Configuration - Diagnostics

The Diagnostics tab displays a visual representation of the Cloud Node(s) and controller device(s), by connection type, that are attached to the system.

The image below displays a Cloud Node WIMAC connection, listed as ProWireless, and the connected WiMac Controllers. The color codes for each Controller display the relative signal strength when communicating to either the Cloud Node or the next Controller in the mesh network towards the Cloud Node. 

Hovering the cursor over a Controller will display the Controller's connection information.

Short Address - Similar to a local IP address; used if needed to define a Personal Area Network, dividing devices into different networks.

Full Address - The MAC address of the WiMac module on the Controller.

Average RTT - Average RTT or Round-Trip Time is the time in milliseconds for a communication request to be sent from a selected WIMAC device to the Cloud Node/Gateway or next WIMAC device on the path to the Coordinator and then back to the selected Controller.

If the Controller is more than one jump from the Cloud Node on the mesh network, the Average RTT for each jump to the Cloud Node will need to be added together to determine the combined communication delay.

Average Retries - This is the number of retries required to establish communication from the Controller to the Cloud Node or next Controller in the mest network connection to the Cloud Node.

Failure Rate - The percentage of failed communication attempts for the selected Controller recently. 0 indicates no failure; 1 is 100% failure.

For optimal communication, the following recommendations can help to troubleshoot WiMac communication issues.

• Average RTT - The lower this value is, the better. For example, a combined value over 1000 equals a 1-second delay in communication.
• Average Retries - The lower this value is, the better.
• Failure Rate - Any value above 0 means significant communication interference will need to be identified and resolved.

The connecting lines between the Cloud Node and Controllers or between different Controllers on the mesh network show the communication pathing for the Controllers. Hovering the mouse cursor over these connection lines will display a general representation of the strength of the wireless signal. This value will range from 0 to 255, with 255 being the best and strongest possible signal.

Links Test

To understand how the Links Test function in the Diagnostics tab works, an understanding of how the WiMac mesh network is required. After the WiMac connections between the Cloud Node and Controllers are established, the Cloud Node will periodically send two different commands to the connected Controllers: a ping command and a command to optimize the mesh network connections. Every few minutes, the ping command will be sent from the Cloud Node, confirming if the Controller is still online. Every other ping command is followed by the command to optimize the mesh network. This command makes every controller determine the optimal connection path back to the Cloud Node. This optimization is determined by the WIMAC module firmware and balances the WIMAC signal strength, ping times, and number of devices between the WIMAC device and the Cloud Node.

Clicking the Start Links Test button will begin sending the mesh optimization command every second.  This can cause the connection lines between devices to change and on Cloud Node systems with moderate to large numbers of WIMAC devices, this can cause device communications issues if allowed to run for more than a brief time.

Clicking the Stop Links Test will end the device connection test.