Configuration

Enable data collection

When  Disabled , the connection will remain inactive and all associated tags will remain as Bad-Uninitialized. The default value is set to   Enabled .

Host

Hostname/IP address of the target device.

TCP Port

TCP port number for the connection.

Reconnect delay

Delay before attempting to reopen the connection after a failed attempt, in milliseconds .

Common address size

Determines  the number of bytes (or octets) used for the common address. The default setting is  2 .

• If set to 1 , the valid range for the Common Address is 0 to 254 .

• If set to  2 , the valid range for the Common Address is  0  to  65534 .

Cause of transmission size

This parameter specifies the number of bytes in the Cause of Transmission (COT) field of an IEC 60870-5-104 data packet. It can be  1   or  2  bytes. The second byte represents the originator's address. In this way, when the COT size is  2  it includes the originator address (the address of the IEC 60870 client) in the messages, while the originator address is not included in the messages when the size is set to  1 . The default setting is  2   bytes.

Originator address

This parameter specifies the second byte of the Cause of Transmission (COT) field in an IEC 60870-5-104 data packet . The Originator Address is used to identify the source of the data packet . This is useful in systems with multiple controlling station s, or when there are dual-mode stations that can act as both a master and a slave.   The valid range for the Originator Address parameter is  0  to  254 . The default setting is   0 .

K

The  K   parameter, also known as the maximum unacknowledged transmitted APDUs , defines the maximum number of unconfirmed APDUs transmitted to the other station without waiting for an acknowledgment (ACK) for each APDU. The default setting is   12 . 

• Example: With a K value of 12 , the client can transmit up to 12 APDUs simultaneously without requiring an immediate acknowledgment from the server.

W

The W parameter, also known as the maximum unacknowledged received APDUs , defines the maximum number of APDUs received from the remote station before it is required to send an acknowledgment (ACK) indicating that it has successfully received all the APDUs. This setting works in conjunction with T2 to limit how often the client acknowledges APDUs. The default setting is 8 .

• Example: With a W value of 8 , the client will wait to send an ACK to the server until it has received either 8 unacknowledged APDUs or the T2 timeout period has elapsed. At that point, the client will transmit a supervisory APDU to acknowledge all the received APDUs.

T1

Maximum time to receive the acknowledge message (ACK) to a transmitted APDU (Application Protocol Data Unit). If the ACK is not received within the specified   T1 timeout period , the sender assumes that the APDU has either been lost or corrupted. As a result, the client closes the current connection and initiates a reconnection. The default setting is  15000ms . 

• Example: When the timeout is set to 15000 milliseconds , the server has a maximum window of 15000 ms to acknowledge an interrogation command received from the client, regardless of the command's execution time. Failure to receive an ACK within this timeframe triggers retransmission procedures initiated by the sender.

T2

The   T2  parameter, also known as the APDU acknowledgment timeout , defines the time to wait before sending a supervisory APDU ACK response indicating that it has successfully received the APDU. The default setting is  10000 ms .

• Example : With a timeout set to 10000 ms , the client will defer acknowledging received APDUs from the server until either the T2 timeout has elapsed or the K value has been reached. At that point, the client will send a supervisory APDU to acknowledge the received APDUs.

T3

The  T3  parameter, also known as the idle timeout , defines the maximum amount of time that a communication link can remain idle before a TEST APDU frame is transmitted to verify the connection's integrity. The default setting is  20000 ms .

• Example : With a timeout set to 20000 ms , a test frame will be sent to the server if no APDUs are received within this timeframe. The receipt of any APDUs will reset this timer, ensuring that communication remains active.

T3 timeout

The T3  timeout defines de time to wait for the device to respond to a test frame. If the device does not respond in time, the connection will be terminated. The default setting is 20000 ms .

Enable data collection

Enable or disable data collection on this device. When disabled , no data will be sent to the device and associated tags will remain as Bad - Uninitialized .

Write completion COT

Selects the Cause of Transmission (COT) required to consider a write command or interrogation successfully completed.

• ActTerm (default): The client waits for an Activation Termination. This is the standard behavior required by the IEC specification for Single Commands (C_SC), Double Commands (C_DC), and Interrogations (C_IC).

