FAQ sensorProbe

• How much sensor-data could my sensorprobe2 / sensorProbe8 store and how long will be the data stored?

The sensorProbe2 and sensorProbe8 monitoring hardware have integrated datalogger memory for storage of the collected sensor data. The built-in sensorProbe2 and sensorProbe8 memory can save approx. 8,600 points per attached intelligent sensor. If you set the period of sensor data collection in sensorprobe`s web-interface for a period of every 15 minutes, the sensorProbe2 and sensorProbe8 remote monitoring devices can save and store up to approx. 3 months of data. When the capacity internal sensor memory is reached, the oldest measurement data will be overwritten. Of course you can easily export the measured data of intelligent sensors.

• Where do I find the MAC address of the sensorProbe and securityProbe device?

You will find the MAC address of the sensorProbe or securityProbe on the bottom cover of the device. If you are logged in on the web interface you will find MAC address under Network Settings Page. You could also identify MAC Address with AKCP IPSet Utility.

• How could I verify the functionality of my sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 remote monitoring unit?

To check the availability of your sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 device, you can activate the Keep Alive function in webinterface to send SNMP traps. You could also adjust the interval of SNMP traps.

• Where do I find the MAC address of the sensorProbe and securityProbe device?

You will find the MAC address of the sensorProbe or securityProbe on the bottom cover of the device. If you are logged in on the web interface you will find MAC address under Network Settings Page. You could also identify MAC Address with AKCP IPSet Utility.

• How could I reset my sensorProbe or securityProbe remote monitoring device to AKCP factory default setting?

You could reset sensorProbe2 / sensorProbe8 or securityProbe ack to factory default settings with AKCP`s Configure Utility. You will find Configure Utility on your sensorProbe or securityProbe product CD. If you have lost your AKCP CD, please contact the support team of Didactum to send you the Configure tool via eMail.

• How could I update the firmware of my sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 remote monitoring devices?

First download latest firmware update from our AKCP Firmware page. You could also download the firmware directly from manufacturers website. After successful download you will find a zip file on your computer which contains files such a sp-4XX.zip (firmware) , IPSet5.XX.exe (firmware update tool) and Readme.txt (firmware update instructions). Please extract the Zip file on your Desktop. After successful extraction, please connect the crossover cable directly from your computer to the sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 monitoring device. Please start AKCP`s IPSet.exe file which will detect the attached sensorProbe. You could also insert the IP-Address of your sensorProbe manually. If set, the password of your sensorProbe2/8 must also be entered in IPset.exe utility. 

Then click on the Update button which will start the Firmware Update Sequence. That`s all. After successful Firmware Update the sensorProbe2/8 will be restarted.

• How could I save the configuration of my sensorProbe2 (SP2) or sensorProbe8 (SP8)?

If you like to save your sensorProbe2/8 configuration, please take AKCP tool configure3.1.exe or AKCP`s management tool called probeManager1.27.exe. You will find them on your sensorProbe CD. If you do not have your CD, you could download it from our website or contact our support.

• During sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 Firmware Update sequence I get „Bad CRC“ message

If you should get „Bad CRC“ message during sensorProbe2/8 microcode firmware update sequence, please contact Didactum`s support team. Our support team is pleased to help you. Please also transmit us your sensorProbe`s MAC ID and the name of your local dealer.

• How could I update the firmware of my sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 monitoring device over network or internet?

Of course you could upgrade the microcode / firmware of existing sensorProbe2 and sensorProbe8 monitoring appliances over your local network or over web / internet. It`s also very interesting for customers with branch offices how have to monitor unmanned Server rooms and Datacenters. Here we recommend to use AKCP probeManager. Please verify that your firewall or router does not block the needed ports for AKCP Firmware Update. Of course you could also start Firmware Update directly in sensorProbe`s webinterface / WEB-GUI.

If your network connection to your sensorProbe2/8 will fail, the AKCP firmware upgrade sequence will not be started due to security reasons. Your old AKCP Microcode will maintain functional. If you have any questions concerning sensorProbe2/8 firmware, please do not hesitate to contact our support via eMail support(at)didactum.com .

• Is it possible to attach a GSM-modem to my sensorProbe2/8?

