OrionMX

User Manual

January 24, 2023

Document Revision D
© 2023 by NovaTech, LLC
 OrionMX
NovaTech, LLC
13555 West 107th Street
Lenexa, KS 66215
Phone (913) 451-1880
www.novatechautomation.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
Data classification: Public use
© Copyright 2009, 2023 by NovaTech, LLC
All Rights Reserved. All NovaTech trademarks are owned by NovaTech, LLC. All other trademarks are
the property of their respective owners.
The NovaTech Configuration Director (NCD) software may be installed on multiple computers as needed
under the following conditions:
▪ The computers must be owned by the end user or its subsidiary.
▪ The NCD installation must be used for an Orion-related project.

All files installed by NCD are protected by copyright and may not be shared with any third party. By installing
NCD on a computer, you agree to these terms and conditions.

Any repairs should be performed by NovaTech.

Disclaimer
This manual contains information that is correct to the best of NovaTech's knowledge. It is intended to be
a guide and should be used as such. It should not be considered a sole source of technical instruction,
replacing good technical judgment, since all possible situations cannot be anticipated. If there is any
question as to the installation, configuration, or use of this product, contact NovaTech, LLC at
(913) 451-1880.
To ensure that the equipment described in this User's Manual, as well as all equipment connected to and
used with it, operates in a satisfactory and safe manner, all applicable local and national codes that apply
to installing and operating the equipment must be followed. Since these codes can vary geographically
and can change with time, it is the user's responsibility to determine which codes and standards apply, and
to comply with them.
Failure to follow the instructions provided in this manual, and/or failure to comply with
applicable codes and safety standards can result in damage to this equipment, damage
to connected devices, and/or serious injury to personnel.
The OrionMX is not designed nor approved for installation or operation in nuclear facilities.
All links to external websites have been verified as correct and appropriate at the time of the publication of
this document. However, these links and websites, being outside of NovaTech LLC’s control, are subject
to change by their respective owners and may no longer be correct. In this case, please contact
[email protected].

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The documentation for the Orion products is structured as follows.

Manual name (see cover Purpose

page of each manual)
Quick Startup Guide Describes out-of-the-box setup for quick installation.
User Manuals ▪ Description of Orion hardware and hardware options.
▪ OrionLX+ ▪ List of software protocol options.
▪ OrionSX ▪ NovaTech Configuration Director (NCD) software description:
▪ OrionLXm o Installation of software on PC
▪ OrionMX o Information on running NCD
▪ Orion I/O ▪ User interface information for monitoring and maintenance:
o Using the Orion Webpage
o Using MMI console
▪ Setup and operation of the video option (-MMC for OrionLX+, -MMM
for OrionSX)
Software Manuals Software manuals explain all aspects of setup and operation of protocols
such as DNP3 client and software options (Archive, Logic, DA Logic, etc.)
Tech Notes Tech Notes provide solutions for general integration, such as scaling or
setup of RS-485 networks.
Field Instructions Field Instructions provide step-by-step instructions for installation of new
hardware or software in the field.

In the directory with the documentation, the names of the protocol software manuals begin with Protocol,
such as Protocol_DNP3_Client.pdf and software application manuals begin with Software, such as
Software_IEC61131-3.pdf.

See also Appendix G – Additional Documentation for a list and locations of the recommended reference
manuals.

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Styles and Symbols

In this document, fonts, text styles and symbols are used to distinguish standard text from keyboard input,
program text, GUI messages, and hyperlinks as follows. Warnings and safety notices are indicated with
ANSI symbols.

Displayed text or symbol Description

This is normal text. Standard text.
See OrionMX Setup Hyperlink to text in same document.
www.novatechautomation.com Hyperlink to website.
[email protected] Clicking this link starts email client on the PC.
See Orion I/O User Manual Document name.
Minimum value Menu item or text displayed by software.
Name of the data point Text to be entered in input field or window.
Save GUI button to be clicked.
if frequency < 60.0 then Program code.
<Enter>, <Ctrl>+<G>, <G> Key to be pressed.
This yellow triangle indicates a warning that
must be observed by the users in order to
avoid possible equipment damage or personal
injury.
This yellow triangle indicates an electrical
hazard.

Electrostatic sensitive device requires proper

handling and grounding procedures to avoid
equipment damage.
DANGER indicates an imminently hazardous
situation which, if not avoided, will result in
death or serious injury.
WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous
situation which, if not avoided, could result in
death or serious injury.
CAUTION indicates a hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, may result in minor or
moderate injury.

Note that depending on the Windows® display settings on the computer running NCD, some of the screen
shot details may appear differently than shown in this manual. The screen shots in this manual have been
taken using Windows 10®.

