QR450 Trio Radio

[Tyrone19]

Hi community- Does anyone have any info on how to set up QR450 radios – 1 x Gen 2 & 1 x Gen 1. in Qam mode with IP routing. I have upgraded both to the latest firmware – 2.5.0.7859

For now im just trying to get coms working- one radio connect to my PC, other over-air.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Thank you

[BevanWeiss · Accepted solution]

It's been a little while since I last set this up, but I don't remember it being too tricky.

What is your IP subnetting plan?

If you have two radios, then you need three subnets.

1. Radio WAN

2. Radio #1 LAN

3. Radio #2 LAN

and you will need to setup the IP addresses for both the LAN and WAN of each radio correctly for the subnets.

Then set up some routes.

Radio #1

1. Radio #2 LAN should go via Radio #2 WAN IP

2. Radio #1 likely needs a default route outbound also (through LAN router etc)

Radio #2

1. Radio #1 LAN should go via Radio #1 WAN IP

2. if you want default routes, then this would also need to go via Radio #1 WAN IP (unless Radio #2 will also have an outbound connection available from its own LAN)

[Tyrone19]

Thanks for this I will try this config with my client,

[Joel_Weder · Accepted solution]

Having a mix of Gen I and Gen II radios should not be a concern for your system. The primary differences on the newer radio are the physical size, the added (optional) Rx-only port, and the two digital I/O points. The Gen I radios will take the same firmware and configuration as Gen II.

We have a series of instructional videos on the Schneider Electric Youtube channel. This one may be most appropriate:

Trio Q Data Radio – IP Routing Benefits & Configuration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sot8NgDrusw

The Trio Q data radio user manual also includes a lot of information on setting up a network when using IP Routing mode. If you don't have the manual, it's very useful !!  It is installed along with all other Trio manuals when you install the TView+ Management Suite software. (which can be used for remote and local diagnostics of Q radios, and remote firmware upgrading)

If you don't have the software,  you can get it here:

- Go to se.com, then select the Products menu

- In the big list that appears, in the Industrial Automation area, select Telemetry and Remote SCADA Systems

- Scroll down and select the Trio Licensed Radios, then select the Software and Firmware section

- TView should be the first item listed.

[Tyrone19]

Thanks so much for this.

How would we set this up on GeoSCADA though? – Should I set the Q Channel address type to Network rather than TCP/IP under the radio connection Tab?

[Joel_Weder]

In IP Routing mode you will specify the LAN IP address of each remote device you wish to communicate with, and the radios will route the message using the routing rules. With Geo SCADA, as you most likely have multiple remote devices to communicate with, you will set the channel connection type to Network. Then, as you add each remote device (eg RTU or PLC, or even a radio for its own diagnostic  information), you will specify its IP address on the Network tab of that outstation.

For more detailed assistance with Geo SCADA, I suggest you post those questions in the Geo SCADA forum on this same website. The group there is very active and knowledgeable.

[Tyrone19]

Thank you, I'm implementing with my client tomorrow I will pass through feedback.

[BevanWeiss]

If using a radio as a gateway into a radio network, it can get a little tricky.

You have a few options:

1. Use the radio as the default gateway for the operating system running your GeoSCADA Expert server, and then all packets for remote networks (i.e. your telemetry sites) will go via that radio.  This is normally not desired however, since you will already have an IT administered gateway device.

2. Configure some static routes in the operating system running your GeoSCADA Expert server.  These static routes should be such that you can reach your telemetry sites via the radio gateway.

Setting up your IP subnets is the most difficult part.  If you get it wrong, you will suffer for a long time with having to make complicated and numerous static routes.

Generally the easiest approach is to cut out an entire high level subnet for telemetry. i.e. 10.1.x.x\16

Then you can have something like 10.1.0.x\24 as being your radio WAN subnet... and you'd have room for 254 sites.

Site #1 would be 10.1.1.x\24, the radio on this site would be LAN 10.1.1.1, and WAN 10.1.0.1

Site #254 would be 10.1.254.x\24, the radio on this site would be LAN 10.1.254.1, and WAN 10.1.0.254

If you need more sites, but have less things on each site, then you can use smaller subnets than \24

I've got a customer that uses \28 for radio sites, which allows for 13 devices (+radio), normally that's more than enough... but I find my brain handles the maths better if I use nice full \n*8 subnets

[Tyrone19]

Thanks so much, I was to solve the issues faced and was able to communictae to GeoSCADA.

Thanks