Support

About Creating WiFi Settings Files

• This article provides steps for creating WiFi settings files via the Network Configuration App, so that you can download the file to a USB and program WiFi settings on DicksonOne data loggers and the RF gateway.
• Once the file is created, you can download it to one or multiple USBs and plug the USBs to the data loggers or RF gateway to program the WiFi settings.
• A FAT32-formatted USB flash drive is required and must not be password protected.

How to Create WiFi Settings Files

Download the Network Configuration App

Click on the Network Configuration App under Support and download the appropriate version for your computer.

Create a WiFi Settings File in the Configuration App

Open the Network Configuration App and click Configure Without Device

Click on Wi-Fi

Fill in the WiFi settings appropriate for your WiFi network and expand Configure Advanced Settings if you need to program a static IP address, HTTPS, and Proxy Settings, and then click Next

Plug your USB Flash drive into your computer and click Save Configuration

Be sure to select USB Flash to save the configuration file, name it, and click Save. 

Please note that you can only have one configuration file on your USB, and the USB flash has to be formatted as FAT32

Loading the WiFi Settings File to the Hardware

RF Gateway

Plug the USB stick into the USB port on the gateway, waiting approximately 30 seconds for the settings to be loaded and applied.

Display Loggers (DWE)

When the USB is plugged into the logger, the display will flash ‘Loading’ to indicate that it is updating the loggers network settings.

Touchscreen Loggers (TWE/TWP)

For Touchscreen data loggers (TWE/TWP) you will:

1. Insert the USB onto the touchscreen
2. Go to Network Settings 
3. Click on Import USB Settings

The WiFi configuration will be imported into the touchscreen and the device will connect to the internet on its own.

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How to choose WiFi vs. Ethernet

For some, this is an easy question to answer and for others it will be less clear. Both WiFi and Ethernet have advantages and disadvantages. While the lists below are not exhaustive, they should act as a good starting point for which model you want to choose.

Reasons to Choose WiFi

• Offers the most flexibility in logger placement.
• You already have an existing WiFi network (or are willing to install one).
• Less cords/cables connecting to the device.
• You don’t have an ethernet port readily available.
• You want to cover a large, open area with loggers.

Reasons Not to Choose WiFi

• You need the utmost reliability*.
• Your company doesn’t allow WiFi devices.
• Your WiFi settings are incompatible with DicksonOne loggers.

Reasons to Choose Ethernet

• You need the utmost reliability*.
• Easier setup
• You have ethernet ports readily available or can add a switch to increase available ports.
• You do not have WiFi in your facility and installation of WiFi access points is not an option.

Reasons Not to Choose Ethernet

• There are no ethernet ports available.
• Installing an ethernet port and running the required cable(s) is not feasible or practical.
• You need a large number of loggers in a wide open space.

*A Note on Reliability
DicksonOne loggers are incredibly reliable. Like wireless printers or connecting your phone or tablet to a wireless network introducing a wireless component adds more points where an issue may occur.

About Connecting a Device to Ethernet

• If connecting to your organization’s network via WiFi is not permitted, an alternative is taking advantage of using ethernet on the devices
• The article will cover how to connect ethernet on DicksonOne devices (DWE devices as well at Touchscreen TWE/TWP devices)

How to use Connect an Ethernet Device

Connecting the DWE (Basic Device) to Ethernet

Plug and play

1. The ethernet jack will be found on the side of the device to the right
2. Plug the ethernet cable into the ethernet jack
3. The device will automatically begin to communicate with DicksonOne after it has been registered

Use the configuration widget

1.  The Network Configuration Widget can also be used to turn Wi-Fi on and turn Ethernet on the device
2. Other settings can also be changed when using the configuration widget

Note
Unlike the DWEs that can easily be plugged into Ethernet, the DicksonOne Touchscreen devices are automatically programmed to have the WiFi turned on and must be configured for Ethernet in a couple of quick easy steps below.

Connecting a TWE/TWP (Touchscreen Devices) to Ethernet

On the Device, click on the settings icon at the bottom right of the screen and then go to the Network Settings page (WiFi icon to the left)

1. On the Network Settings page, click on WiFi under Network Adapter
2. Then click Ethernet
3. The device will automatically reboot to make the change the network settings

Plug the device to an ethernet cable

1. The ethernet jack will be found to the side of the device to the right in the middle

Note
If you plan to utilize POE with the TWP Touchscreen devices, please turn WiFi off and turn on Ethernet on the devices.

About DWE Error Codes

DWE Devices do not offer a Touchscreen Interface like the TWE/TWP, there are different ways we alert users by using error codes.

