RTES TCP/IP and NetBIOS Portal
EXNET - EQNET

Overview

EXNET and EQNET are memory resident utilities that allow RTES device drivers to operate over a TCP/IP, UDP and/or NetBIOS connection.

For example, MODBUS will use EXNET or EQNET to communicate with a MODBUS device on a TCP/IP network. UNET will use EXNET or EQNET to communicate with other RTES and/or WinRTES computers using the UDP connection. RNET will use EXNET or EQNET to communicate with other RTES and/or WinRTES computers using the NetBIOS connection.

EQNET does not require a "packet driver". It includes a driver for NE2000 compatible Ethernet cards.

EXNET and EQNET also operate as BOOTP/DHCP server, DHCP client and SMB client.

The diagrams below show the position of EXNET or EQNET in a connection between RTES and an external device on the network.

(1) The Ethernet adapter is NE2000 compatible.

(2) The Ethernet adapter is not NE2000 compatible.

Packet Drivers

Configuration file

The command line: EXNET 1[cr] loads a second copy of EXNET and uses XNET1.CFG as its configuration file.

In the configuration file, we define the various parameters used by EQNET and EXNET. Some parameters are only relevant to EQNET, others are only relevant to EXNET, some are are relevant to both.

Typically, you define a parameter by typing a key word, followed by the = sign, followed by the value you assign to that parameter. Values may be expressed a decimal or a hexadecimal when preceeded with the letter 'x'. For example, 768 or x300 are the same value. Values are separated by a comma, a decimal point, a space, or a line feed. Values may also be text strings.

The parameters are organized in sections, each section starts with the name of the section between square brackets. Sections may be arranged in any order. Parameters within the section may be arranged in any order.

Multiple arguments must be seperated by spaces, a dot, or a comma. A comment line starts with "/".

Here is what a typical XNET.CFG looks like:

[NE2000] IRQ=5 PORT=X300 [PACKET] INT=X7E [TCPIP] NAME=PC104 IP=192.168.0.7 GATEWAY=192.168.0.1 SUBNET=255.255.255.0 TTL=300 REBOOT=0 [BOOTP] /MODBUS 16 channel A/D DEV=12 XA0 XA1 XA2 XA3 XA4 192.168.0.1 /Microserver to OPTOMUX DEV=12 XB0 XB1 XB2 XB3 XB4 192.168.0.2 [SERVER] NAME=*SMBSERVER SHARE=PROCESS IP=192.168.0.10 USERID=cell22 PASSWORD=1234 USE=K: TIMEOUT=150

Section: [NE2000]

This section is used by EQNET and ignored by EXNET.

Parameter	Description	Default value
PORT	Set I/O Port address assigned to the NE2000 Ethernet adapter.	PORT=x300
IRQ	Set IRQ number assigned to the NE2000 Ethernet adapter. Used by QNET.	IRQ=9

Section: [PACKET]

This section is used by EXNET. It is ignored by EQNET.

Parameter	Description	Default value
INT	Defines the interrupt number where XNET will find the packet driver you have installed. Note: The following interrupt numbers are reserved by RTES for other purposes and cannot be used for the packet driver : x60 to x67, x7A,x7B, x80 to x83.	INT=x70

Section: [TCPIP]

Parameter	Description	Default value
IP	Sets the IP address to be used for sending and receiving IP packets. The IP consists of 4 numbers (between 0 and 255).	IP=0.0.0.0 Will obtain an IP automatically from a DHCP server.
TTL	"Time To Live". Defines the time in seconds that EXNET or EQNET will maintain a socket that was not disconnected and is inactive. Note: A socket associated with the SMB connection will be maintained indefinitely, as long as the server allows it.	T=600
GATEWAY	Sets the IP address of a gateway to be used to connect to IP's beyond the local network.	IP=0.0.0.0 None. The system will assume all IP's are on the local network.
SUBNET	Sets the subnet mask. Any IP's outside of this mask will be reached via the gateway.	SUBNET=255.255.255.0
NAME	Defines a name that you give to the computer running EXNET/EQNET. This is optional, unless you use SMB.	None. No name is defined by default
REBOOT	Specify whether or not you may reboot this computer when sending 2 consecutive PING (within 40 seconds). REBOOT=0 disables the reboot feature. REBOOT=1 enables the reboot feature.	REBOOT=1. Reboot is enabled by default
MTU	Specify the Maximum Transmission Unit in bytes Valid numbers are from 768 to 1500.	MTU=1460 if this parameter is omitted

Section: [BOOTP]

Parameter	Description	Default value
DEV	Define a client that will query for an IP associated with its hardware address You may define up to 16 clients Each client is specified with a set of 10 numbers : the 1st 6 numbers are the hardware address, then the last 4 numbers are the IP.	None.

Section: [SERVER]

Parameter	Description	Default value
NAME	Defines the name of the server. If you are using an Windows 2000 or XP server, the name is usually: *SMBSERVER	None.
SHARE	The share name identifying the shared directory on the server.	None.
IP	The IP address of the server.	None.
USERID	The user id that will grant you access to the shared directory. This usually is case-sensitive	None.
PASSWORD	The password associated with USERID. This is usually case sensitive	None.
USE	The 'drive letter' that you want to associate (map) with the shared directory on the server. Any file path on this computer that starts with this drive letter, will be assumed to be located on the server. For example: assuming the shared subdirectory PROCESS (shared) is located in the C: drive of the server, the file path "K:\LOGS.CSV" refers to "C:\PROCESS\LOGS.CSV" on the server. Note: If this parameter is not defined, the system will not attempt to logon to the server.	None.
TIMEOUT	The time in milliseconds before an access to the server is re-tried after failure.	TIMEOUT=150

Tips on using remote files

COPY command
When copying a file to a destination over the network, the destination file may already exist. It should normally truncate it, but if the file has been opened by another user, it does not. RTES returns error code 4 (SYSTEM ERROR). If that occurs, the recommended course of action is to delete the destination file (DEL command), then COPY.