General communication status

The communication status for each network, device and frame is available when selecting the corresponding folder in the configuration tree. Show picture

The following information is displayed.

State - The overall communication state of the item.
General status - The communication general status (formerly status word).
Driver status - The communication driver-specific status (formerly complementary status word). Most drivers only provide specific status information for frames. See the help for the driver in use for detailed information.
Failed requests - The number of requests that sent while the device is out of service.
Errors - The number of request attempts with no valid data returned by the device (typically requests completed by a time-out or an exception code was received).
Read requests/sec - The number of read requests per second.
Write requests/sec - The number of write requests per second.

The error counters display the number of failed frame requests and the number of sending attempts. For more information on how failed frame requests are managed see the topic Message exchange mechanisms in PcVue.

The frame counters show the number of failures for each frame.
The device counters show the number of failures for all frames of that device .
The network counters show the number of failures for all frames for all devices on that network.

The counters are only reset when the communication is stopped and restarted, or when the counter value rolls over.

Network general status

Code	Reasons	Description
0700	Network started OK	Normal operating condition.
0413	Network did not start properly	Possible causes: Error with the network interface (port does not exist etc.). Incorrect or missing driver DLL file. Incorrect or inconsistent configuration.
0500	Passive server or no active frame on device	Indicates that the network contains a passive server (not actively initiating communication) or that no active frames are being transmitted by a device on the network.

Device general status

Code	Reasons	Description
0700	Device started OK	Normal operating condition.
0701	Error with one or more of the device's frames	Check the frame error codes.
0500	Passive server or no active frame on device	Indicates that the device is functioning as a passive server or is not transmitting active frames on the network.

Frame general status

Code	Reason	Description
a000	Frame OK	Normal for a read or read/write frame.
e000	Frame OK	The frame is being scanned at a rate slower than that specified in the frame configuration. It is likely that there is too much traffic on the network. Reduce either the frame polling periods or the number of frames.
ffff	The frame is not being scanned	The communication is stopped, or no variables are linked to the frame.
8000	Frame OK	Normal for a write only frame.
2025 2085 6025 6085	Frame error	Check the driver status. If the driver status is 0000 then it is probably an exchange time out or no reply. Check that the communication properties configured in PcVue match those of the equipment. Check that the physical connection (cable) is plugged correctly.

About the hexadecimal status

General statuses for which most usual values are given above are actually made up of 16 status bits displayed as four hexadecimal characters.

B15

B14

B13

B12

B11

B10

Fourth digit

Third digit

Second digit

First digit

The network status provides information about the physical connection to the data acquisition network (network interface, can be serial, IP or based on a transport-specific communication board). With most networks, diagnosis at the network level is of little help and so, the status mainly indicates configuration correctness and if the network is started or stopped.
The device status provides information about a specific device on the network. Most drivers do not directly support device diagnostic messages and so, the status mainly indicates configuration correctness and if the device is started or stopped. However, if there is an error with a frame associated with a device this will be reported in the device status.
The frame status provide more information about the communication status as most the information is related to the success or failure of frame requests. In the event of abnormal operation, the frame status is also reported in the Event Viewer (F7).

Each bit in the 16-bit status value plays a critical role in determining the current state of the network, device, or frame. When a bit is set to "1," it indicates that the corresponding status condition is true (e.g., "Device out of service" or "Network out of service"). The combination of these set bits allows for a detailed diagnosis of the system's health. For instance, if multiple bits are set, such as B0 (Fault during last exchange) and B3 (Transmission error), it suggests a communication problem with the device, pointing to potential transmission issues or misconfiguration.

The driver statuses are specific to each driver. Most drivers only provide specific status information for the frame. See the help for the specific driver in use for detailed information.

The next sections provides the exact meaning for each set status bit.

Interpretation of the network general status

The following table provides help for interpreting the bit values of the network general status.

Bit	Reason	Interpretation
B0	Network out of service	The network is currently unavailable or disconnected. No communication can take place with the network.
B1	Network initialization error	The network initialization process failed. The network is not properly configured or has an issue at startup.
B2	Network shutdown error	The network has been shut down unexpectedly, or there is a problem preventing it from shutting down properly.
B3	Network maintenance error	A failure occurred during network maintenance, preventing the network from entering or completing maintenance mode.
B4	Fault during last command	An error occurred while executing the last network command.
B5	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B6	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B7	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B8	Network operational	The network is functioning normally and is ready to support communication.
B9	Repetitive actions active on the network	Frequent requests or commands are currently active on the network.
B10	Repetitive actions allowed on the network	Frequent requests or commands are allowed to be performed on the network.
B11	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B12	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B13	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B14	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B15	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.

Interpretation of the device general status

The following table provides help for interpreting the bit values of the device general status.

Bit	Reason	Interpretation
B0	Device out of service	The device is currently unavailable or disconnected within the network. No communication can take place with the device.
B1	Device unavailable	The device cannot be accessed, either due to a failure or configuration issue preventing communication with the device.
B2	Device initialization error	The device initialization process failed, meaning it could not be set up or configured correctly within the network.
B3	Device shutdown error	The device has encountered an error during shutdown, preventing it from powering down or disconnecting properly.
B4	Fault during last command	An error occurred during the last operation or command sent to the device, preventing successful execution.
B5	Broadcast device	This device is functioning as a broadcast device, responsible for sending out data to other devices or systems.
B6	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B7	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B8	Device operational	The device is functioning normally and is ready to perform its designated tasks or operations.
B9	Repetitive actions active on the device	Frequent requests or commands are currently active on the device.
B10	Repetitive actions allowed on the device	Frequent requests or commands are allowed to be performed on the device.
B11	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B12	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B13	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B14	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B15	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.

Interpretation of the frame general status

The following table provides help for interpreting the bit values of the frame general status.

Bit	Reason	Interpretation
B0	Fault during the last exchange	There was a failure during the last exchange on this frame. If set frequently without bits B3, B4 or B5 also set, it indicates that the device time-out has been set too short.
B1	Network out of service	The device time-out to one of the network devices has been exceeded.
B2	Equipment out of service	No correct replies received from the device.
B3	Transmission error	An error has been detected on the line. Depending on the driver, more information may be reported in the driver status.
B4	Protocol error	An error has been detected in the protocol. Depending on the driver, more information may be reported in the frame driver status.
B5	Error reported by equipment	Depending on the driver, more information may be reported in the device driver status.
B6	Network error	Depending on the driver, more information may be reported in the network driver status.
B7	Exchange time out	No response received, the frame request timed-out.
B8	Application command queue	Too many on-demand exchanges to be executed at a time - the number of 64 stored commands for a network has been exceeded. The last command will be lost.
B9	Auto scan command queue full.	Too many auto scan exchanges to be executed at a time - the number of 64 stored commands for a network has been exceeded. The last exchange command will be lost.
B10	Priority command queue full.	Too many priority exchanges to be executed at a time; the number of 20 stored commands for a network has been exceeded. The last exchange command will be lost.
B11	Not used	This bit is reserved for future use or not applicable to the current device status interpretation.
B12	Last command is still being processed.	The previous exchange command is still in the queue or is in course of execution.
B13	Auto scan active	Indicates that the system is actively performing automatic scanning or polling of devices to collect data or monitor their status at regular intervals.
B14	Auto scan exchange already present in the queue.	It is normal for this bit to be set occasionally. If set permanently, the scan period for this frame is too small. The request then remains constantly in the queue and the scan period may not be maintained.
B15	Refreshed image table	This table has been read in the device. A value has been changed since the last scan and the result of the read is stored in the table.