sensorProbe+ Series Knowledge Base (SP2+ SPX+)

The default IP address assigned to all base units from the factory is: 192.168.0.100

Try disabling the Windows firewall and Antivirus on the computer you are trying to access the unit from. Also, try using the FireFox browser to access the web UI and also check to make sure the Ethernet link LED is lit when the CAT5/6 patch cable is connected. You can also try connecting the unit directly to your laptop or PC using the yellow cross over cable. Verify whether you are trying to connect via HTTP or HTTPS (either can be disabled on the device) or use the correct port if it was changed to a custom one.

Yes, you can access the web interface by entering the IP 192.168.0.100 in your browser, then change the default IP address via the web interface in the Network page.

If you have our LCD display sensor, you can simply connect it to a sensor port and power reset the unit. Or you can use the LinuxIPSet utility that is downloaded from our website support portal. Download the LinuxIPSet, connect your sensorProbe+ directly to your PC or notebook computer using the yellow cross over cable, disable your antivirus and firewall, start the LinuxIPSet exe then press the reset button once on your sensorProbe+ unit. If the LinuxIPSet detects the sensorProbe+, this should allow you to open the web UI.

The default login Admin password is public. If you cannot login using the default Admin password, or you don’t know this, then you will need to disable the units web UI passwords using the reset switch. Pressing and holding in the reset button for 7 to 12 seconds. This is also covered in the sensorProbe+ (SP2+ & SPX+) manuals on our website support portal (see below).

The MAC address of the device can be found on the bottom cover of the device. Also on the web interface in the System Description page.

You can use the reset button to perform a factory reset on your sensorProbe+ unit. Pressing and holding in the reset button for 17 to 25 seconds. Please check the SP2+ & SPX+ product manuals for the full list of actions for the reset button. The factory reset will reset the Admin password, and the assigned IP address on your sensorProbe+ unit.

The SP2+ & SPX+ F7 MCU type units support HTTPS TLS v1.2 for the browser connection to the units web interface. The log in passwords can be up to 15 characters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9 and special characters) Our master key is coded in base64 and all passwords are encrypted using base64 AEC ECB method with the master key. The SP+ units have a password expiration and lock-down feature explained in the security manual on our website support portal. SNMPv3 is also supported, however it is a licensed feature.

Every month we perform a complete scan of our firmware for vulnerabilities, as well as our AKCPro Server software for virus threats. As our devices are installed in mission critical and security conscious facilities, it is important that we ensure our devices are secure and provide no backdoors to your facilities infrastructure. You can check this report on our website using this link: https://www.akcp.com/blog/akcp-security-scan-report/

Yes, here below is the list that includes both the older F4 MCU and currently shipping F7 MCU type units: SNMP (community) – 31 char ( F4 : 15 ) SNMPv3 (Passphrase) – 31 char ( F4 : 15 ) SNMP VS – 31 char (F4 and F7) SNMPv3 VS – 31 char (F4 and F7) SNMP action – 15 char (F4 and F7) SNMPv3 action – 20 char (F4 and F7)

Yes, as long as this third party NMS supports SNMP, then there should be no problems with this. We have a manual on how to integrate our units into NMS on our website support portal for this.

You can download our latest MIB file and OID manual from our website support portal in the “All Manuals” page.

No, we recently combined all base units and sensors into our latest version of our MIB file. Please also refer to our revised OID manual as well on this.

The specific OID for each sensor connected will depend on the sensor port to which you have the sensor connected to. You can however quickly locate all of the OID’s for each sensor from the web interface of the device using the “Get SNMP OID” button that is located in the unit’s web interface and in the sensor setting page. You can also download our latest MIB file and OID manual from our website support portal. We recommend using a free SNMP utility called MIB Browser from iReasoning to view and test our MIB & OID’s.