Actually the sensorProbe2, sensorProbe8, sensorProbe8-X20 and sensorProbe8X60 do only support SMS notifications via Email-to-SMS Gateway. Please ask your local telephone / mobile phone provider for nearer details. If a GSM-/GPRS- modem for alarms from your data Center is needed, it`s is possible to use an existing computer with GPRS- / GSM-Modem attached, as SMSGateway for your sensorProbe remote security devices. Of course you can use a securityProbe-5E, securityProbe-X20 or securityProbeX60 remote monitoring appliance with a direct attached GPRS- / GSM-Modem. We recommend the GSM-modem bundle DD-SI-GSM for SMS-notification from your DataCenter or Server Room. Please ask our competent AKCP-focus sales team for nearer details.

• Where do I find the MAC address of the sensorProbe and securityProbe device?

You will find the MAC address of the sensorProbe or securityProbe on the bottom cover of the device. If you are logged in on the web interface you will find MAC address under Network Settings Page. You could also identify MAC Address with AKCP IPSet Utility.

• How could I reset my sensorProbe or securityProbe remote monitoring device to AKCP factory default setting?

You could reset sensorProbe2 / sensorProbe8 or securityProbe ack to factory default settings with AKCP`s Configure Utility. You will find Configure Utility on your sensorProbe or securityProbe product CD. If you have lost your AKCP CD, please contact the support team of Didactum to send you the Configure tool via eMail.

• I want to make a remote web reboot of my sensorProbe`s web interface with SNMP command.

If you want a remote reboot of the web interface of your sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 you could use following SNMP command:

snmpset -m all -v 1 -c <community> <IPaddress> .1.3.6.1.4.1.3854.1.2.2.1.106.0 i1

• How could I edit the content of the email alerts which are sent out from my sensorProbe2/8 unit?

The sensorProbe2 and sensorProbe8 have an separate e-mail notification function. You can change content of e-Mail alert with following SNMP command: 

snmpset -m all -v 1 -c <community> <ip address> .1.3.6.1.4.1.3854.1.2.2.1.112.0 I <separate>

<community> is administrator password,

<ip address> is ip address of the unit,

<separate> is for the separate e-mails.

If this value is 1, separate e-mail alert function is activated. Setting it`s value to 0 you do not receive separate e-mails alerts.

• The new gateway IP is not accepted in webinterface of my sensorProbe device. What might be the reason?

Your sensorProbe remote monitoring device will search for your new gateway IP. If sensorProbe does not find new gateway IP, it will revert to default IP address.

• I have problems to connect my sensorProbe2/8 to my email server. What have I done wrong?

If you have problems to connect your sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 to your SMTP Mail Server, please try to insert the IP-address of your Mail Server. If it still not works, please check following points before you contact the support of Didactum®:

• verify IP of your SMTP mail server
• please check that your mail server is responding
• verify that gateway IP is correct
• verify "send mail option" in e-mail settings page of your sensorProbe device
• check that e-mail address is correct and validated in your mail server
• verity that timeout period is entered correctly
• check SSL settings of your mail server

• Is there a temperature sensor inbuilt within the sensorProbe? What is the grill on the top for?

No. We tried to do that when we first designed the sensorProbe. It is much cheaper to have an integrated temperature sensor. That is the purpose of the grill on the top of the box. What we found is that there is no way to stop the heat from the sensorProbe from affecting the temperature sensor; this affect is from 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. What would have been necessary had we proceeded with that design would have been to "tune" out the offset by applying a fudge factor. The problem is that this fudge factor would have had to change depending on the temperature and the operating conditions. So if we add in fudge factor for normal room temperatures it would have to change when there was a problem with the air conditioning and the ambient temperature was higher.

Because of all these reasons, we came up with the external sensors, so that the measurements done by the sensors are accurate and there is no need for calibration.

• My sensorProbe8-X20 has the 20 extra dry contacts, can I configure these as inputs and outputs?

You can generate an output (0VDC/5VDC) using a dry contact sensor on the both the sensorProbe2 and sensorProbe8 on an alarm state, however this is done using one of the 2 or 8 RJ-45 Intelligent sensor ports on these units and not the 20 extra dry contacts. The extra dry contacts on these devices are for input only.

• What is the maximum voltage I can input to the extra dry contacts on the sensorProbe8-X20?

You can input up to 30 Volts DC to the extra dry contacts, as long as you have them configured as opto isolated.

• How do I know if my sensorProbe2, or sensorProbe8 is still working and has a network connection?

You can set the “Keep Alive” feature on the sensorProbe2/8 to send SNMP traps and adjust the interval in which to resend these. This feature is found in the web interface in the Traps tab.

• Can I configure any of my extra dry contacts on my sensorProbe8X20 to be both inputs and Outputs?

