PROJECT : PROBLEM :

RAYALASEEMA UNIT: 3 TROUBLE SHOOTING COMMUNICATION OF maxDNA NETWORK

During the start up of maxDNA for first commissioning at RTPP Unit 3, it was found the Digital Processing Units (DPUs) were not communicating with max Stations and vice versa thru max Net. Initially the doubt was on the cable crimping. We have checked the continuity of cable and the sequence using network cable tester. Network cable tester is a device that checks the continuity and sequence of cable in a Un-Shielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable connection. It has got a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter sends the signal on one wire at a time and does it cyclically for all eight wires. The receiver on sensing the signal, glows the corresponding LED. We have decided to check the cable pairing, since it could be a potential cause for communication failure. Though there are four pairs inside the UTP cable, only 2 pairs are used in a straight thru cable. The details are in the figure-1.

Figure - 1 Of this TX+ and TX- uses one pair, which is White/Orange and Orange and RX+ and RX- pair uses the White/Green and Green. On inspection at the network cable connector the connections were found as in figure-2.

Figure-2

The combination used for Receiver was White/Blue for RX+ (pin no:3) and Green for RX-.(pin no:6) since they belong to different pairs, this would have caused cross talk or electrical interference resulting in failure of communication. This mistake in cable pair was existing in all UTP cable connectors and the same was corrected by re-crimping the UTP cables as per TIA-EIA 568 B standard (Figure-1). After re-crimping, communication was established in maxNet and the boiler light up was done as per plan from maxStation. Note: It is not necessary that a transmitter pair should always use Orange pair or Green pair for Receiver. We can use any other pair for transmitter, like Green for Transmitter and Orange for Receiver or any other combination, provided the same pair is used in the other side of cable also. But as a Standard Orange pair is used for Transmitter and Green pair for Receiver. More details about network cabling could be Z:\Utilities\Switch_Mgmt in the maxDNA installation CD. found at