The main differences are that we have integrated a more advanced and robust hardware model and easy to use web interface into our sensorProbe+ product line (SP2+ and SPX+). These units support most of our wired sensors and offer more security & expandable options. The SPX+ units are also customizable using our online configuration tool on our website and support advanced features such as Modbus RTU/TCP and 80 virtual sensors. They also fully support SNMPv1, v2 and v3 including SSL & TLS SMTP email servers, such as Gmail etc. Please check our product matrix on our website for more details.

Below we list the ports used by our SP+ units. Most of them are needed for external communications with APS, and to use network features. Most ports are user configurable, these are the default ports. Main ports:

• 5000 TCP for RPC with APS – note: not fully user configurable
• 161 TCP/UDP for SNMP
• 80 TCP for HTTP of Web UI

Other ports:

• 123 TCP for NTP (Network Time Protocol) – note: port is not user configurable
• 162 TCP/UDP for SNMP Trap
• 25 TCP for Email SMTP (if used)
• 1194 TCP/UDP for VPN (if used)
• 443 TCP for HTTPS of Web UI
• 502 TCP for Modbus TCP (if used)

You can download all of our utilities, latest firmware and manuals from our website support portal using these instructions; https://www.dropbox.com/s/5bb3c7pngudv9er/Setup%20of%20AKCP%20Support%20Page%20manual.pdf?dl=0

This most likely is that our system administrator has not added your units MAC ID to our system yet. Please contact support@akcp.com and include your unit type and the MAC ID and we can get that updated for you.

This problem most likely is caused by our download link(s) being blocked by your security software, firewall, or antivirus. First try to disable these temporarily, or contact your system administrator for assistance. You can also try using a different browser, such as FireFox.

This issue could be caused by several factors. You would need to check to make sure the sensor(s) are not being extended beyond our recommended run length from the base units RJ-45 sensor port. Also, if you are extending the sensor using patch panels, or RJ-45 couplers, then this would also cause these problems. Troubleshooting would include checking the CAT5/6 extension cables to make sure they are straight through and that there are no cable problems. Second would be to make sure the extension cables are of a good quality and shielded. The cables should also be checked so that they are not running near any type of power supplies or other equipment that would emit EMI.

This depends on the SP+ units hardware type. You might be using the originally shipped F4 type units, which does require a different .bin upgrade file in the SP+ firmware upgrade package. This is explained in detail on our SP+ firmware upgrade page on our website support portal. If you are using all of the newer F7 MCU type SP+ units (SP2+ & SPX+) then these units will use the same .bin file for upgrading.

All of the change logs for the SP+ units firmware upgrades can be found on our website support portal in the firmware upgrade page.

Our SP+ (SP2+ & SPX+) units fully support TLS or SSL type SMTP email servers, so for example they can send email alerts using Gmail accounts etc. If you are having trouble sending alerts via email we would suggest you check with your local system administrator to ensure all the settings you have entered into the email alert settings on the unit are correct and you can ping your SMTP server.

If you are trying to setup a Gmail account to use, then these instructions should be followed;

#1. Ensure your unit(s) is running the latest version of firmware that is on our website support portal.

#2. Input the settings as follows server: smtp.gmail.com

port : 587

SMTP authentication : enabled

Login name : <gmail_user>@gmail.com

Password : <gmail password>

Connection security : STARTTLS

And make sure that the “Allow less secure apps” setting is turned ON in your Gmail account settings. (My Account -> Sign-in & security at the end of the page)

#3. And when sending with Gmail, sometimes additional steps are required:

First when you try to send mail, and it fails even if you use the correct settings (the “less secure apps” is allowed). This means Gmail still requires a confirmation popup or captcha.

Open this link in a web browser:

https://accounts.google.com/DisplayUnlockCaptcha

Then try sending again while keeping this page open.

This can happen if the Gmail mailbox is accessed from a “previously unknown IP address”.

Usually a warning email is also sent about this access.

More info on this here:

https://serverfault.com/questions/635139/how-to-fix-send-mail-authorization-failed-534-5-7-14

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34433459/gmail-returns-534-5-7-14-please-log-in-via-your-web-browser

The maximum characters allowed are 15 on the lower cost sensorProbe units and 31 on the SP2+ and SPX+ F7 MCU type units.

