GETTING STARTED| CONFIGURATION | OPERATION |
To connect to a Web Interface site, enter the IP address or domain name of the Web Interface in the address bar of your web browser. The IP address is first set up during initial configuration.. The IP address can later be changed using Internet Explorer, or again using HyperTerminal as described during Initial Configuration.
When the login screen appears, enter your user name and password and click the Login button. If this is the first time anyone has logged in to the Web Interface, use the Admin user account and the password you set up during initial configuration. You will be able to add new users after you log in.
Note: The GSC/VRC Web Interface supports multi-client capability, allowing up to 10 simultaneous connections from Internet Explorer, Lynx, or a combination of the two.
After you log in, the Default View is the first screen displayed. It may take a few moments to load, and the progress bar at the top of the screen will appear as alarm data is downloaded.
The Web Interface default view displays metering values, status conditions, command buttons, and macros for each VRC2500 or GSC3000 I/O unit connected at the site, one I/O unit at a time. Each I/O unit has a dedicated page in the Web Interface, and you can change the unit being viewed by selecting from the drop down list in the upper right corner of the screen. The top left of each page displays the site name and unit name.
Note: If you are using the Web Interface to connect to a VRC2500 unit, only one unit selectable from the drop-down list (the main VRC2500 I/O unit).
The links at the top right of the page allow users with appropriate privileges to access configuration options. Click the Default View link from any configuration screen to return to the main display.
IMPORTANT! Your computer’s screen resolution affects the amount of information that can be displayed on the screen without scrolling. Burk Technology recommends a minimum 1024x768 screen resolution, with the browser window maximized or displayed in full-screen mode (press F11).
In the default view, metering and status channel readings are displayed in rows with the channel name and number next to the corresponding meter reading and status condition. The site data is updated automatically, keeping the onscreen readings accurate without having to refresh the page.
Background colors in each meter value and the colors of the LED status indicators are determined by the I/O unit configuration, which is set up in Lynx and stored on the I/O units. See the GSC3000 or VRC2500 Instruction Manual for more details.
Readings for sixteen channels are displayed at once. If you have a GSC3000 operation with more than one I/O unit installed, use the links at the top right of the screen to select the unit containing the desired channels.
Note: The values shown for each metering channel are displayed based on the calibration constant set up in Lynx and stored on the VRC2500 or GSC3000 itself. If the calibration needs to be changed, use the Lynx 5 software to connect to the site and edit the calibration for the desired unit and channel (see the GSC3000 or VRC2500 manual for more information). To view the newly calibrated values, use the Refresh feature in your browser.
Command buttons are positioned next to the meter and status readings for each channel, and clicking on the command button results in a contact closure on the associated channel. Commands issued from the Web Interface respond to the command durations that were set up in Lynx and saved to the I/O unit. Command buttons will not appear if no command label has been assigned in Lynx.
Click the appropriate button to issue the desired command. Users with to “Observer” privileges are not able to issue commands.
Located beneath the metering and status channel readings, the macro table shows all the macros stored on the selected I/O unit. Macro buttons will not appear if no macro has been created in Lynx and stored on the I/O unit.
To run a macro, click the button corresponding to the desired macro. Users with “Observer” privileges are not able to run macros.
Grouped with the navigation links at the top right of the screen, the alarms link notifies users of any alarms at the site. The link reads NO ALARMS PENDING when there are no alarms to report. When alarms are present, an alarm bell icon appears and the link reports the number of current alarms. The number is a running tally of all alarms at the site, and the unit will increment as each new alarm is reported. If alarms are reported that have not yet been viewed in the alarms window, the link will indicate that “NEW” alarms are pending.
Note: While the default view shows metering, status and command channels for only the selected I/O unit, the alarms link reports the number of current alarms for the entire site. This allows operators to receive alarm notifications for all units, even though only one is displayed.
To view alarms, click the alarms link. Alarms are displayed in a new window.
To clear alarms, select the desired unit from the drop-down list and then click the Clear Alarms for Selected Unit button.
IMPORTANT! Clearing alarms from the Web Interface permanently erases them from the GSC3000 or VRC2500. Although the alarms are recorded in the Lynx site log, they will no longer be reported by the Web Interface, and they will not be reported via Lynx software or a Voice Interface session.
Email Alarm Notifications
When you specify an SMTP server during the configuration process, email alarm notifications will be sent to all of the email addresses you entered during Email Setup as soon as they are received by the Web Interface. You can add, remove or modify the email list by clicking the configuration link at the top of the screen and going to Email setup. System privileges are required to edit the email list.
Note that email notifications are only sent for newly registered alarms. If there are already alarms pending when you connect the Web Interface to the GSC3000 or VRC25000, the preexisting alarms will not be emailed.
When I/O units are toggled from remote to local mode, the Web Interface will disable the command channels and macro functions. Meter and status readings will remain updated, but you will not be able to execute commands. The command and macro buttons will be grayed out as an indication that the selected unit is in local mode.
Commands and macros will automatically become active when the site is returned to Remote mode.
Note: You can only toggle between remote and local mode at the remote site, from the front panel of the I/O units. You cannot use the Web Interface to toggle between remote and local mode.
Disconnecting after a Web Interface session prevents unauthorized access to the site using the browser’s BACK button. To disconnect from the Web Interface, close Internet Explorer or click the Log Out link to return to the login screen.
In addition to web-based site access, the Web Interface supports TCP/IP connections from Lynx 5. This allows a PC running Lynx 5.0 or higher to connect to a GSC3000 or VRC2500 over the LAN or Internet without relying on a serial connection or dedicated computer at the remote site.
There are no Web Interface configuration changes required to make a direct TCP/IP connection with Lynx 5, but you will need to edit the Site settings using the Lynx Site Wizard. If you are setting up the site for the first time, follow instructions in the GSC3000 or VRC2500 manual that shipped with Lynx.
To connect with Lynx through the Web Interface, via TCP/IP:
Connect
to the site and click the Edit Site icon in the toolbar. This opens the Site
Wizard.
In
the Site Wizard, on the Primary Connection and/or Backup Connection screens,
select the “Web Interface” option.
Enter
the IP address of the Web Interface, and verify that the TCP Port matches the
TCP Port you specified during initial configuration. The default TCP port is
4095.
Click
Finish to enter your connection settings.
After you set up the site in Lynx and initiate a connection, the Web Interface will send the GSC3000 or VRC2500 data via TCP/IP to the Lynx 5 computer. Lynx 5 operations using a Web Interface connection are no different from using a serial connection.
Note: The GSC/VRC Web Interface supports a total of ten (10) simultaneous connections, whether the connections are with a web browser, Lynx or a combination of both.