type Description
A Directory
C Record
F Clock

Table 2-3 Command Types

The type defines the nature of the work that will be executed on the exchanged data. The
following table lists the directions used in the protocol component.

Direction Description
C Request

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 Direction Description
D Set
A Answer

Table 2-4 Command Directions

2.2.1 Device Data Retrieval

The Directory Request command is used to retrieve the list of the latest Digital Fault Records
produced by the device. This list is analyzed by the protocol component, which can then retrieve
the records it has not retrieved yet.
The Record Request command is used to retrieve the Digital Fault Records produced by the
device. These records are stored as files, as they are received from the device. Record files have
their own timestamp.
2.2.2 Device Control
Except for the Clock Set command, the Qualitrol-Hathaway DFR-1200 master protocol component
does not support any device control requests.

QUALITROL-HATHAWAY DFR-1200 MASTER PROTOCOL REFERENCE MANUAL ●3

3. Configuration Settings
This chapter enumerates the configuration settings to be specified for each Qualitrol-Hathaway
DFR-1200 master protocol component instance. The SMP Config software program is generally
used to define these settings.
Only the settings specific to the Qualitrol-Hathaway DFR-1200 protocol are described here. The
settings common to all master protocol components are described in the Cooper Power Systems
document entitled Protocol Common Concepts Reference Manual.

3.1 General Settings

Every instance of this master protocol component contains general settings, which set the
general behavior of the component. The following table shows the general setting that are
specific to the Qualitrol-Hathaway DFR-1200 master protocol.

Setting Description
Directory Scan Interval The minimum delay, in minutes, between two directory scan cycles.
A value of 0 disables the directory scan feature.
Range: 0 to 10,080 minutes (1 week)
Default value: 60 minutes (1 hour)
Clock Sync Interval The minimum delay, in minutes, between two clock synchronization
cycles. A value of 0 disables the synchronization feature.
Range: 0 to 10,080 minutes (1 week)
Default value: 360 minutes (6 hours)
Device ID A string that designates the device in every command/answer block
exchanged between the protocol component and the device.
Range: 0 to 32 characters
Default value: empty
Protocol ID A string that designates the protocol component in every
command/answer block exchanged between the component and the
device. This string should be unique for each instance.
Range: 0 to 32 characters
Default value: empty
Rx Timeout Timer The number of milliseconds to wait for the remote device response
before attempting any retries. This timer is started after the last
data reception from the remote device.
Setting a short reception timeout may cause the link to operate
erratically (timeout declared even though the response is still
coming). Setting a long reception timeout may cause inefficiencies,
with a considerable amount of bandwidth wasted when
communication errors occur.
Range: 100 to 30,000 milliseconds
Default value: 5000 milliseconds

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 Setting Description
Rx Retry Count The number of consecutive times a bad response (or no response)
must be received before a communications failure is declared and
an attempt is made to re-initialize the link.
Range: 0 to 10
Default value: 9

Table 3-1 General Settings

QUALITROL-HATHAWAY DFR-1200 MASTER PROTOCOL REFERENCE MANUAL ●5

4. Implementation Details
4.1 Startup Sequence
The protocol component does the following on startup:
 Parses the configuration file.
 Initializes the various logs, traces and statistics.
 Initializes the communications link.
 Starts the scan cycle.

4.2 Scan Cycle

The protocol component manages the device polling cycle according to the following principles:
 The protocol is half duplex.
 The device never sends data without having first received a request for data.
 Each request, answer and data block is sent according to the XMODEM-1K protocol rules for
synchronization, data encapsulation and reception acknowledge.

An XMODEM-1K block is valid only if:

 It arrives within the configured time limit.
 It begins with an SOH character (0x01).
 It has the correct block number and number inverse.
 It has the correct checksum.

Each request should be answered. Directory and Record Request answers can be followed by the
reception of data blocks. The Clock Set answer must be followed by the transmission of a
synchronization block to the device.

The Qualitrol-Hathaway DFR-1200 response processing rules are:

 A block or character received is valid only if it arrives within the configured time limit.
 Block format must be coherent and as expected.
 The answer block must match the request block.
 The same block is re-issued if a NAK character (or nothing) is received from the device, up to
the number of retry counts configured.
 A NAK character must be sent to device for each invalid block received, up to the number of
retry counts configured.

Whatever the reason, the link is reset from scratch if too many consecutive bad reception are
received, too many being the number of retry counts configured.

Link initialization occurs under the following circumstances:

 The SMP Gateway is being restarted.
 The communication link is being reset due to too many consecutive errors of any type.

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 Once the link has been initialized, and as long as it remains active, a regular scanning cycle is
performed on a continuous basis. Note that the link is not considered active until a valid response
is received from the device.

The regular scanning cycle is as follows:

 If the Clock Sync Interval has passed, a Clock Set command is sent to the device.
 If the Directory Scan Interval has passed, a Directory Request command is sent to the
device.

QUALITROL-HATHAWAY DFR-1200 MASTER PROTOCOL REFERENCE MANUAL ●7

5. Troubleshooting
The following table enumerates solutions to common problems experienced with the Qualitrol-
Hathaway DFR-1200 master protocol component.

Problem Solution
The SMP Gateway is This problem can be due to one of the following:
not communicating  One of the reasons discussed in the Protocol Common Concepts
with my device. Reference Manual.
 Device addressing problem: The configured Device ID general
setting does not match the one configured in the device.
 Clock synchronization and directory scanning have been
disabled. The protocol component is inactive.

Record files are This problem can be due to one of the following:
available on my  One of the reasons discussed in the Protocol Common Concepts
device, but are never Reference Manual.
downloaded.
 Directory scanning has been disabled.

Table 5-1 Troubleshooting

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