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Table of Contents

I. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 16
Overview of the OrionMX User Manual ............................................................................................ 17
Location of Documentation ............................................................................................................... 18
Orion Setup ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Configuration Overview............................................................................................................... 19
Setup of OrionMX IP Address ..................................................................................................... 19
Setup Using NCD ......................................................................................................................... 19
Setup Using OrionMX Webpage ................................................................................................. 20
Setup Worksheet .......................................................................................................................... 20
Change of Passwords.................................................................................................................. 23
Operation of OrionMX ........................................................................................................................ 24

II. OrionMX Hardware ............................................................................................................................. 25

Physical Specifications ...................................................................................................................... 25
OrionMX Standard Features .............................................................................................................. 27
OrionMX Options ................................................................................................................................ 27
Part Number Example .................................................................................................................. 29
OrionMX Front Panel .......................................................................................................................... 30
Maintenance Port (Port A) ........................................................................................................... 30
Power Connections ...................................................................................................................... 31
Supply Disconnect Requirement ...................................................................................... 32
WR Power Supply Fusing .................................................................................................. 32
Ethernet Ports .............................................................................................................................. 32
Serial Ports ................................................................................................................................... 33
IRIG Input ...................................................................................................................................... 35
Discrete Inputs ............................................................................................................................. 35
Discrete Outputs .......................................................................................................................... 36
Discrete I/O Card (-D1) ................................................................................................................. 36
RS-232/485/422 Serial Port Card (-S1)........................................................................................ 37
Fiber Serial Port Card (-F1) ......................................................................................................... 38
OrionMX Dimensioned Drawings ...................................................................................................... 39
Mounting Instructions ........................................................................................................................ 42

III. NovaTech Configuration Director (NCD) .......................................................................................... 47

Introduction to NovaTech Configuration Director (NCD) ............................................................... 47
System Requirements ................................................................................................................. 48
Copyright Information ................................................................................................................. 48
Outline of NCD Sections.............................................................................................................. 48
Installation of NCD.............................................................................................................................. 50
Standard NCD Installation ........................................................................................................... 50
Passive NCD Installion ................................................................................................................ 50
NCD Default File Information ...................................................................................................... 51
Running NCD ...................................................................................................................................... 53
NCD Main Menu Bar ..................................................................................................................... 53
Quick Access Toolbar ........................................................................................................ 54

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File Menu ....................................................................................................................................... 56
Edit Menu ...................................................................................................................................... 60
User Settings - Updates Tab ............................................................................................. 61
User Settings – General Tab ............................................................................................. 62
User Settings – Capture Tab ............................................................................................. 63
Configure Menu ............................................................................................................................ 64
Standard Software Features ............................................................................................. 65
General ................................................................................................................................ 65
Hardware Model Information ............................................................................................. 67
Operations in Port Setup Window .................................................................................... 68
Serial Ports ......................................................................................................................... 69
Network Port ....................................................................................................................... 71
NKI – Time Interface ........................................................................................................... 72
Add Ons............................................................................................................................... 75
Hardware I/O ....................................................................................................................... 86
Logic .................................................................................................................................... 96
Communications Menu................................................................................................................ 98
Grouping Connections .................................................................................................... 103
Communication Window ................................................................................................. 104
Window Menu ............................................................................................................................. 106
Help Menu ................................................................................................................................... 107
Documentation ................................................................................................................. 108
Protocol Information ........................................................................................................ 109
Control Versions .............................................................................................................. 109
Program Versions ............................................................................................................ 110
System Information .......................................................................................................... 111
About ................................................................................................................................. 111

IV. Orion Webpage ................................................................................................................................. 112

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 112
Orion Login ................................................................................................................................. 114
Home Tab .......................................................................................................................................... 116
Diagnostics Tab ................................................................................................................................ 117
Diagnostics -> Devices .............................................................................................................. 117
Diagnostics -> DataValues ........................................................................................................ 118
View Input Values ............................................................................................................. 119
Force Input Values ........................................................................................................... 122
Viewing Output Values .................................................................................................... 124
Force Output Values ........................................................................................................ 124
View Tagging Archive ...................................................................................................... 126
Diagnostics -> ViewComms ...................................................................................................... 128
Diagnostics -> System ............................................................................................................... 131
Diagnostics -> Logs ................................................................................................................... 135
Alarms Tab ........................................................................................................................................ 138
Archive Tab ....................................................................................................................................... 141
Files Tab ............................................................................................................................................ 145
User Files .................................................................................................................................... 146
Selecting the Active Configuration .......................................................................................... 147
System Files ............................................................................................................................... 148
Settings Menu ................................................................................................................................... 149
Users ........................................................................................................................................... 151
Change Password ............................................................................................................ 153