• ActConf: The client only waits for an Activation Confirmation. Use this setting for non-compliant RTUs that do not send an ActTerm.

This parameter only affects the command types listed above. Analog commands (C_SE) and Bit-string commands (C_BO) are always considered complete after receiving an ActConf because ActTerm is optional for these command types according to the specification.

Note:

The Write completion COT setting is available from N3uron version 1.22.4. It can be configured per device, providing flexibility for RTUs that are not fully compliant with the IEC 60870-5-104 specification.

Common address of ASDU

The Common Address of ASDU parameter, also known as the COA , specifies a unique identifier for the outstation or remote device from which APDUs are received. The valid range is 0 to 254 or 65534 , depending on whether the Common address size setting is set to one or two octets. The default setting is 3 .

Interrogation group

The Interrogation Group (IG) parameter in the IEC 104 protocol defines a logical grouping of data objects within an outstation or remote device. This grouping enables efficient data retrieval by allowing a client or master station to request data from multiple data objects with a single interrogation command.

• General interrogation.

• Interrogation group 1-16 .

Rate

Sets the rate at which interrogation APDUs are sent to the outstation. The default value is 60000ms.

Enabled

When Disabled , tags won't be updated with the values received from the server, but instead, will essentially act as memory tags. When set to Enabled , the tag value will be continuously updated with the values received. The default value is set to Disabled .

Module type

The type of the module used to retrieve the tag's value, quality and timestamp.

Module name

Name of the module instance used to obtain the tag's value, quality and timestamp.

Device

Devices are specified using the format <channel>/<device_name> . Ensure the device is created and configured within the IEC104 Client module connections. For example, to connect to an IEC104 field device with channel name Channel01 and device name Device01 , use Channel01/Device01 .

Read IOA

Specifies the Information Object Address (IOA) used to retrieve data for this tag. The IOA uniquely identifies a specific data object within an outstation or remote device. By assigning a separate Read IOA, the system can independently receive feedback, enabling more efficient data management and clearer monitoring of data retrieval processes.

Note:

Read IOA setting is available starting from N3uron version 1.21.11.

Single point

• Represents binary information, indicating a simple on/off or true/false state.

• Includes quality descriptor and Cause of Transmission ( COT ).

Single command

• A command type that allows the client to write a binary value, representing a simple on/off or true/false state.

• The tag property for Client access must have read/write RW   permissions.

Note:

Single command data type is available starting with N3uron version 1.21.11. In earlier versions, this data type was included within the Single Point data type.

Double point

• Represents binary information with two bits, known as Double Point Information (DPI). The states are defined as follows:

  • 00 (0) Indeterminate state or intermediate state.

  • 01 (1) Determined state OFF .

  • 10 (2) Determined state ON .

  • 11 (3) Indeterminate state.

• This encoding allows for a more nuanced representation of states beyond simple on/off.

• Includes quality descriptor and Cause of Transmission ( COT ).

Double command

• A command type that allows the client to write binary information using two bits, known as Double Point Information (DPI). The states are defined as follows:

  • 00 (0) Indeterminate state or intermediate state.

  • 01 (1) Determined state OFF .

  • 10 (2) Determined state ON .

  • 11 (3) Indeterminate state.

• The tag property for Client access must have read/write RW permissions.

Note:

Double command data type is available starting with N3uron version 1.21.11. In earlier versions, this data type was included within the Double Point data type.

Step position

• Represents discrete positions within a defined range.

• Includes quality descriptor, Cause of Transmission ( COT ) and In-transit flag

  Note:

  Write operations for this data type are not supported.

Bit String

• It is a sequence of bits (up to 32 bits ) used for transmitting multiple binary signals simultaneously.

• Includes quality descriptor and Cause of Transmission ( COT ).

Bit String command

• A command that allows the client to write a sequence of up to 32 bits , enabling the simultaneous transmission of multiple binary signals.

• The tag property for Client access must have read/write RW permissions.

Note:

Bit String command data type is available starting with N3uron version 1.21.11. In earlier versions, this data type was included within the Bit String data type.

Normalized value

• It is used for representing measured values in a normalized format, ranging from -1 to +1 .

• Includes quality descriptor and Cause of Transmission ( COT ).

