Frequently Asked Questions
Updated 09/22/2021DIN 4
Download the online manual. Download a printable manual. Check the spec sheet. What accessories are available?
See the overview here - or call (408) 330-5599 for a free trial
Setup
Is there a keypad reference?
How do I set up network with the keypad?
How do I set up the WiFi network?
How do I set up network access in Windows? From a Mac? - Thanks to John McClintock for these Mac tips.
How do I set up port forwarding? Router Port Forwarding example. - Kudos to Mike G
What is the default IP address? How do I reset to defaults? What is the default password?
Where can I find the most complete help and documentation?
Hardware
How can I control
higher-current loads?
What is the polarity of the connectors?
How can I power the
DIN relay itself?
Basics: What's a relay?
How can I wire it up? Applications? Do you have a
mechanical drawing?
How do I connect the ADC inputs?
What are the connector
specifications?
What is the
power dissipation?
What are the
power requirements?
What pluggable mating terminals / connectors should I use?
What wiring gauge should I use?
I'd like to build a DC / solar powered IP Cam, WiFi AP, or similar DC powered system. What components do I need?
What are the contact ratings?
What wire should I use?
Where are the safety fuses located?
Do you have a ruggedized version? Something suitable for mobile use?
General FAQs
Where can I find the manual or spec sheet for the earlier (DIN3) model?
What is the current version of firmware?
Where can I find more extensive and detailed help?
The session timeout is too short. Can I make the session longer?
Can I increase the internal system log size?
How can I get a dry contact relay output?
What's the new Lua Language and Scripting all about?
How do I enable autoping? Explain the autoping settings
What's syslog? How can I keep an event log?
Can you develop custom firmware or custom hardware for my app?
What are the CRITICAL and PROTECT functions?
How do I set up event notifications?
How do I change the NTP servers?
What is the command-line interface in the SSH shell?
How can I update the firmware via the SSH shell?
I can't access the controller from another network. Cannot autoping an external server such as 8.8.8.8. How do I fix cross network access?
External APIs - Communicating with the power controller
How can I connect to Amazon Echo, Alexa, Dot or Tap products?
How can I connect to Google Assistant or Google Home?
How can I access the switch from my own application or remote script? What's the cURL API?
Is this product compatible with legacy plaintext scripts and http control?
How can I control the switch from my own applications?
What is the recommended REST API?
Have any SNMP setup tips?
Do you support MQTT?
How can I set up IFTTT?
Do you have a Visual Basic.NET example program? Thanks to Alan Holmes
Do you have a .NET programming example?
Do you have a Java programming example?
Do you have a compiled Windows command line tool or a Perl example?
Do you have a Python programming example?
Do you have a Crestron control module?
Can I use LabVIEW to control DLI power controllers?
How can I run a Perl script from LabView?
Where can I find iPhone, iPad, or Android apps for Digital Loggers?
Do you support PowerMan?
| Question: | I have a different model: DIN2,DIN3, Web Power Switch 7, Ethernet Power Controller II, III, V, or PC-8000 model. Where can I find information? |
| Answer: | Jump to the support page here. Don't see what you need? Just give us a call (408) 330-5599. |
| Question: | What's the Hardware Revision History? |
| Answer: |
In our second version, DIN Relay II, with serial numbers DIN22000 and higher,
we added these features:
In of DIN Relay III, we added these features:
In version 3.1, we added these features:
In version 4, we completely redesigned the unit and added a host of new features:
Note: version 4 supports input supply voltages from 12 to 28VDC. If you require 48V or AC mains power, please contact sales for a variant product. RS-232 has been removed in lieu of the sensor port and ADC inputs.