This could be a combination of issues. Please check if you are able to ping the IP address of your SMTP email server. Next, please ensure that your SMTP server logs are receiving the email alerts and third, make sure that there are no security software, firewall, or AV software blocking the alerts sent. We would also suggest if the alerts are being sent successfully from the unit, then check your spam filter. Also, make sure your SMTP server name is entered correctly. The send mail option is enabled in the Mail settings page. The timeout period entered was not too low. The gateway IP is entered correctly in the network page. The mail from address is set. Make sure the mail server is responding to the mail from address and is validated in the mail server. The mail server settings are accepting connections from the device IP. The firewall in the network is not preventing the SMTP traffic. You can also try using the SMTP email server’s IP address.

How to check if your SP2+/SPX+ still working? You can set the “Heartbeat” feature on the sensorProbe+ to send Email, SMS alerts or SNMP traps and adjust the interval in which to resend these. This feature is found in the web interface in “System >> Heartbeat” page and are also covered entirely in the SP2+ & SPX+ Notifications manuals.

Yes, however your unit needs to have the optional 4G GSM internal modem. Please refer to the SP2+ & SPX+ Notifications manuals regarding setting up the SMS alerts. And ensure your unit is running the latest firmware on our website support portal.

The modem information will display in the SP2+ or SPX+ web interface in the “About” page after 30 to 40 seconds upon powering on the unit. You will need to insert your GSM provider’s SIM card prior to powering on the unit, or if no SIM card is installed the modem information, including the IEMI number will not be displayed.

Yes, you can send both text to speech and voice calls to your mobile devices. Please refer to the SP2+ & SPX+ Notifications manuals regarding setting up the voice call alerts. And again make sure your unit is running the latest version of firmware on our website support portal.

This error indicates you have too many notifications being triggered simultaneously. This will in turn fill up the notification queue. The following are the maximum notification queues for the SP2+ & SPX+ units F7 MCU type. Notification queue : maximum 62 mixed Actions + max email : 10 + max SMS : 10 + max Call : 10 + max SNMPTrap : 10 + max SNMPSet : 10 You can also try to specify multiple phone numbers for the SMS actions, and use as few action triggers as possible for the notification (one notification to only run 1-2 SMS actions that will contain all phone numbers that need to be alerted).

First make sure your SP2+ or SPX+ unit is running the latest firmware that is on our website support portal.

Secondly, please make sure you ordered the correct modem type for your region. We offer two types, the EU and US versions. You can check your region using this link here:

https://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html

Frequencies	EU model: LTE-TDD B38/B40/B41 LTE-FDD B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20 UMTS/HSPA+ B1/B5/B8 GSM/GPRS/EDGE B3/B8
Category	CAT1
Data Transmission	HSPA+L up to 5.76 Mbps(UL),42Mbps(DL) LTE Category 1: up to 5 Mbps(UL),10Mbps(DL)

Please also make sure your region & GSM SIM service provider supports the following specifications for our internal modems:

Test the SIM card you are going to use on the SP2+ or SPX+ in your mobile phone to make sure you are able to send the SMS successfully and the SIM has enough credit.

Make sure you have inserted the SIM card into the modem (see manuals) correctly with the power off on the unit. Make sure you have connected the external antenna and that you are receiving a good signal from your GSM provider. Reboot the device one more time and wait a few minutes before testing the SMS notification.

If there is a PIN code on the SIM card, this needs to be disabled. Also double check the settings on the modem are correct. Ensure that you are using the correct DNS settings from your cellular internet provider.

And verify with your cellular network provider what the settings should be for their 3G/4G network.

If you are still having a problem sending SMS alerts, please contact our support team support@akcp.com and include all troubleshooting details and the “support” file from the unit.

No, the internal modems can only be installed by our production team before shipment and cannot be retrofitted in the field. You would need to either send back the unit on an RMA (pay all shipping costs both ways & upgrade costs for the modem) or order a new unit with a possible discount. Or, you could use a third party SMS gateway software that accepts emails and forwards on the SMS alerts. There are many of these available online.