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Group Management .......................................................................................................... 153
Authentication Rules ................................................................................................................. 156
User Lockout Rules .......................................................................................................... 156
Password Rules ................................................................................................................ 157
Remote Root Login .......................................................................................................... 158
Remote Accounts ....................................................................................................................... 159
Firewall ........................................................................................................................................ 160
Key Management ........................................................................................................................ 164
Create Key ......................................................................................................................... 166
System Log ................................................................................................................................. 167
Networking .................................................................................................................................. 169
General Interface Settings ............................................................................................... 170
Interface(s) Settings ......................................................................................................... 170
Advanced Networking Options ....................................................................................... 171
Serial Access .............................................................................................................................. 177
Time ............................................................................................................................................. 178
Serial............................................................................................................................................ 182
WebUI .......................................................................................................................................... 183
HMI Tab.............................................................................................................................. 183
Link Bar Tab ...................................................................................................................... 186
Timeouts Tab .................................................................................................................... 187
Page Configuration Tab ................................................................................................... 188
Login Message Tab .......................................................................................................... 189
Database Tab .................................................................................................................... 190
Alarms ......................................................................................................................................... 192
Notifications ...................................................................................................................... 193
Operations ........................................................................................................................ 193
Text Colors ........................................................................................................................ 194
Background Colors .......................................................................................................... 194
Database ..................................................................................................................................... 194
Tagging ....................................................................................................................................... 196
Cascaded Orions ........................................................................................................................ 200
Services ...................................................................................................................................... 201
Scheduler .................................................................................................................................... 202
Scheduling Tasks ............................................................................................................. 202
Add CSV Task ................................................................................................................... 203
Add FileMover Task ......................................................................................................... 205
Add Config Manager Agent Task .................................................................................... 206

V. Orion MMI .......................................................................................................................................... 207

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 207
Connecting to the Orion MMI .......................................................................................................... 208
Orion Maintenance Port............................................................................................................. 208
Connecting to the Orion with NCD ........................................................................................... 208
Unlocking a User Account ........................................................................................................ 208
MMI Menus ........................................................................................................................................ 209
File Menu ..................................................................................................................................... 210
File Transfer (PC -> ORION) ............................................................................................ 210
File Transfer (ORION -> PC) ............................................................................................ 212
Make Config File Active ................................................................................................... 213
Delete a File ...................................................................................................................... 214
View a File ......................................................................................................................... 214
Data Menu ................................................................................................................................... 216
View Input Values ............................................................................................................. 217

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View Output Values .......................................................................................................... 220
Force Input Values ........................................................................................................... 221
Clear Forced Input Values ............................................................................................... 224
Force Output Values ........................................................................................................ 224
View Communications ............................................................................................................... 228
Client Port Troubleshooting ............................................................................................ 231
Server Port Troubleshooting .......................................................................................... 232
Device Statistics ......................................................................................................................... 233
System Menu .............................................................................................................................. 233
Clock Configuration ......................................................................................................... 234
View System Info .............................................................................................................. 235
View Event Log ................................................................................................................. 236
Clear Event Log ................................................................................................................ 236
View Version Info ............................................................................................................. 237
Pass-Through Menu ......................................................................................................... 238
Thread Info ........................................................................................................................ 239
Restart ............................................................................................................................... 241
Disconnect .................................................................................................................................. 241
Session Timeouts ...................................................................................................................... 241
Network Menu ............................................................................................................................. 243
Basic Network Configuration .......................................................................................... 243
Start/Stop Firewall ............................................................................................................ 246

Appendix A – Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 247

Appendix B – Inputs / Outputs Tools and Buttons .............................................................................. 248

1. Display/Hide Tag Name ............................................................................................................. 248
2. Search Point List ........................................................................................................................ 248
3. Toggle Show Point Detail .......................................................................................................... 249
4. Display/Hide Alias Names ......................................................................................................... 249
5. View Report ................................................................................................................................ 249
6. Edit Common Attributes ............................................................................................................ 249
7. Font Size ..................................................................................................................................... 250
8. Slider Bar .................................................................................................................................... 251
9. Point Type Filter Tabs................................................................................................................ 251

Appendix C – Backup and Restore User Configuration ..................................................................... 252

Backup User Configuration ............................................................................................................. 252
Restore Backup User Configuration............................................................................................... 253

Appendix D – Maintenance .................................................................................................................... 256

OrionMX Storage and Unpowered Standby ................................................................................... 256
Cleaning ............................................................................................................................................. 256

Appendix E – OrionMX Dual Rack Mount Assembly Guide ................................................................ 257

Mounting Kit Materials ..................................................................................................................... 257
Assembly Procedure ........................................................................................................................ 257

Appendix F – GPL License Information ................................................................................................ 259

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Appendix G – Additional Documentation ............................................................................................. 260