Tell us what you'd like to see in the next version - engineering@digital-loggers.com |
| Question: | Whch temperature sensors are compatible? |
| Answer: | The DS18B20 or DHT-11 sensors with 3.5mm plugs are compatible and in stock. The pinout is shield=ground, ring=5V VCC, tip=data. Find a Lua thermostat code example here. |
| Question: | What is the polarity of the connectors? |
| Answer: |
The polarity is stamped above the conenctor. It may be eeasier to see if they are removed. |
| Question: | What are the contact ratings? | ||||||||||||||||||
| Answer: |
All eight internal T-90 Relays have the following ratings:
Relays are rated at 250,000 operations MTBF at 50% load. Case terminals are rated at 8-12A, depending on agency. Only stranded wire of appropriate gauge should be used. Terminals must be well torqued, but not over 10in/lbs. It is wise to recheck torque after completing the installation. Heavy traces and gold plating are used to minimize internal resistance between the terminals and relay contacts, typically 25m Ohms, so internal contact power dissipation is not normally a consideration. For maximum flexibility, relay contacts are unprotected. For high current inductive switching, consider adding an external snubber circuit to extend contact life. Download contact protection information from relaycare.pdf |
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| Question: | How do I connect the ADC inputs? |
| Answer: |
Remove the accessory hatch. The plastic hatch on the right side of the relay can be opened to add a WiFi antenna or to connect analog inputs.
Using a small screwdriver, press gently on the lower edge of the hatch. Push towards the buttons The hatch will flex and pop open.
The antenna and/or ADC connector may be attached when the hatch is removed. A three pin connector is provided for ADC input. The upper pin is scaled for 0-100VDC, and the lower pin is 0-10VDC. The center pin is a ground reference bonded to the negative power input.
|
| Question: | Where are the safety fuses in the unit? |
| Answer: |
On the bottom of the relay circuit
board are over-current protection fuses on all relay common lines for safety. If one of these fuses blow, the relay will still "click", but power will not pass through.
They are 12A fast-blow fuses. Fuse specs are here.
P/N DIN4-FUSE 10-pack available from DLI $7.95. Call 408-330-5599 option 1 to order.
|
| Question: | How can I momentarily trigger (pulse) a relay? |
| Answer: |
Three Examples: Hardware Just wire a capacitor in series with the circuit (assuming a DC load). Simple. Click "Cycle" Press the existing cycle button in combination using the NC contact (instead of NO):  Custom Script Name your circuit here: Create a button that starts a script starting on line #2:  Clicking "Open the Blinds" toggles pulses the relay per this script:. -- Open the Blinds function open_blinds() outlet[1].on() delay(1) outlet[1].off() endTry it at pro.digital-loggers.com:5002 admin/4321 You can also trigger scripts remotely. More on that here. REST API and MQTT. The BASIC scripting language has been replaced by Lua. A much more powerful watchdog supervisory processor has been added. Most important, there's good news on price: the new, more powerful ICs are less expensive. Here's a feature matrix comparing the older Taifatech and newer Atheros power models. |
| Question: | Can I invert AutoPing or the Web Page to use NC contacts? |
| Answer: |
or safety reasons and to prevent support issues, we have not implemented
an "invert relay" function in either the web UI or AutoPing.
You can drive the relays in reverse by:
You can also use the programmable web links to start a script. |
| Question: | What are the mounting dimensions and physical size? Do you have drawings? |
| Answer: | Download a top-level print here (.pdf). Here are graphics of the front of the relay. |
| Question: | What components do I need to build a remotely powered DC site using the DIN relay as a power controller? |
| Answer: | In addition to the load (ie. APCam, PtP link, AP, etc), you'll need a battery, some source of power, ie wind or solar, and most importantly a charge controller with OVP and UVLO features. Over Voltage Protection is needed for reasonable battery life. Under Voltage Lockout is needed to correctly reset attached devices as well as the DIN relay and to prevent oscillation when the battery is deeply discharged. |
| Question: | Wiring and terminal information? |
| Answer: | Use stranded wire from 28AWG to 14AWG. Find information on Phoenix connectors here. |
| Question: | What's a relay? How can I wire it up? |
| Answer: |
The DIN relay has dry contact FORM-C outputs. They provide whatever
output voltage you connect to them. For example, if you connect a wire
from the positive side of your 24V supply to the COM terminal, then the
NO terminal will provide 24 volts when the relay is switched on, and the
NC terminal will provide 24V when the relay is off. You can operate the
DIN relay on a different voltage than the relay contacts. For example,
the DIN relay could run on 12VDC, but switch 220VAC. You can also use
the relay to switch data, communications lines, or other electrical signals. In
a relay, contacts are electrically isolated from the coil. The DIN
relay controls the coil in the diagram below:
N.O. means Normally Open
N.C. means Normally Closed
COM means COMmon Each relay is fully isolated, there is no
internal connection between the relays. The word "common" describes
the wiper of the relay itself which shares the NO and NC contacts in common. The COM pins on the DIN
relay are not connected each other unless you elect to do so
externally. Put simply, all relays are fully isolated.