Error Codes Are Displayed On the Device

Code    Meaning

101    | No WiFi settings have been configured on this device

102    | The device is configured with WiFi, but is not connecting to the Access Point (AP)

103    | The device is connected to an Access Point (AP), but is not connected to the internet

201    | The device is connected to a switch, but is not connected to the internet

202    | The ethernet cable is connected, but the device is not connected to/seeing the switch

001    | USB is connected, but the device has disassociated from the PC

002    | No AC power detected that is required for attempted feature or function (does not include normal battery operation)

003    | Rechargeable battery not charging

004    | USB stick connected, but not readable because it isn’t formatted properly or otherwise unreadable

005    | USB stick connected, but cannot write to the stick

006    | Download to the USB stick has failed

007    | Firmware update has failed

008    | Internal clock battery is dead

009    | Multiple firmware files found

010    | No firmware found. Will clear upon reboot.

011    | Error flashing new firmware during update. Will clear upon reboot.

LED Functionality

LED Symptoms	Function
Off	Normal State/No Activity
Blinking Green	Successful Transmission of Packet
Blink Green once and Blink Blue once	Successful Transmission of Packet with a DicksonOne configuration Change
Blink Green once and Bling Red once	Failed Transmission of Packet
Yellow Blinking until cleared	Error State
Solid Blue	Updating Firmware
Solid Red	Loading/reloading initializing or disconnect/reconnect
Solid Green	Booting Up

About Finding the MAC Address of a Device

• Every DicksonOne device has its own unique Media Access Control (MAC) Address
• The MAC address can be found on the DicksonOne.com, as well as in the DicksonOne Connection Widget for DWE Devices, and on the interface of the TWE/TWP Devices

How to Find the MAC Address of a Device

Find the MAC Address on DicksonOne:

Go to DicksonOne.com > Click into a Device > Settings > Network

1. At the bottom of the Network page, the MAC Address will be displayed

Note
The MAC Address will only be displayed on DicksonOne after the device has been registered. If the device has not been registered to DicksonOne, please continue reading.

MAC Address for DWE via the Network Widget App:

Download the DicksonOne Connection Widget by going to DicksonOne.com > Support > Network Configuration App

1. Open the Network Configuration App on your desktop computer
2. Connect the DWE Device via USB cable
3. Click on the ‘i’ on the top right-hand side of the screen

The Information screen will pop-up

1. On the Connected Device Info, look for MAC Address
2. Other useful information may be provided
3. Click Close when finished and then x to close out the App

MAC Address for TWE/TWP on the Device Screen:

Interact with your TWE/TWP Device

1. Click into the ‘i’ to view the Device Information page
2. The MAC Address will be provided on the device along with other useful information

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There are two different ways to locate your MAC address for a device. To review more information on DicksonOne, please visit DicksonOne How-to Articles.

How to Turn HTTPS ON/OFF

• If circumstances when IT Infrastructure may not be capable of supporting HTTPS, or any reason needed to manually switch over to HTTP port, this article will walk you through how to turn on and off HTTPS
• By default, HTTPS is ON for the Touchscreen device (TWE/TWP)

Touchscreen Device (TWE/TWP):

1. On the Touchscreen Devises click on the WiFi Icon on the left of the interface
2. Use HTTPS will be ON or OFF
3. Click ON or OFF to turn On/OFF HTTPS

DWE:

To turn HTTPS ON/OFF on a DWE, you will need to connect the Device to the Network Configuration App via USB plug on a computer

1. In the Wi-Fi or Ethernet Settings click on Configure Advanced Settings
2. Check the box to turn HTTPS ON or uncheck the box to turn HTTPS OFF
3. Click Next

Note
Click here to download the Network Configuration App
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HTTPS can be set to be ON or OFF on your devices. Other settings can also be managed throughout DicksonOne as well as the devices themselves.

Requirements

DicksonOne is a network connected or IoT system consisting of data loggers and cloud-based software. Depending on your organizations IT requirements you may need to collaborate with your IT team to either ensure the system will work with your IT network or to configure the units to get on your network. 

The IT infrastructure and environment varies drastically from one organization to the next. As such, if you have any additional questions please feel free to reach out to us for more information. Below are some answers to the most common questions and concerns from an IT perspective.

• Active internet connection (devices connect via WiFi or Ethernet)
• The devices communicate on either Port 443 (HTTPS and default) or Port 80 (HTTP)
• All communication is generated by the device – no opening of ports is necessary as there are no incoming commands/control/access for these devices
• The devices have a proprietary OS/firmware (NOT Windows CE, Linux, Android, etc)
• Devices support both WiFi and ethernet
• 2.4Ghz B/G/N network types
• Support WEP, WPA Personal, WPA Enterprise, WPA2 Personal, and WPA2 Enterprise
• TWEs are proxy aware while DWEs are not (coming soon!)
• Devices are not compatible with a captive portal without additional network configuration (whitelisting MAC addresses)
• Devices can be configured in either DHCP or as a static IP address
• If using DHCP, ensure the devices are allowed to receive their own IP addresses via your DHCP server
• If your organization utilizes MAC address filtering, the MAC address for each logger (both ethernet and WiFi devices) can be found via the Network Connection Widget
• If your company utilizes firewalls, web filtering, or proxies ensure they are not blocking packets to or from DicksonOne.com
• If your facility uses multiple access points with the same SSID and security key to cover a large area, ensure the following: the device’s encryption type set to Auto Select and the security keys are identical; we highly recommend that any two access points within range of one another are configured to use channels that do not overlap one another

