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DNT900 - 08/16/10
7.0 Troubleshooting
DNT900 not responding - make sure SLEEP/DTR is not asserted (logic low) to bring the radio out of
sleep mode.
Can not enter protocol mode - make sure the host data rate is correct. The DNT900 defaults to 9.6 kb/s. If
using the EnterProtocolMode command, send the complete protocol format for this command.
A remote never detects carrier (DCD) - check that the base is running, and that the remote InitialNwkID
parameter is the same as the base, or is set to 0xFF. If a remote is operating near the base (less than 6 ft
or 2 m), be sure the transmitter power setting on both the base and remote is set to 1 mW. If the remote is
operating far from the base, be sure the transmitter power setting on the base and remote is adequate for
communication. Also make sure that the security keys are the same.
Carrier is detected, but no data appears to be received - make sure that RTS is asserted to enable re-
ceive character flow. Make sure the RF transmit power is not on a high settings if the nodes are close
together.
Range is extremely limited - this is usually a sign of a poor antenna connection or the wrong antenna.
Check that the antenna is firmly connected. If possible, remove any obstructions near the antenna.
Transmitting terminal flashes (drops) CTS occasionally - this indicates that the transmit buffer is filling up.
This most often is caused by using a higher serial port data rate than RF data rate. Adjusting the protocol
parameters may increase the network efficiency.
7.1 Diagnostic Port Commands
FSTAT <option> - enables a frequency-ordered channel activity status log.
Available options are:
0 - off
1 - on
For either a base or remote, FSTAT shows the DataTx (data packet transmitted), AckRx (ACK received)
and RegRx (registration or renewal request or reply received) activity status on each frequency with
ASCII characters as follows:
‘.’ (0x2E) - no activity
‘1’ (0x31) - DataTx activity only
‘2’ (0x32) - AckRx activity only
‘3’ (0x33) - DataTx and AckRx activity
‘4’ (0x34) - RegRx activity only
‘5’ (0x35) - DataTx and RegRx activity
‘6’ (0x36) - AckRx and RegRx activity
‘7’ (0x37) - DataTx, AckRx and RegRx activity