No, the 20 extra dry contacts on the sensorProbe8-X20 can only be configured as “inputs”. The single dry contact Intelligent RJ-45 sensor and the IO-digital8 dry contact sensor can be configured as both inputs AND outputs within the unit’s web interface.

• How much voltage and current can be applied to my sensorProbe8X20’s dry contact inputs?

You can input up to 5VDC to the 20 extra dry contact inputs or up to 30VDC if these are configured in the opto isolated mode.

• How many times does the unit read the values of the device connected to the 20 extra dry contact inputs on my sensorProbe8X20 in one second?

We guarantee this read time is 2 times per second, but actuality, it will vary more than that depending on the environment (number of sensors online, request http, send mail etc.).

• What is the maximum run length of the wire when connecting a device up to the extra dry contact inputs on my sensorProbe8-X20?

This really depends on what is connected to the extra dry contact inputs on the unit, so please check with the support team for more information on this.

• Is it possible to send SMS alerts using my sensorProbe?

The sensor probe units only send SNMP traps, or email alerts. However, you can use a third party SMS gateway running on a PC to send these alerts. You can also use our securityProbe 5E, or our securityServer software to send the SMS alerts using a third party GSM modem connected to the USB port.

• I have both the sensorProbe2 and sensorProbe8 units and I recently noticed there is only one firmware update file now. Can I use this compressed file for updating both types of sensorProbes?

Yes, what we did was update the firmware code so that all sensorProbe devices (SP2/8/8-X20) will use the same main firmware update file. Now you will just download a single main file for all of the units.

• I do not find under "Settings" of my sensorProbe8 the function "Web Interface Password Settings"

The sensorProbe8 is based technologically on sensorProbe2 Monitoring System. Starting in October 2009, the sensorProbe2 environmental monitoring devices are equipped with the new mega256 chip. This new chip offers more flash memory so that new features such as separate password entry are possible in webinterface of sensorProbe2. The sensorProbe8 devices are currently still equipped by AKCP with the mega128 chip, so that a separate password entry is currently not available (Status May 2010). As it is on the sensorProbe8 (mega128 chip), the SNMPget (read) and the SNMPset (read\write) community strings are the same. The SNMP read is the User login password and SNMP read\write is the Admin login password.

Once the sensorProbe8 is also equipped with the new mega256 chip, we will publish it immediately in our news section.

• I want to export sensor data of my sensorProbe2 / sensorProbe8 environmental monitoring devices. How could I do that?

The measured values of connected SNMP-enabled sensors of sensorProbe2 / sensorProbe8 could be easily exported to a text file. To do this, please download the AKCP datadownload.exe tool which can be found in our download area. The DOS-based program dataDownload.exe can be used to download sensor data from your SensorProbe2 (SP2) or sensorProbe8 (SP8). The output of the downloaded sensor-data will be stored in a text file. Export the measured sensor values with the AKCP-tool "datadownload.exe" 

The data output text file name includes the IP address of the host, port number and the sensor type being downloaded. For example, 192.168.0.100_p1_temperature.txt is the file name for the data output when downloading the temperature sensor data from IP address 192.168.0.100. Once the datadownload is executed, it will download sensor data from all sensors attached to your sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8.The data output that have been downloaded can be imported with e.g. MS Excel.

How to use dataDownload.exe :

1. Start the program dataDownload. This program has command line options, which could be seen below.

Syntax: datadownload <-i sensorProbeIP> <-p password>

-i sensorProbeIP The IP of sensorProbe to download data from.

-p password The password of the sensorProbe2 / sensorProbe8 (set or get community).

-t Usage of local timezone for timestamp.

-o Data will be overwritten if file exist.

-? Displays usage information.

You will also be prompted for any required options you did not specify.

A typical command line of tool dataDownload is:

dataDownload -i 192.168.0.100 -p public -o

Export the measured sensor values with the AKCP-tool "datadownload.exe"

Optionally, you can use the AKCP tool dataCollectG3.5 ( for Windows OS), which also can be downloaded in the AKCP download area of Didactum ®. The DataCollect tool is used to export data of the sensor readings under MSWindows. Select the desired intelligent Sensor (LINK) in DataCollect to export measured temperature data to a text file. In the menu of the DataCollect tool, just enter the IP address of your sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 and it`s password. In addition, you can individually choose the sensor, which you want to export the collected measurement data.