A relay schematic looks like this:
Find a nice group of relay application notes and wiring examples here: https://www.digital-loggers.com/relay.html |
| Question: | What is the current version of firmware? |
| Answer: | Find the revision history here, and firmware update instructions here. |
| Question: | How does this model compare to the earlier wired-only models? |
| Answer: | These units have both hardwired Ethernet and WiFi, thanks to a more powerful 32 bit CPU from Qualcomm Atheros. The design includes expanded memory for the Atheros including FLASH, EEPROM, and SDRAM. Leveraging open-source code and expanded memory allowed us to add several firmware features including SNMP, HTTPS, SSL, SSH, Rest API and Alexa Compatibility, a REST API and MQTT. The BASIC scripting language has been replaced by Lua. A much more powerful watchdog supervisory processor has been added. Most important, there's good news on price: the new, more powerful ICs are less expensive. Here's a feature matrix comparing the older Taifatech and newer Atheros power models. courtesy of Mike Gillen |
| Question: | Where can I find more extensive and detailed help? |
| Answer: |
Click on the Help menu link on the power controller itself. Then click on the on-line help icon.  |
| Question: | I have a different model: Web Power Switch 7, Ethernet Power Controller II, III, V, or PC-8000 model. Where can I find information? |
| Answer: | Jump to the support page here. Don't see what you need? Just give us a call (408) 330-5599. |
| Question: | How can I control and customize the LCD display? |
| Answer: | The LCD can be used to display settings, outlet status, or any message of your choice. You can operate the LCD in "billboard" style, displaying a series of user defined messages. To customize the LCD, you'll want to write a script using the Lua scripting language. You can also use the display to send messages from remote systems (ie. service alert warnings). To send messages remotely, write a script first, saving it in FLASH then start the script from your remote system. Learn more about scripting here. |
| Question: | I can't access the controller from another network. Autoping will not ping an external server such as 8.8.8.8. How do I fix it? |
| Answer: |
1.
First make sure the
"Same subnet access only" is unchecked in the General network settings
#route Kernel IP routing table Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface default 192.168.11.1 0.0.0.0 UG 0 0 0 eth0 192.168.11.0 * 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth0Only if you don't see a default route and items 1 and 2 are verified, enter these commands into the SSH shell. /etc/init.d/default_route_manager stop /etc/init.d/default_route_manager disable rm /etc/udhcpc-filters/500-divert-default-route-updates /etc/init.d/network restart *Let support@digital-loggers.com know that these default_route changes were made. |
| Question: | Is this product compatible with the older (less secure) HTTP plaintext command syntax? |
| Answer: |
To use the earlier
HTTP commands
described here and
CURL scripts that use plaintext login, you'll need to enable this
legacy setting on the SETUP page:
|
| Question: | What is the default IP address? How do I reset to defaults? What is the default password? |
| Answer: |
If you have lost the IP address or admin password, follow this
procedure to reset to the default IP address of 192.168.0.100:
Press the reset button. After about 5 seconds, you will hear a beep, then use the up 
and down 
keys to choose the type of reset.The following reset modes are available: 1. Clear lock bits: Clear protection bits only. Other settings are
preserved. The default master login is "admin" and default password is "1234". If all settings are reset (the two last 'wipe' reset modes), the Subnet Restriction will be enabled to prevent remote access using the default password. ONLY MACHINES IN THE SAME SUBNET WILL BE ABLE TO CONNECT AFTER RESETTING TO DEFAULTS. Besides setting your computer to a compatible network, you can also use the keypad to set it up. The keypad settings Pro/V222/DC3/ISO32 are slightly different from the keypad settings for the DIN and EPCR models. |
or the reset button and hold it. | Question: | On initial setup, I can't establish a Ethernet communications from a Windows PC. Help! |
| Answer: |
If your default Windows settings won’t access the controller,
follow
these steps to reach the controller’s IP. You'll find a
more extensive explanation
in the user's manual.