No, our SP2+ and SPX+ base units only support our internal GSM modems.

This is most likely due to either your “Rearm” settings, or your “Continuous Time” for your sensor to be in a new status before accepting a new status setting. You can check these settings in the sensors page of the unit’s web interface. These settings are also covered in our sensorProbe+ manuals.

Sure, the Re-arm feature/setting only affects the status change of each sensor, this is used to avoid a sensor status to toggle many times when the value fluctuates around the sensor’s set threshold value. It’s basically a good tool for eliminating false alerts being sent.

First manually offline the sensor from the SP2+ or SPX+ web UI, now turn the Auto Sense off by clicking on the Auto Sense button. Then finally turn Auto Sense back on and the sensor(s) should be back online again.

Yes, the SPX+ units can be ordered in both 1U and 0U rack mount type configurations with many different configurations and module types. You can check our online configuration tool to custom create your own unit type using the link below, or choose from a variety of pre-set unit configurations.

https://www.akcp.com/configuratorTool/index.php?p=spxplus

https://www.akcp.com/akcp-products/sensorprobe-plus/sensorprobexplus/

Please also check our product datasheets and manuals for more technical details on each SPX+ module.

Yes and no. Our SP2+ units cannot be ordered with the different modules however, they can be ordered in two configurations. One being a four sensor port version and two, a three sensor port version (SP2+E) that includes an Expansion/Modbus port. See below for more information on this and also check the datasheets.

Our SP2+ is a compact monitoring device, in the same form factor as the SP2. It comes in the compact blue plastic box, with 4 sensor ports and Ethernet. An optional 4G modem can be added. Another variation is the SP2+E, which converts one sensor port into an Expansion/Modbus RS485 port. The SPX+ is a 1U rack mountable, or 0U rack mountable, monitoring device. It has a different form factor, coming in an elegant extruded aluminum metal box. It is also customizable with different modules that can be built up to create a device with whatever number of sensors or dry contacts you require. Basic Expansion Bus technology can be used to expand to additional U’s within the same cabinet, or if you need to place expansion units further away in different cabinets up to 300 meters away, then you can also order with the Expansion ports similar to our securityProbe. You can check the data sheets and product matrix for both the SP2+ and SPX+ devices to see the differences between these units.

Yes, our SPX+ units can be ordered with the optional built in UPS module (see above link). Depending on the sensors that are connected, the internal SPX+ UPS will provide backup power for 30-45 minutes. When using the internal modem 15-30 minutes. You can also check our online video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uis1OShODC8

There is no hard limitation on the total sensors that can be connected, however, we do not support connecting more than 150 sensors to a single sensorProbe+ base unit. Please keep in mind that when we say sensors, this refers to the total “data points.” For example, our dual temperature & humidity sensors would count for two sensors, or data points. Also, please keep in mind this includes the virtual sensors as well.

This can be checked on our product matrix page that is listed on our website.

Regarding the sensor data memory on the SP+, both can store a total of 14 graphs with 30710 data points each. Keeping in mind that the dual temperature/humidity sensor (THS00/THS01) counts for two data points. The duration % depends on the data collection interval, which is displayed on the SP+ web UI when configuring the interval. The oldest sensor data is overwritten by the new data when the memory threshold is reached, very similar to the system log on the units.

The BEB units are designed for expanding the SPX+ a short distance, within the same cabinet. The BEB units should be not more than a total of 18 meters from the main SPX+ to the last. So if you have three BEB units, six meters between each, and so on. The BEB’s are designed to support expansion (adding more sensors) within the same rack space. And again as mentioned above, the total sensors should not exceed 150 (data points) per SP+. Please also check the BEB manual on our website support portal for more details.

No, the BEB units are not compatible with the SP2+ units, however you can add more sensors using our E-sensor8 and the E-Opto16 expansion units by connecting these to the EXP/MOD, or the fourth port of your SP2+E unit. You cannot connect the expansion units to the sensor ports on the SP2+, SP2+E, or SPX+.