Normalized value command

• A command that allows the client to write measured values in a normalized format ranging from -1 to +1 .

• The tag property for Client access must have read/write RW permissions.

Note:

Normalized value command data type is available starting with N3uron version 1.21.11. In earlier versions, this data type was included within the Normalize value data type.

Scaled value

• Represents measured values that are scaled to a specific range. It is a 16-bit integer with values ranging from -32768 to +32767 .

• Includes quality descriptor and Cause of Transmission ( COT ).

Scaled value command

• A command that allows the client to write measured values as 16-bit integers scaled to a specific range -32768 to +32767 .

• The tag property for Client access must have read/write RW permissions.

Note:

Scaled value command data type is available starting with N3uron version 1.21.11. In earlier versions, this data type was included within the Scaled value data type.

Floating point

• Represents measured values using IEEE 754 standard floating-point representation .

• Includes quality descriptor and Cause of Transmission ( COT ).

Floating point command

• A command that allows the client to write measured values using the IEEE 754 standard floating-point representation .

• The tag property for Client access must have read/write RW permissions.

Note:

Floating point command data type is available starting with N3uron version 1.21.11. In earlier versions, this data type was included within the Floating point data type.

Value

Reads the current value of the data point.

Cause of transmission (COT)

Reads the reason for the transmission of this APDU .

Qualifier (Invalid)

Reads the invalid bit of the qualifier, indicating whether the value is valid ( 0 ) or invalid ( 1 ) due to abnormal conditions.

Qualifier (Not topical)

Reads the not topical bit of the qualifier, indicating whether the value is current ( 0 ) or outdated ( 1 ) .

Qualifier (Substituted)

Reads the substituted bit of the qualifier, indicating whether the value is from the original source ( 0 ) or substituted ( 1 ).

Qualifier (Blocked)

Reads the blocked bit of the qualifier, indicating whether the value is available ( 0 ) or blocked ( 1 ).

In transit flag

Reads the value of the In transit flag of the data point, which is the 8th bit of the step position value. It indicates whether the position is changing ( 1 ) or stable ( 0 ).

Value (Raw)

Reads the raw value received from the server. This includes the whole byte, which consists of the first seven bits representing the value and the 8th bit representing the In-transit flag .

Qualifier (Overflow)

Reads the overflow bit of the qualifier, indicating if an overflow has occurred.

Value (Normalized)

Reads the value of the data point after calculating the normalized value.

Value (Raw)

Reads the raw value received from the server before calculating the normalized value.

Qualifier (Overflow)

Reads the overflow bit of the qualifier, indicating if an overflow has occurred.

Qualifier (Overflow)

Reads the overflow bit of the qualifier, indicating if an overflow has occurred.

Value

This allows you to access and read the value of a specific bit within the 32-bit string. You need to specify the bit position ( 0-31 ) to read its current value.

Value (Raw)

Accesses the entire 32-bit string, allowing for both reading of the complete set of bits in one operation.

Qualifier (Overflow)

Reads the overflow bit of the qualifier, indicating if an overflow has occurred.

Write mode

• Direct Operate: Sends the command directly to the outstation for execution.

• Select-Before-Operate (SBO): Sends a Select command first and sends the Operate command only after the selection is successfully confirmed by the outstation.

Note:

The tag property for Client access must have read/write RW permissions.

Write IOA

Specifies the Information Object Address (IOA) used to send commands. A separate Write IOA can be configured when the outstation uses a different IOA to provide read feedback. This enables commands to be sent through the Write IOA while feedback is received through the configured Read IOA.

Pulse type

Specifies the pulse type applied when writing Single Commands and Double Commands.

• Unspecified: No additional definition is included in the control ASDU, allowing the outstation to use its default setting. This option may not be supported by all field devices.
  

  Note:

  This option may not be supported by all field devices.

• Short pulse: The control ASDU includes a Short Pulse Quality of Control (QoC).

• Long pulse: The control ASDU includes a Long Pulse Quality of Control (QoC).

• Persistent: The control ASDU includes Persistent QoC. The output remains in the specified state until a new command is received.

Note:

The pulse durations associated with Short pulse and Long pulse are defined by the outstation configuration.