Appendix c. log files and the logtool application, C.1 event logging, C.1.1 log categories – Campbell Scientific PC400 Datalogger Support Software User Manual
Page 235: C.1 event, C.1.1 log
Appendix C. Log Files and the LogTool
Application
C.1 Event Logging
As PC400 performs its work, it will create records of various kinds of events
and store them in ASCII log files. These logs can be very useful for
troubleshooting problems and monitoring the operation of the datalogger
network. You can monitor these logs using a built-in tool, called LogTool,
accessible from the Tools | LogTool menu item, or open these log files in a
simple text editor.
Most users will not need to understand these logs, but if you request technical
assistance, a Campbell Scientific application engineer may ask you to send
them one or more of the logs.
C.1.1 Log Categories
The PC400 server logs events in four different kinds of logs as follows:
Transaction Status (TranX.log) — This log file documents the state of the
various transactions that occur between the PC400 server and devices in the
datalogger network. This is the most readable of the logs and contains event
messages that are meaningful to most users. Examples of these events are:
• Datalogger clock check/set
• Datalogger program downloads
• Data collection
The format and type of records in this log are strictly defined to make it
possible for a software program to parse the log records.
Communications Status (CommsX.log) — This log file documents the
quality of communications in the datalogger network.
Object State (StateX.log) — This log file documents the state of an object.
This is primarily for troubleshooting by software developers and the messages
are relatively free in form.
Low Level I/O (IOXSerial Port_1.log) — A low level log file is associated
with each root device in the datalogger network to record incoming and
outgoing communications. While the entire network can be monitored from a
single messaging session of the transaction, communications status, or object
state logs, monitoring of the low-level log is performed on a session with the
root device for that log.
You can monitor the logs with a special application called LogTool, accessed
from the Tools | LogTool menu item in PC400. By default, PC400 stores five
historical files of each type of log, each file 1.4 MB in size. After five files
C-1