List of Figures
Figure 1: NovaTech Documentation Link ............................................................................................... 18
Figure 2: Documentation Path in Windows 10 ....................................................................................... 18
Figure 3: OrionMX Front Panel ................................................................................................................ 30
Figure 4: WR Power Connector Keying .................................................................................................. 31
Figure 5: Orion MX Power and Outputs terminals ................................................................................. 32
Figure 6: Maintenance/Ethernet/Serial Ports ......................................................................................... 33
Figure 7: IRIG-B Connector and LEDs .................................................................................................... 35
Figure 8: Discrete Inputs .......................................................................................................................... 35
Figure 9: Output Port and LEDs .............................................................................................................. 36
Figure 10: OrionMX with -D1 Card in Slot A ........................................................................................... 36
Figure 11: OrionMX with -S1 Card in Slot B ........................................................................................... 38
Figure 12: OrionMX -F1 Card in Slot B .................................................................................................... 38
Figure 13: Standard Ears Bottom Mounting........................................................................................... 39
Figure 14: Standard Ears Back Mounting ............................................................................................... 40
Figure 15: Slim Mounting Plate (top) ...................................................................................................... 41
Figure 16: DIN Rail Mounting Bracket ..................................................................................................... 41
Figure 17: OrionMX in Standard Enclosure, Front-Mounted with Panel Mount Option..................... 42
Figure 18: OrionMX in Standard Enclosure, Top-Mounted with Panel Mount Option ....................... 42
Figure 19: OrionMX in Standard Enclosure, Rear-Mounted with Panel Mount Option ...................... 43
Figure 20: OrionMX in 4S Enclosure, Bottom-Mounted with Panel Mount Option ............................ 43
Figure 21: OrionMX in Standard Enclosure, DIN Rail Mounted ............................................................ 44
Figure 22: OrionMX in 2S Enclosure with 2RU1 for 19” Rack .............................................................. 44
Figure 23: OrionMX in 2S Enclosure with 2RU1 for 19” Rack (Recessed) .......................................... 44
Figure 24: Recessed OrionMX in 4S Enclosure with 3RU1 for 19” Rack (Recessed) ........................ 45
Figure 25: Two OrionMX in Standard Enclosure with Option Dual-Rack-MX-2RU for 19” Rack ...... 45
Figure 26: OrionMX Standard and OrionMX in 2S Enclosure with Option Dual-Rack-MX-2RU ........ 46
Figure 27: Orion Documentation Location ............................................................................................. 49
Figure 28: NCD Program Directory Structure ........................................................................................ 51
Figure 29: NCD Data Directory Structure ............................................................................................... 52
Figure 30: NCD Opening Screen - Main Menu........................................................................................ 53
Figure 31: Quick Access Toolbar ............................................................................................................ 54
Figure 32: File Menu ................................................................................................................................. 56
Figure 33: Select Hardware and Options ................................................................................................ 58
Figure 34: Selecting Configuration for Save, Save As, Close .............................................................. 58
Figure 35: Convert Operations ................................................................................................................ 58
Figure 36: Reorder Network Ports ........................................................................................................... 59
Figure 37: NCD Prompt for Logic File ..................................................................................................... 59
Figure 38: Edit Menu ................................................................................................................................. 60
Figure 39: User Settings – Updates Tab ................................................................................................. 60
Figure 40: User Settings – General Tab .................................................................................................. 62
Figure 41: User Settings – Capture Tab .................................................................................................. 63
Figure 42: Configure Menu....................................................................................................................... 64
Figure 43: General Settings ..................................................................................................................... 65
Figure 44: OrionMX Hardware Configuration ......................................................................................... 67
Figure 45: Port Options ............................................................................................................................ 68
Figure 46: Choose Port for Copy/Move .................................................................................................. 68
Figure 47: Serial Port Selection ............................................................................................................... 69
Figure 48: Serial Protocol Selection Menu ............................................................................................. 70
Figure 49: Serial Port Configuration ....................................................................................................... 70

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Figure 50: Network Port Configuration ................................................................................................... 71
Figure 51: Network Protocol Selection Menu......................................................................................... 71
Figure 52: NKI – Port Setup...................................................................................................................... 72
Figure 53: NKI – Time Interface Data Points .......................................................................................... 73
Figure 54: Add Ons - Options .................................................................................................................. 75
Figure 55: Alias Assignment .................................................................................................................... 76
Figure 56: Configuration Manager Agent General Settings ................................................................. 79
Figure 57: Select Port Commands .......................................................................................................... 80
Figure 58: Sensor Setup - Port ................................................................................................................ 82
Figure 59: Sensor Setup - Inputs ............................................................................................................. 83
Figure 60: IIO Client Port .......................................................................................................................... 86
Figure 61: OrionMX Base Configuration ................................................................................................. 87
Figure 62: Select Slot for New I/O Card .................................................................................................. 88
Figure 63: Configuration of Additional I/O Cards .................................................................................. 89
Figure 64: Inputs Configuration – Binary Filter ..................................................................................... 90
Figure 65: Example – Input Processing with Filter and Debounce Timer ........................................... 92
Figure 66: Outputs Configuration ........................................................................................................... 92
Figure 67: User Default File Name ........................................................................................................... 95
Figure 68: Default File Information .......................................................................................................... 95
Figure 69: Logic Options .......................................................................................................................... 96
Figure 70: NCD Communications ............................................................................................................ 98
Figure 71: Manage Connections .............................................................................................................. 99
Figure 72: Connection Information ....................................................................................................... 101
Figure 73: Creating/Saving/Loading Connection Files ....................................................................... 103
Figure 74: NCD Communication Window ............................................................................................. 104
Figure 75: Window Menu ........................................................................................................................ 106
Figure 76: Help Menu .............................................................................................................................. 107
Figure 77: Documentation Files ............................................................................................................ 108
Figure 78: Protocol Information ............................................................................................................ 109
Figure 79: Control Versions ................................................................................................................... 109
Figure 80: Program Versions ................................................................................................................. 110
Figure 81: System Information .............................................................................................................. 111
Figure 82: NCD Version Information ..................................................................................................... 111
Figure 83: Connect with the Orion ........................................................................................................ 112
Figure 84: Microsoft Edge Security Warning ....................................................................................... 112
Figure 85: Chrome Security Warning .................................................................................................... 113
Figure 86: Firefox Security Warning ..................................................................................................... 113
Figure 87: Orion Login ............................................................................................................................ 114
Figure 88: Orion Homepage ................................................................................................................... 114
Figure 89: Orion Unlock Prompt ............................................................................................................ 115
Figure 90: Orion Home Tab .................................................................................................................... 116
Figure 91: Devices Page ......................................................................................................................... 117
Figure 92: DataValues – Main Page ....................................................................................................... 118
Figure 93: DataValues – View Input Values .......................................................................................... 119
Figure 94: DataValues – Column Options ............................................................................................ 120
Figure 95: DataValues – Force Input Value .......................................................................................... 122
Figure 96: DataValues – View Output Values ....................................................................................... 124
Figure 97: DataValues – Force Output Value ....................................................................................... 125
Figure 98: DataValues – View Tagging Archive ................................................................................... 126
Figure 99: DataValues – Applied Tags .................................................................................................. 127
Figure 100: ViewComms – Select Port .................................................................................................. 128
Figure 101: ViewComms – Select Displayed Information ................................................................... 129
Figure 102: ViewComms ......................................................................................................................... 130
Figure 103: ViewComms – Reset, Clear, and Download ..................................................................... 130
Figure 104: System Page........................................................................................................................ 132
Figure 105: System Page – Serial and Ethernet Interfaces ................................................................ 134