Backup Data Independently from DicksonOne

While DicksonOne does have adequate backups and redundancy in place, some DicksonOne users desire the ability to backup their organization’s data independently from DicksonOne. Organizations seeking this functionality can leverage the DicksonOne’s REST API to integrate a backup solution of their choice. If you have developers and other IT staff who are familiar with and capable of working with REST APIs, you can utilize the documentation found here at https://www.dicksonone.com/api/rest/docs#api-reference

WiFi Access Points

If your facility uses multiple access points with the same SSID and security key to cover a large area, ensure the following: the device’s encryption type set to Auto Select and the security keys are identical. We highly recommend that any two access points within range of one another are configured to use channels that do not overlap one another.

Most access points have a limit to how many devices can concurrently be connected. This varies, but is often as few as 25. Consider laptops, cell phones, equipment, loggers, and any other devices that may be connected to an access point.

First generation (black cases) DicksonOne loggers are compatible with wireless B networks. Your access points must be configured to Wireless B or utilize a compatibility mode. DicksonOne enabled touchscreens and generation 2 DicksonOne loggers (late 2015) are compatible with B/G/N wireless networks. 

First Generation Devices

The first generation can only communicate via HTTP port 80 and even though port 80 may be open and allow traffic out, DicksonOne.com responds with xml packets that are often blocked regardless of port 80 being open. The loggers must be able to send and receive information to/from the DicksonOne site in order to function properly.

About the DicksonOne Change Logs

• The DicksonOne Change Logs enable our customers, in particular, those who operate in heavily compliant and/or validated environments to track each individual component of every software release
• This article summarizes how to access the change log, the methodology behind the version numbering system, as well as the individual components of it, and what each may mean to you

How to Access and Understand the Change Log

Section 1: Accessing the Change Logs

The Change Logs page is accessible to both users and non-users

1. As a user log into DicksonOne.com go to Support > and click Change Logs
2. As a non-user go to DicksonOne.com/change_logs

You can always filter by application and select DicksonOne as other Change Logs are included such as device firmware updates

Note
You can always review Firmware Change Logs for the DWE and TWE/TWP Firmware Updates.

Section 2: Understanding Semantic Versioning

The DicksonOne Change Logs use semantic versioning. Semantic Versioning is tech-speak for that familiar v1.0.1 you see attached to various software releases. Each of the 3-digits (separated by a period) reference how this particular release impacts the existing application:

• The “v” prefix refers to “version”
• The 1st digit (in this case, the first “1” in “v1.0.0”) corresponds to the major version of the software in question 
  It’s important to note that this digit will rarely change. But when this does increment to the next number, it means that a major new change to the software has occurred that may impact the core system functionality our users depend on day-to-day.
  This is particularly important for our customers who operate in heavily compliant and/or validated environments. If you are required to validate your software systems, when this 1st digit changes, you’ll likely have to revalidate.
• The 2nd digit denotes minor changes to the software functionality
  When this digit increments to the next number, it means that some major new features have been added to the existing code base, but core functionality hasn’t been impacted.
  Note that when minor enhancements to existing features are added, even though they are not a bug, they may be treated as a “patch”, and thus will not cause this number to change.
  What will cause this number to change will be significant brand-new features (and thus brand-new code) that doesn’t affect or change the underlying core functionality (and the existing code base).
  For our customers who operate in validated environments, when this digit changes they may want to formally validate all new features that have been implemented as described in the change log, but will not have to re-validate the entire system (as core functionality has not changed).
• The 3rd digit denotes minor patches
  This could be a bug fix for a core feature or a minor enhancement to an existing feature.
  For our customers who operate in validated environments, when this digit changes it is not necessary to re-validate the system, in whole or in part.

Section 3: Understanding the Release Content

To do that thing, you do this other thing.

1. Included the Application Name, the Version number, and the Release Date
2. A Description is provided for the type of changes and what changed
3. Impact will provide information on how impactful the changes are to the software
4. Recommendation determine if further testing is needed

Impact ratings
These ratings are evaluated on how the change impacts a given feature or set of features and how critical they are to the operation of the system.

• No impact: Bug fix to return functionality to functional spec or new function with no impact to existing features or data
• Low impact: Changes have been made to an existing feature
• Minor impact: New feature that does not affect existing/core functionality
• Major impact: New feature affecting existing/core functionality

Testing recommendations
These recommendations are based on how the change(s) would impact user experience, procedures, and/or validation.

• No testing needed: nothing has to be done
• Check new functionality: may require validation or validation review if taking advantage of functional changes
• Testing recommended: includes possible regression testing