The EXP technology is different and uses a different port on the SPX+ & SP2+E as explained above (the BEB port uses an RJ11, the EXP/MOD port uses a RJ45) and it can be extended much further. The reason being it is using the RS485 for its’ communication instead of i2C as on the BEB. The EXP units you can connect are the E-Sensor8 and the E-Opto16. This port also supports connecting Modbus device and our CCU (Cabinet Control Units).

First make sure the firmware on your SP+ is running the latest firmware on our website support portal. Next, check to be sure the extension cable from the EXP port and the expansion unit is good, tested and connected to the IN port of the E-sensor8. Next, check to make sure the AC power adapter is connected to the expansion unit and also test this using a multimeter to ensure it is providing the correct 7.5VDC to the E-sensor8 unit. Next, perhaps you may have previously connected the Modbus sensors and the Modbus was enabled in the SP+ web UI. If so, check to make sure this is disabled.

The E-sensor8 units do not support any of our “smart sensors” including our Swing Handle Cabinet Locks, Thermal Map Sensors and our LCD Sensors. Please check our product matrix for more details on this.

First you should make sure your SPX+ is running the latest firmware version on our website support portal. Next, make sure you are not connecting over 150 data points, or sensors to the unit. Moreover, is the SPX+ being polled by a third party SNMP NMS? For example, is the unit being polled using SNMPget? If so, what is the frequency of this polling? We have had customers try to poll our units hundreds of times per second from multiple third party NMS which will cause our units to not function properly. This needs to be checked and if so, you need to reduce the polling intervals. If you are still having a problem with this, please contact our support team support@akcp.com and send the details on what sensors are connected and also include the “support” file from the unit.

Check to make sure the sensorProbe+ unit is running the latest firmware.

Check to make sure you have connected the BEB extension cable  to the correct ports, from the base unit to the BEB unit. Our BEB product manual on our support portal includes this information.

If you have created your own cable, then double check the pin outs in the manual.

Try the extension cable (blue) that was shipped with the BEB unit(s).

Next try these steps:

1. Disconnect the BEB cable from the SP+ Gateway.
2. Power on the SPX Gateway and wait for it to fully boot up.
3. Power on the Remote unit (BEB).
4. Long press the Reinit button on the Remote (BEB) unit for about 3-4s until the LED blinks from slow to rapidly then release it.
5. Connect the BEB cable to the SP+ Gateway.
6. Wait for about 1-2 minutes until the BEB is connected. Act/Sts LED should blink rapidly.

There is also an online YouTube video here that shows this process:  https://youtu.be/xJsTGgnT1-Y

After all of this, you still cannot see or access the BEB unit, please contact our support team for more assistance support@akcp.com

Your F7 MCU type sensorProbe+ units support up to 80 virtual sensors (60 Modbus). The previous F4 type units support up to 40 virtual sensors. We provide 5 free virtual sensors on the SP2+ and 10 on the SPX+. If you require more of these they will need to be purchased. Please check our MSRP on this, or contact our sales team sales@akcp.com

Please check our product matrix on our website and also the SP+ product manuals for more specific details on the types of virtual sensors supported and how to configure them.

Yes, we cover adding and setting up our AKCP PMS in our sensorProbe+ Modbus manual that is on our website support portal beginning on page #24. This section in the manual also covers the details on installing the CT’s (Current Transformers) if you are going to order our PMS CT Type.

Both our SP2+E and SPX+ units can support up to 4 x AKCP PMS.

Yes, we cover adding and setting up third party Modbus RTU & TCP monitoring using the virtual sensors feature in our sensorProbe+ Modbus manual that is on our website support portal. Please keep in mind you may have to purchase extra virtual sensor licenses depending on how many parameters you intend to monitor. Please note that you would need to order the SP2+E unit that includes the EXP/MOD port in order to monitor Modbus RTU equipment on this unit.