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Figure 106: System Page – Memory Info .............................................................................................. 134
Figure 107: System Page – Package Versions .................................................................................... 135
Figure 108: Logs Page ............................................................................................................................ 136
Figure 109: Log Message Details .......................................................................................................... 137
Figure 110: Alarms Tab .......................................................................................................................... 138
Figure 111: Column Setting Menu ......................................................................................................... 139
Figure 112: Alarm Archive without Filter .............................................................................................. 140
Figure 113: Alarm Archive with Filter ................................................................................................... 140
Figure 114: Archive - 1000 Most Recent Records ............................................................................... 141
Figure 115: Archive with Custom Filter ................................................................................................ 142
Figure 116: Archive –Trending .............................................................................................................. 142
Figure 117: Archive – Trend for Multiple Data Points ......................................................................... 144
Figure 118: Files Page ............................................................................................................................ 145
Figure 119: Send Files to Orion ............................................................................................................. 146
Figure 120: Select Active Configuration ............................................................................................... 147
Figure 121: Confirmation Prompt .......................................................................................................... 147
Figure 122: System Files ........................................................................................................................ 148
Figure 123: Settings Menu ..................................................................................................................... 149
Figure 124: User Management Page ..................................................................................................... 151
Figure 125: Add User Page .................................................................................................................... 152
Figure 126: Change Own Password ...................................................................................................... 153
Figure 127: Authentication Rules – User Lockout Rules .................................................................... 156
Figure 128: Authentication Rules – Password Rules .......................................................................... 157
Figure 129: Authentication Rules – Remote Root Login .................................................................... 158
Figure 130: Remote Accounts Page ...................................................................................................... 159
Figure 131: Firewall Settings ................................................................................................................. 160
Figure 132: Firewall Filter Options Page 1 ........................................................................................... 161
Figure 133: Firewall Filter Options Page 2 ........................................................................................... 162
Figure 134: Key Management Settings ................................................................................................. 164
Figure 135: Default Key Values ............................................................................................................. 165
Figure 136: Create New Key ................................................................................................................... 166
Figure 137: System Log Setup .............................................................................................................. 167
Figure 138: Networking Settings ........................................................................................................... 169
Figure 139: Add Static Route ................................................................................................................. 172
Figure 140: Ethernet Bonding Configuration ....................................................................................... 173
Figure 141: Add Network Bridge ........................................................................................................... 176
Figure 142: Console Port Settings ........................................................................................................ 177
Figure 143: Time – Time Zone ............................................................................................................... 178
Figure 144: Time – Set Time................................................................................................................... 178
Figure 145: Time – IRIG-B Input Settings ............................................................................................. 179
Figure 146: Time – NTP .......................................................................................................................... 180
Figure 147: Time – PTP/IEEE 1588 ........................................................................................................ 181
Figure 148: Serial Port Settings ............................................................................................................. 182
Figure 149: WebUI Settings – HMI ......................................................................................................... 184
Figure 150: Small text in header and link bar....................................................................................... 185
Figure 151: Large text in header and link bar ...................................................................................... 185
Figure 152: Control dialog with tag information .................................................................................. 185
Figure 153: Control dialog without tag information ............................................................................ 185
Figure 154: User-defined SVG files on Home page ............................................................................. 185
Figure 155: Link Bar Example ................................................................................................................ 186
Figure 156: WebUI Settings – Timeouts ............................................................................................... 187
Figure 157: WebUI Settings – Page Configuration .............................................................................. 188
Figure 158: Link Bar and Header Settings............................................................................................ 189
Figure 159: WebUI Settings – Login Message ..................................................................................... 190
Figure 160: Custom Login Message ..................................................................................................... 190
Figure 161: WebUI Settings - Database ................................................................................................ 191

