Troubleshooting PakBus Communications

Problem: LoggerNet can’t communicate with in-range PakBus datalogger

(PC-RF401A-----RF401A-CR1000X-----RF401A-CR1000X)

  • Possible reason 1: LoggerNet’s PakBus Address for datalogger doesn’t match datalogger’s PakBus Address.

    Remedy 1: Make them match.

  • Possible reason 2: An RF401A-series radio is set to a different RF Hop Sequence, RF Network, or Power Mode.

    Remedy 2: Set all radios exactly the same in the above parameters.

Problem: LoggerNet can’t communicate via datalogger-router to a certain remote datalogger.

(PC-RF407-----RF407-CR1000X-----RF407-CR1000X-----CR300-R407

  • Possible reason 1: A datalogger router has insufficient Communication Allocation configured.

    Remedy 1: Increase the Communication Allocation

  • Possible reason 2: Last datalogger router has no means configured of discovering the remote datalogger.

    Remedy 2: Configure the datalogger router with either Allowed Neighbors or a Beacon Interval. Make sure Allowed Neighbors include the remote datalogger’s address. Whether you set up a Beacon Interval or Allowed Neighbors make sure the port so configured matches the communications device port configuration. For example, if the selected Allowed Neighbor port is CSDC7, make sure that the RF407 Active Interface is “CSDC7.”

  • Possible reason 3: An RF407 radio is set to a different RF Hop Sequence, Network ID, or Power Mode.

    Remedy 3: Set all network radios exactly the same in the above parameters. Dataloggers automatically detect the RF407’s port (Active Interface) for packet communications, however, the Allowed Neighbor port or Beacon Interval port must be configured to match the RF407’s Active Interface, or no discovery of neighbors will take place.

  • Possible reason 4: The two routers in the path to the CR300 have Allowed Neighbors and at least one of the Allowed Neighbors doesn’t list the other as a potential neighbor.

    Remedy 4: If you have two in-range routers using Allowed Neighbors, in order for them to discover one another you must list each of them as a potential neighbor in the other’s Allowed Neighbors.

Problem: Rapid spurious communications lasting a few seconds at a time between devices in RF4 network.

  • Possible reason: Two network devices have the same PakBus Address.

    Remedy: Change one of the duplicate PakBus addresses. Make all addresses unique throughout the network.