FieldPointOPC2.exe Driver & Communication Loss

[srpittman313]

Background/Environment:

Currently I have a legacy hardware system utilizing older FieldPoint FP-1600 ethernet modules with a couple of Discrete Input & Output modules.  I run a custom desktop Visual C++ application which connects to the FieldPoint array through Ethernet via OPC server through the FieldPointOPC2.exe driver.  The application doesn't run LabView or any other auxillary NI software to perform its work.  The desktop computer (HP Proliant DL380 G4) was originally running Windows 2000 and Field Point Explorer to handle configuration.  The computer was replaced with a HP Proliant DL380 G7 server running Windows Server 2008 SP1.  FieldPointExplorer was replaced with MAX 4.1, the application updated for Visual Studio 2008, and we currently still use the FieldPointOPC2.exe driver (version 4.0.1.15).  I believe the driver may be configured to run in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3 but not certain.  I am not certain what firmware level is running on the FP-1600 but is not likely to be the latest.  No NI additional services are running besides NI Configuration Manager.

Problem/Questions:

1. The application seems to have brief periods where a loss of communication to the OPC server occurs.  I suspect this because inputs will seemingly all change state creating warnings/alerts in our application, but very quickly will return to normal operation as if nothing was ever wrong.  The issue occurs very rarely and randomly (maybe once/week) although the system runs almost 24x7 6-days per week.  Network hardware all appears to be ok including cabling.  Is 4.0.1.15 the latest driver version for FieldPointOPC2.exe?  Other forum posts suggest a version 5 may be available but I've had no luck locating it in the online driver packages.
2. Outside of the random loss of communication, I also experience an occasional application exception which I believe may also be tied to the FieldPointOPC2 driver:

Updating the hardware is not readily an option due to funding issues and I'm hesistant to update FP1600 firmware considering their age, availability, and non-supported status from NI.  Any help is greatly appreciated.  

[srpittman313]

I found the following additional information regarding intermittent communication loss for FP-1600 modules from http://www.ni.com/white-paper/4368/en 

The referenced links in the white-paper for checking and obtaining firmware are no longer valid however.  I found version 502 available elsewhere on the NI site to try.    The FieldPoint Ethernet Network Module Diagnostic Utility is also unavailable...

FieldPoint Explorer and Firmware Versions

Most Common Symptom: Intermittent Loss of Communication
National Instruments recommends that at a minimum, firmware revision 0200 be used with the FieldPoint Ethernet Network Module, but it is a good idea to always use the latest available firmware. . For instructions on how to check the current firmware revision, please see our KnowledgeBase entry on Determining the Firmware Revision of Network Modules. To update to the most current release of the FieldPoint Ethernet Network Module firmware, please see our KnoweldgeBase entry on How Do I Update the Firmware of an FieldPoint Ethernet Network Module?. Additionally, National Instruments recommends FieldPoint Explorer version 2.0.1 (or higher) for the most robust communication under various network fault conditions. Please visit our Drivers and Updates Library to download the current version of FieldPoint Explorer .

Operation with Insufficient Power Supply

Most Common Symptom: Intermittent Loss of Communication
Under certain brown-out type conditions, the processor goes into a halt state that is not cleared until power is removed and re-applied to the module. This can happen if the power supply voltage drops below 11 V (the minimum specified voltage), but briefly remains in a range of ~0.7-10.9 V. However, because the module is operating outside of the specified power supply range, the exact failure mode cannot be guaranteed. To determine if you are suffering from an insufficient power supply, connect a multimeter or oscilloscope to the V and C terminals of the FieldPoint Ethernet Network Module. Verify that the power supply voltage is above 11 volts at all times and under all operating conditions. For example, if the FieldPoint Ethernet Network Module power supply is also used to drive other devices, test the power supply voltage when those devices are active and pulling maximum current.

Diagnostic Check

Most Common Symptom: Intermittent Loss of Communication
A very small percentage of FP-1600 revision A and B modules had a manufacturing defect that could potentially cause intermittent loss of communication. Additionally, application programs might report errors such as Cannot connect to process and Timeout Period Expired. If this is the problem, power-cycling the module will temporarily clear the problem, but the problem might re-appear later. The revision of a FP-1600 module can be determined by reading the label on the underside of the FP-1600. The label will list an assembly number of the format 185690x-01, wherex is the revision letter. To determine if a revision A or B module is suffering from the defect, please download the FieldPoint Ethernet Network Module Diagnostic Utility. If the test utility determines that the module suffers from the defect, please contact National Instruments Technical Support for a RMA number and upgrade per Engineering Change Order (ECO) 13425.

[srpittman313]

Updating to the latest firmware version 502 was successful but did not resolve the issue unfortunately.  I created a Windows batch file script that would ping the module every 3 seconds and log the result to a log file if successful or failed.  The issue occurred today and verified that a communication loss was experienced.  The pings failed for about 1 minute and then were successful again.  A separate computer on the same private network ping the module as well also had the same results.  Both computers were connected through the same switch.  

Next step is to double-check the power supply again and try the Diagnostic Check tool to look for the manufacturing defect.  Unfortunately the Diagnostic tool will downgrade my firmware to 300 if it finds nothing wrong so I'll have to perform the upgrade to 502 again afterwards...