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Figure 162: Alarms configuration .......................................................................................................... 192
Figure 163: Acknowledge All button on Alarms tab ............................................................................ 193
Figure 164: Database Settings ............................................................................................................... 194
Figure 165: Add Database User ............................................................................................................. 195
Figure 166: Tag List ................................................................................................................................ 196
Figure 167: Add New Tag ....................................................................................................................... 197
Figure 168: Tagging Button in Graphics .............................................................................................. 199
Figure 169: Setting a Standard Tag ....................................................................................................... 199
Figure 170: Cascaded Server ................................................................................................................. 200
Figure 171: Services Settings ................................................................................................................ 201
Figure 172: Scheduler – Task List ......................................................................................................... 202
Figure 173: Task Scheduling ................................................................................................................. 203
Figure 174: CSV Task Parameters ......................................................................................................... 203
Figure 175: FileMover Task Parameters ............................................................................................... 205
Figure 176: OrionMX MMI Main Menu ................................................................................................... 209
Figure 177: OrionMX File Menu ............................................................................................................. 210
Figure 178: File Transfer to OrionMX .................................................................................................... 211
Figure 179: File Transfer OrionMX to PC .............................................................................................. 212
Figure 180: Configuration File Selection .............................................................................................. 213
Figure 181: Make Selected Configuration File Active ......................................................................... 213
Figure 182: Delete File from Flash Memory.......................................................................................... 214
Figure 183: Select File for Viewing ........................................................................................................ 214
Figure 184: View File ............................................................................................................................... 215
Figure 185: Data Menu ............................................................................................................................ 216
Figure 186: Select Port for Input Point Monitoring .............................................................................. 217
Figure 187: Input Point Monitoring ....................................................................................................... 217
Figure 188: Data View Column Editor ................................................................................................... 218
Figure 189: Data View Sort Editor ......................................................................................................... 219
Figure 190: Select Port for Output Monitoring ..................................................................................... 220
Figure 191: Output Point Monitoring .................................................................................................... 220
Figure 192: Select Port for Forcing Input Values ................................................................................ 221
Figure 193: Select Input Point ............................................................................................................... 221
Figure 194: Force Input Point ................................................................................................................ 222
Figure 195: Enter Input Point Value ...................................................................................................... 222
Figure 196: Remove Forced Input Value .............................................................................................. 223
Figure 197: Clear Input Override ........................................................................................................... 224
Figure 198: Select Port for Forcing Output Values ............................................................................. 225
Figure 199: Select Point for Forcing Output Value .............................................................................. 225
Figure 200: Forcing Output Value ......................................................................................................... 226
Figure 201: Entering Forced Output Value ........................................................................................... 226
Figure 202: Communications Menu ...................................................................................................... 228
Figure 203: Viewing Communications .................................................................................................. 229
Figure 204: Communications Display Options .................................................................................... 230
Figure 205: Device Statistics ................................................................................................................. 233
Figure 206: System Menu ....................................................................................................................... 233
Figure 207: Clock Configuration ........................................................................................................... 234
Figure 208: System Information ............................................................................................................ 235
Figure 209: View Event Log ................................................................................................................... 236
Figure 210: Version Information ............................................................................................................ 237
Figure 211: Pass Through Menu ........................................................................................................... 238
Figure 212: Pass Through Window to Relay ........................................................................................ 239
Figure 213: Thread Info .......................................................................................................................... 240
Figure 214: Restart Menu ....................................................................................................................... 241
Figure 215: Session Timeouts ............................................................................................................... 242
Figure 216: Session Timeouts ............................................................................................................... 242
Figure 217: Network Menu ..................................................................................................................... 243

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Figure 218: Basic Network Configuration ............................................................................................ 243
Figure 219: Configure Interface ............................................................................................................. 244
Figure 220: Network Port Configuration – Multiple Gateways Configured ....................................... 245
Figure 221: Start/Stop Firewall .............................................................................................................. 246
Figure 222: Input/Output Menu Tools ................................................................................................... 248
Figure 223: Edit Common Attributes .................................................................................................... 249
Figure 224: Edit Common Attributes - Details ..................................................................................... 250
Figure 225: Slider Bar ............................................................................................................................. 251
Figure 226: Filter By Point Type ............................................................................................................ 251
Figure 227: Backup File Selections ....................................................................................................... 252
Figure 228: Backup File Action ............................................................................................................. 253
Figure 229: Select File – Restore Backup............................................................................................. 254
Figure 230: Restore Items Selection ..................................................................................................... 254
Figure 231: Send File to Orion ............................................................................................................... 255
Figure 232: Restore Confirmation ......................................................................................................... 255
Figure 233: Restarting Orion.................................................................................................................. 255
Figure 234: OrionMX 2S and Standard OrionMX in Dual Rack Mount for 19” Rack ........................ 258
Figure 235: Two Standard OrionMX Mounted in 19” Rack ................................................................. 258