Details for setting
up via the keypad can be found here. Before adding an IP, close network programs and browsers. Go to the Network Settings – Local Area Network or use the keyboard shortcut <Windows-R> - type “ncpa.cpl” and click OK. Right click on your LAN connection and choose “Properties”Highlight “Internet Protocol” and click the “Properties” button. Make note of the current settings.Select "Use the following IP address". Enter an IP address such as 192.168.0.5.Enter a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. Delete any gateway entry.Close all windows for the configuration to take effect. Start your Browser and type 192.168.0.100 in the URL field. The index page should be displayed.The default user name is "admin" (lower case) and password is “1234” Set the IP address of the unit to your network, then restore your settings. |
| Question: | How can I change the NTP servers? |
| Answer: |
Log into the unit and choose the External APIs link. If the REST API is not enabled, check the REST API checkbox and press submit. Either: Scroll down to the "Browse the REST API" link Select config Select ntp_peers or enter it manually Eg: http://192.168.0.100/restapi/config/ntp_peers/ Now you can select NTP peer #1 and edit it |
| Question: | Can I set the session timeout longer? |
| Answer: | Yes Log into the unit and choose the External APIs link. If the REST API is not enabled, check the REST API checkbox and press submit. Scroll down to the "Browse the REST API" link <strong>or enter it manually Eg: http://192.168.0.100/restapi/ Select the auth (Authentication server object) link Select Cookie timeout Eg: http://192.168.0.100/restapi/auth/cookie_timeout/ Enter a time in seconds. The next time you login, the timeout will take effect. |
| Question: |
Can I increase the internal system log size? |
| Answer: | Yes, but this must be done via the SSH shell. Log into the unit via SSH. The default is 16KB; to make it 64, use these commands: uci set system.@system[0].log_size=64 uci commit system /etc/init.d/log restart *Note that this will clear the log. |
| Question: | My program used to run fine on an earlier model, but won't run on this one. What can I do? |
| Answer: |
It's possible that the program requires legacy login methods
which accept plaintext authentication. Go
to the Setup page and tick the "Allow legacy plaintext login
methods" checkbox, then click "Submit". If the program works, please inform the author that the preferred authentication method is by using the more secure challenge/response mechanism. Have a look at the Rest API here for new development. |
| Question: | Can you develop custom firmware for my application? |
| Answer: | Gladly. We've done this for many customers. After we agree on a -very specific- project description, we can send you an estimate of the time involved to code, debug and test. In most cases, a kick-off meeting in Silicon Valley is required. |
| Question: | Can you develop custom hardware for my application? |
| Answer: | Gladly. We've done this for many customers. Please call with your requirements. To amortize NRE, practical minimum order quantities are typically 100-1000 units. In most cases, a kick-off meeting in Silicon Valley is required. |
| Question: | Do you support PowerMan? |
| Answer: | Yes, absolutely. The latest code is added to the tarball. Download the latest User Utility here. |
| Question: | What is the blue LCD for? |
| Answer: | The blue LCD shows outlet status during power up, the IP address, netmask, outlet names, and other useful information. Time and date stamps for significant events (such as power outages or emergency shutdowns) are also displayed. Using the keypad, you can set up some of the features such as the network settings. You can program this display to display your own messages using the scripting feature. |
If we haven't answered your questions here, please call (408) 330-5599 or send us an email. We'll be glad to help.
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