Pump Communications Fault Finding

If your pump communications (comms) are not working, or are working badly, there are some basic things to check before contacting ITL support.

Symptoms of Bad Comms

These all indicate low-level communication problems. Some pump types are more prone to these kinds of problems than others, depending on how well their communications is designed and how well the protocol deals with errors.

	You may see the "not responding" red X pump icon. This means there is no communication at all with the pump.
	If the "not responding" red X is flashing on and off then there is some communication, but not sufficient for the Enabler to successfully operate the pump.
	Another sign of problems is that, the pump can not be authorised.

No comms at all - Are the pumps capable of Communication?

Not all pumps in the field have the ability to communicate. They usually require configuration before they will connect, and sometimes require additional hardware (e.g. plugin boards), firmware updates, or jumper settings changed. Some older or simpler pumps may not have any ability to communicate, or may only be able to output a pulse signal.

The easiest way to know that the pumps will communicate, is: were the pumps previously connected to a console/POS/controller? If not, then you cannot automatically assume they are capable of communication. Ask the pump technician to confirm the pump's capability. Read our pump pages in detail to get tips on how to identify or confirm the pump setup.

FDM

1. Do you have the right FDM? Check our Supported Pumps page

Power

1. Do you have the right power supply for each FDM? (Also read the detailed pump page for tips).
2. Some FDMs have a yellow power LED. Is it on?
3. Is the site power good quality? If not, run the PC and FDM off a UPS. Even if the power seems OK normally it can have brownouts (temporary drop in voltage).
4. Does the pump have reliable power? If the pump power is not reliable it may reset, stopping deliveries.

Cabling

1. Cable connections: make sure everything is connected firmly, with clean wire and without moisture. Check the pump connections, the FDM, and the Enabler cable.
2. Grounding: check the pumps are grounded properly. This can be difficult in some locations.

Software

1. Make sure you have downloaded the latest pump driver update.
2. Check that the Enabler card firmware meets the minimum requirement, if any, as documented in the protocol FAQ page.

The following flowchart provides extra help in identifying the cause of the problem. Please ensure you have run through this process before contacting ITL for support.

Download this flowchart as a PDF file.

See also:

• Our FAQ on the operation of LEDs on The Enabler Card.