List of Tables
Table 1: Overview of OrionMX User Manual........................................................................................... 17
Table 2: OrionMX Setup Worksheet ........................................................................................................ 23
Table 3: OrionMX Operations – Webpage and MMI Overview .............................................................. 24
Table 4: USB Communications Port Parameters ................................................................................... 30
Table 5: Power Supply Connector Keying .............................................................................................. 31
Table 6: RJ45 Ethernet LEDs ................................................................................................................... 33
Table 7: Serial Port RS-232 Pinout .......................................................................................................... 33
Table 8: RS-485 Half Duplex Pinout ........................................................................................................ 34
Table 9: RS-485/422 Full Duplex Pinout .................................................................................................. 34
Table 10: IRIG-B Terminal ........................................................................................................................ 35
Table 11: Discrete Input Voltages and Current Draw ............................................................................ 36
Table 12: I/O Card Terminal Assignments .............................................................................................. 37
Table 13: NCD Program Directory Structure .......................................................................................... 51
Table 14: NCD Data Directory Structure ................................................................................................. 52
Table 15: NCD Main Menu ........................................................................................................................ 54
Table 16: Quick Access Toolbar Description ......................................................................................... 55
Table 17: NCD File Menu .......................................................................................................................... 58
Table 18: General Settings ....................................................................................................................... 66
Table 19: Port Options Operation ............................................................................................................ 68
Table 20: Orion Serial Ports ..................................................................................................................... 69
Table 21: NKI Port – General Options ..................................................................................................... 72
Table 22: NKI – Time Interface Data Points ............................................................................................ 74
Table 23: NKI – Time Interface Parameters ............................................................................................ 74
Table 24: Alias File Format....................................................................................................................... 77
Table 25: Configuration Manager Agent .zip File................................................................................... 78
Table 26: Configuration Manager Agent General Settings ................................................................... 80
Table 27: Sensor Setup - Input Points .................................................................................................... 85
Table 28: Port – General Options ............................................................................................................ 87
Table 29: I/O Card Parameters ................................................................................................................. 88
Table 30: Input Point Parameters ............................................................................................................ 91
Table 31: Output Point Parameters ......................................................................................................... 95

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 OrionMX
Table 32: Manage Connections ............................................................................................................. 100
Table 33: Connection Information ......................................................................................................... 102
Table 34: Manage Connections Folders and Files .............................................................................. 103
Table 35: NCD Communication Window Tools .................................................................................... 105
Table 36: Orion Homepage Menu Items ................................................................................................ 115
Table 37: Orion Home Tab...................................................................................................................... 117
Table 38: DataValue – Browsing Pages ................................................................................................ 120
Table 39: DataValues – Input Point Display Options ........................................................................... 121
Table 40: Data Values – Force Input Values ......................................................................................... 123
Table 41: Data Values – Force Output Values ...................................................................................... 126
Table 42: Data Values – Tagging Archive ............................................................................................. 127
Table 43: System Page Information ...................................................................................................... 133
Table 44: Trending Filters ...................................................................................................................... 143
Table 45: Orion File Types ..................................................................................................................... 146
Table 46: Settings Page .......................................................................................................................... 150
Table 47: User Management Commands .............................................................................................. 151
Table 48: User Account Management ................................................................................................... 152
Table 49: User Groups ............................................................................................................................ 155
Table 50: User Lockout Rules ................................................................................................................ 157
Table 51: Password Rules ...................................................................................................................... 158
Table 52: Firewall Settings ..................................................................................................................... 163
Table 53: Key Management Settings ..................................................................................................... 165
Table 54: System Log Setup .................................................................................................................. 168
Table 55: OrionMX Ethernet Port Names .............................................................................................. 169
Table 56: General Interface Settings ..................................................................................................... 170
Table 57: Network Settings for Ethernet Ports .................................................................................... 171
Table 58: Static Routing Parameters .................................................................................................... 172
Table 59: Network Bonding - Settings .................................................................................................. 174
Table 60: Bonding Modes ....................................................................................................................... 175
Table 61: Network Bridge Parameters .................................................................................................. 176
Table 62: Console Port Settings ............................................................................................................ 177
Table 63: Time – Time Zone ................................................................................................................... 178
Table 64: Time – Set Time ...................................................................................................................... 179
Table 65: Time – IRIG-B Input Settings ................................................................................................. 179
Table 66: Time – NTP .............................................................................................................................. 180
Table 67: Time – PTP/IEEE 1588 ............................................................................................................ 181
Table 68: Settings for Serial Ports B and C and S1 Card Serial Ports .............................................. 183
Table 69: Settings for F1 Card Serial Ports .......................................................................................... 183
Table 70: WebUI Settings – HMI ............................................................................................................ 184
Table 71: WebUI Settings – Timeouts ................................................................................................... 187
Table 72: WebUI Settings – Page Configuration .................................................................................. 189
Table 73: Notification Parameters ......................................................................................................... 193
Table 74: Database Settings .................................................................................................................. 195
Table 75: Standard Tags ......................................................................................................................... 196
Table 76: Tag Fields ................................................................................................................................ 198
Table 77: Scheduler – Task List ............................................................................................................ 202
Table 78: CSV Task Parameters ............................................................................................................ 204
Table 79: FileMover Task Parameters ................................................................................................... 206
Table 80: Serial/Ethernet Cables and Software ................................................................................... 207
Table 81: Orion File Types ..................................................................................................................... 211
Table 82: Data Point Information ........................................................................................................... 219
Table 83: Force Input Point Parameters ............................................................................................... 223
Table 84: Force Output Point Parameters ............................................................................................ 227
Table 85: Client Port Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 231
Table 86: Server Port Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 232
Table 87: System Information ................................................................................................................ 235

