Maintenance Session x Configuration Menu

The Maintenance Session x Configuration Menu provides access to parameters that affect how a maintenance report gets reported and, to a limited extent, to how the consist report is formatted.

STC Model 2600 AEI Reader, Site Name: Cromwell Rd Fri Aug 3 15:28:10 EDT 2018

Maintenance Session 1 Configuration Menu

--- A) Auto Reporting : Enabled

B) Site ID : 0000999 C) AAR Billing Code : CSX D) Time Zone : 5 E) Report Delimiter : *

F) Phone Number : 1-800-339-5524 G) Baud Rate : 19200

H) Reporting Protocol : csx I) Reporting Interval (hh:mm) : 01:00 J) Retry Delay Time (minutes) : 3 K) Extended Delay (minutes) : 20 L) Include Century Field : No M) Use Extended (STC) Code List : No

N) Synch. Clock With Host : Disabled O) Header : None P) Login ID : t94test Q) Password : conrail2csx R) Destination Directory : None

S) Host Name|IP : None X) Exit Menu

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Maintenance Session X Configuration Menu Example- Session 1

Maintenance Session x Configuration Menu

Auto Reporting This parameter is used to activate and deactivate the reporting session. When set to "Enabled," the 2600 Controller attempts to transmit maintenance reports as scheduled by this session.

Site ID This parameter specifies the "official" identifier for the AEI reader site as far as the reporting session is concerned. This specified identifier is used to populate a field in the header (AMH record) of the

maintenance reports generated for this session.

AAR Billing Code This parameter corresponds to another field in the header (AMH record) of the maintenance reports generated for this reporting session. The AAR Billing Code loosely identifies the railroad that the reporting session is configured to report to or for.

Time Zone This parameter is used to specify the time zone for the 2600 site.

When selected, the following prompt appears;

Enter New Time Zone (Eastern=5 Central=6 Mountain=7 Pacific=8)

Report Delimiter This parameter is used to specify what character (if any) is to be used to delimit the fields in the maintenance reports generated in association with the reporting session. When selected, the following prompt appears:

Current Report Delimiter: (space) Enter New Report Delimiter:

After the prompt, specify any printable character by pressing that key on the keyboard. Pressing the spacebar will cause a space to be used. Pressing <Enter> will cause the system to not insert a delimiter between report fields. If no delimiter is selected, "(null)"

appears as the setting for the Report Delimiter option.

Phone Number This option is used to specify the phone number that the site is to use when attempting to deliver maintenance reports for this reporting session. This parameter applies only when a dial-out (either landline or cellular) modem is installed in the system.

Baud Rate This option is used to specify the baud rate the system modem is to use when initiating a dial-out connection with a remote modem. The specified baud rate is the maximum baud at which a connection is made.

Reporting Protocol This parameter is used to specify which predefined protocol is used when transmitting maintenance reports to a remote server/computer.

When this option is selected, a menu similar to the following appears:

STC Model 2600 AEI Reader, Site Name: Cromwell Fri Aug 3 15:28:10 EDT 2018

Current Reporting Protocol (ns) Menu

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Reporting Interval This parameter is used to specify the amount of time that should elapse between the 2600 Controller's attempts to transmit a maintenance report. For instance, if the Reporting Interval was set to 02:00 (2 hours) the 2600 Controller would attempt to transmit a maintenance report every two hours.

Retry Delay Time This parameter is used to specify the amount of time, in minutes, that the 2600 Controller is to wait between failed attempts to transmit a maintenance report to the server/computer referenced by this session. The Retry Delay Time comes into play only when the 2600 Controller makes an attempt to transmit a maintenance report as scheduled by the Reporting Interval parameter and the attempt fails (for instance, if the dialed phone number is busy).

(Maintenance Session Configuration Menu, cont.)

Extended Delay This parameter is used to specify a waiting period for the 2600 Controller in the case where it is having difficulty establishing a connection with a remote server/computer. If, after five attempts, the 2600 Controller fails to transmit a maintenance report successfully, it then waits the specified Extended Delay time before making the next attempt.

Include Century Field Some versions of the S-918 specification included a requirement for a two-digit field that specifies the year/century of the date that a maintenance report is generated. This parameter provides the option of either including this field or omitting it.

Use Extended (STC) Code List The AEI Users Group (membership is primarily Class I Railroad representatives) has published an informal list of possible

alternative, vendor-specific "maintenance issue" codes that can be used in the generation of maintenance reports. This parameter provides the option to use the historic/standard code list or to use the AEI User Group's alternative, vendor-specific code list.

Synch. Clock with Host This parameter is used to specify whether the 2600 Controller is to synchronize its clock with that of the remote server using a

timestamp supplied by the server. The referenced timestamp must be one that is supplied via the predefined reporting protocol selected for this reporting session.

Header This parameter is used to specify a line of text that is to precede any maintenance report delivered in accordance with this reporting session. Some of the available, predefined reporting protocols require a header in a specified format. For those reporting protocols that do not require it, this parameter will be ignored.

Login ID This parameter is used to specify a login id that is expected by the server/computer to which this session directs maintenance reports, in accordance with the selected reporting protocol. For those reporting protocols that do not require it, this parameter will be ignored.

Password This parameter is used to specify a password that is expected by the server/computer to which this session directs maintenance reports, in accordance with the selected reporting protocol. For those reporting protocols that do not require it, this parameter will be ignored.

Destination Directory This parameter is used to specify a directory on the remote server/computer to which this session directs maintenance reports (in which reports are to be routed to in accordance with the selected reporting protocol, e.g., where the FTP protocol has been specified).

For those reporting protocols that do not require it, this parameter will be ignored.

Host Name | IP This parameter is used to specify the name or IP address of the remote server/computer to which this session directs maintenance reports. This parameter applies only to those reporting protocols that employ an Ethernet connection and/or IP protocol to deliver T94 reports. For those reporting protocols that do not require it, this parameter will be ignored.

(Maintenance Session Configuration Menu, cont.)