Alternatively, you could analyse the sensor data of your sensor attached to your sensorProbe2 or sensorProbe8 with Tobi Oeltiker's MRTG tool, which could be download here:

oss.oetiker.ch/mrtg/

Didactum® also recommends a tool called Cacti, which allows a comprehensive graphical analysis of collected sensor data:

www.cacti.net

For all questions relating to query AKCP's IP enabled sensors, please feel free to contact the support-team of Didactum®.

• I receive false-alarms from AKCP smoke sensor attached to my sensorProbe oder securityProbe device. What did I make wrong?

Customers, who have problems with smoke detector attached to sensorProbe or securityProbe remote-monitoring devices, will find a solution in Didactum`s protected download area.

• I want to use the new features of sensorProbe2. How could I check if my sensorProbe2 is equipped with the new mega256 hardware?

The new sensorProbe2 (SP2) features are only visible, if your SP2 (LINK SP2) has a MAC ID that begins with 00-0B-DC-00-XX (where XX is FA, FB, FC, FD, FE, FF, F0, F1, F2, F3, F4, or higher) then you have the new sensorProbe2 (LINK) environmental monitoring device.

Please ensure, that you have installed sensorProbe2 firmware SP406 or higher. If you own an older SP2 monitoring hardware, the new features are not visible in sensorprobe2 web interface. If you want to take advantage of the new sensorProbe2 features, Didactum® offers an easy upgrade option. Please contacts sales(at)didactum(dot) com for more details of sensorProbe2 upgrade.

• My Exchange Server cuts the length of E-Mail notification of my sensorProbe2 / sensorProbe8

If the SP2 and SP8 sends messages via email to an Exchange server and sends these to the mailboxes, the content of email is too long (longer than 160 characters) and will be cut off. Use the tool PRTG Traffic Grapher. So you can customize the text between the interfaces.

• I have a problem with my unit, is there a way I can reset my sensorProbe back to the factor default settings?

Yes, you can use our free utility called “configure” to reset the unit back to the factory default settings. If you do not have the Product CD any longer, you can download this from our web site.

• I have many sensorProbes connected to my network and I don’t want to have to manually update the firmware on each unit. Is there a way to update the firmware on many units at the same time? If so how do I do that?

Yes, you can use our free utility called “probeManager” to update multiple AKCP units that are connected to your network simultaneously. If you not sure how to use the probeManager utility, contact technical support. The probeManager utility has also been added to our securityServer software, so this can be launched and used right from the securityServers GUI. You can also use probeManager to get multiple backup files from the units and also load these backup files back to the units. This can be used for mass deployment of multiple AKCP units (as long as they are the same model of unit).

• Can I use the same version of probeManager and IPSet as I used to use with the previous versions of firmware on my sensorProbe?

No, we have we updated both of these utilities (probeManager and IPSet), so that when you run the new firmware update it will load the correct code for that particular type of unit from the main update file. You can download these updated utilities from our web site.

• How could I identify the MAC ID of my sensorProbe or securityProbe environmental monitoring device?

With OID 1.3.6.1.4.1.3854.1.2.2.1.3.0 you are able to identy the MAC ID of your AKCP monitoring device.

• My 4 year old sensorProbe8 does no longer recognize one connected sensor

My 4 year old sensorProbe8 IT monitoring system does not longer recognize one of the connected sensors. I pull off the sensor of the sensor probe 8, after 10 seconds of the first Disconnect alarm is reported. What should I do?

The authorized AKCP supplier Didactum Ltd. Germany recommends to check first the RJ-45 connector of the sensor. If your AKCP sensor is extended via network cable, please check this cable. Optionally, change the sensor extension cable with another one. Please turn in web interface of sensorProbe8 the affected sensor offline and online again. If sensor still fails to be detected, please insert the sensor to another of the 8 sensor ports and see if this sensor is detected from the other sensor ports. Here, the green LED will veer and the sensor is automatically listed in the sensorProbe8 Web GUI.

If all of these notes did not succeed, the contacts may be polluted by years of operation (dust, condensate etc). Here you separate your sensorProbe8 from the power supply and please take one with isopropyl alcohol (be aware of flammable, regard the warnings of the manufacturer) very lightly moistened Q-Tip and clean the contacts of the sensor and the sensorports. Please ensure that the Isoproyl Alcohol must be evaporated first, before you plug in the sensor. If applicable, please wipe the contacts dry with a clean cloth. After that, the particular sensor and the sensor port of your sensorProbe8 should again work properly.

• How could I get "System Name" of sensorProbe2 via SNMP?

To get the system name of your SP2 just use this command:

snmpget -m all -v1 -c <community> <IPaddress> .1.3.6.1.2.1.1.5.0