Yes, that is correct, our F7 MCU version of the SPX+ can handle up to 80 virtual sensors, however it can depend on the virtual sensor type being used. When it comes to Modbus, it is a slow protocol, taking up to 3 seconds per sensor when polling. Therefore the more sensors you have the larger the polling interval must be. With 80 Modbus registers being polled this can result in slow performance. With a minimum of 3 seconds polling interval, it would take a minimum of 240 seconds from polling the first register until the last. So in theory yes, you can monitor 60 Modbus registers, but it is not ideal. There is nothing we can do about this as it is due to limitations within the Modbus protocol. We normally recommend no more than 60 Modbus sensors per Modbus port on the SP+ units. This is also explained in our sensorProbe+ Modbus manual on our website support portal.

Yes, we do offer our Modbus Adapter. This is used for providing a very easy (two wire connection) solution for connecting third party Modbus equipment to the EXP/MOD port on our SP+ units. The adapter converts the UTP cable to a RS-485 two wire cable. The setup, usage and diagrams are included in our sensorProbe+ Modbus Adapter manual that is on our website support portal. This adapter is compatible with both SP2+E and SPX+ units.

If you are going to use the Modbus protocol over the RS485 on our SP+ unit(s) to monitor backup generators, then here is some basic information you will need below. If you are not familiar with Modbus, then you would need to check online to learn more about how this protocol works.

For example, if you are planning on using the Modbus RTU RS485, then the register is basically the address for that piece of information.

Let’s say the generators controller has 5 different parameters

– Voltage Output

– Current Output

– Charge Status

– Input Current

– Input Voltage

Each of those would have its own register, to identify it. That way our SPX+ can send a request to the controller by requesting a specific register, the controller then knows what information we are asking for and it can send it to the unit via the Modbus virtual sensors.

You would need to obtain the manual for your customer’s specific generator and also ask them “How do we request information over RS485 from your device?” Then setup each of the Modbus virtual sensors accordingly as explained in the SP+ Modbus manual. You can also check our online video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKYvgELsPik

First make sure you have checked the information regarding the setup of the AKCP PMS in our sensorProbe+ Modbus manual on our website support portal and that your firmware is the latest on our website as well.

Next make sure that you have connected the AKCP PMS correctly to the EXP/MOD port using the correct wiring shown in the manual.

Next confirm if you have configured the EXP port to be Modbus on the SP2+E/SPX+.  As explained in the manual, by default, the EXP port is configured to be connected to the E-IS8, E-O16 or CCU expansion units, so the RS485 Modbus (AKCP PMS) will not work if this is not changed and saved.

Please check the SP2+E/SPX+ web UI setting by navigating to the Settings > Modbus page then check the following:

Modbus RS485 : Enable

Modbus mode : Master

Then make sure you save this and reboot the unit and follow the setup directions in the manual noted above.

Normally if you purchased any of our products through a local authorized AKCP dealer of ours, we suggest you  try and contact them directly first as they would be in your same time zone. When they signed up to be our dealer they agreed to provide direct technical support to you.

If you are having any trouble contacting or obtaining technical support from our local dealer, you can always contact our support team via email support@akcp.com and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

Please keep in mind we normally only provide technical support during our daily working hours GMT+7 Monday through Friday. We normally will always reply to you within 24 hours. 

If you don’t hear a reply back from us within 24 hours, it might be because your email was caught by our spam filter. Or our reply email to you was caught in your spam filter. In which  case, please try to use another email address to send from, or a different communication method. And also check your spam filter.

When contacting our support team via email, please always provide all technical information regarding your issue or question and include the troubleshooting details and support file from the unit if you have a technical problem. This will ensure we can get back to you as quickly as possible with an answer or a possible solution.

As mentioned above in this Knowledge Base section, we highly recommend you download, thoroughly check and read the information in our product manuals before contacting us, as these will most likely answer a lot of your questions and hopefully resolve your issues.

Thank you for using and your interest in our products!

AKCP Technical Support Team