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 OrionMX
Table 88: Port-Specific Parameters ....................................................................................................... 244
Table 89: Glossary .................................................................................................................................. 247
Table 90: NovaTech Documentation ..................................................................................................... 260

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 OrionMX

I. Introduction
The OrionMX is the smallest member of the Orion automation platform for smaller distribution substations,
pole tops, and vaults. It is designed for high performance 12V dc to 125V dc monitoring and control
applications. This includes 1ms SOE Recording, circuit breaker TRIP/CLOSE, and higher-speed control
applications.

It incorporates the same software tools and security features as all Orion models:
▪ Linux operating system
▪ Secure Boot
▪ Secure protocols
▪ HTTPS
▪ SSH
▪ SFTP
▪ Strong passwords and password rules
▪ Remote Authentication with LDAP
▪ User groups with specific administrator-assigned privileges
▪ Built-in firewall
▪ Automatic backup of complete OrionMX configuration
▪ Security event logging with “Syslog”

The OrionMX can be ordered with adjustable side mount “L” brackets, a slim surface mount plate, or a
center DIN rail mount.

The OrionMX has the following communication interfaces and timing features:
▪ Diagnostics/configuration USB port
▪ Two RS-232/485 serial ports
▪ IRIG-B Input
▪ Two copper Ethernet ports
▪ One SFP Ethernet port

It is also available with two-card and four-card expansion cases for digital I/O and serial communication
cards.

16
 OrionMX
Overview of the OrionMX User Manual

Title Content
I. Introduction General description of the OrionMX device and
documentation.
II. OrionMX Hardware Description of the OrionMX hardware, dimensions, and
electrical characteristics including port information.
III. NovaTech Configuration Director How to use NCD, the primary tool for configuring the
(NCD) OrionMX. NCD requires a PC that is running the
Windows® operating system.
IV. Orion Webpage This section details how to use the OrionMX webpage to
setup the diverse advanced features of the OrionMX.
V. Orion MMI Describes setup of the OrionMX IP address and
configuration of the MMI using the USB port for monitoring
the runtime operations of the OrionMX.
Appendix A – Glossary Description of terminology.
Appendix B – Inputs / Outputs Tools and Describes the use and function of the buttons available in
Buttons the Inputs and Outputs menus in NCD.
Appendix C – Backup and Restore User Description of the backup and restore procedures for the
Configuration user configuration files and database.
Appendix D – Maintenance Recommendations for storage of spares.
Appendix E – OrionMX Dual Rack Mount Mounting instructions for two OrionMX in single 19” mount
Assembly Guide assembly.
Appendix F – GPL License Information Information about GPL software license.
Appendix G – Additional Documentation List of additional relevant manuals.

Table 1: Overview of OrionMX User Manual

17
 OrionMX
Location of Documentation
All Orion manuals are installed as .pdf files on the PC’s hard drive during the installation process described
in the section Installation of NCD. Once the installation of NCD has been completed, the folder containing
the Orion manuals can be accessed in NCD -> Help -> Documentation.

Figure 1: NovaTech Documentation Link

Documentation can also be accessed through the Windows® Start menu via Windows 10® Start ->
NovaTech NCD3 -> NCD Documentation.

Figure 2: Documentation Path in Windows 10

The documentation files are stored at: C:\Program Files (x86)\NovaTech LLC\NCD3\Docs.

18
 OrionMX
Orion Setup

Configuration Overview
The OrionMX provides hardware and software features that are set up in two stages using the NovaTech
Configuration Director (NCD) and Orion Webpage. A web browser is required to access the Orion
Webpage. This section provides an overview of how to best set up the OrionMX and its features.

Note: Before connecting to the Orion for the first time using an Ethernet port, the Orion’s IP
address must first be set by connecting to the serial MMI port (see Basic Network
Configuration).

The NCD Communications window, or any communication software, can be used to connect to the
OrionMX. Once connected to the OrionMX, configuration files, download archives and logs, and new
firmware can be transferred to/from the OrionMX. In addition, the firewall can be configured, data values
forced, and communication on any of the communication ports can be logged.

The following sections show each feature of the OrionMX and the respective tool used for the setup of each
feature. This allows planning of the most efficient setup. Each entry in the table is a hyperlink to the
respective section in this manual to provide easy navigation.

Setup of OrionMX IP Address

First, set up the serial communication connection from the PC (running NCD) to the Orion USB console
port (Port A) as described in Communications Menu section of the NovaTech Configuration Director section.

Then set up the IP address for Eth0-0 as described in the Network Menu section of the Orion's MMI section.
As a factory setting, all Ethernet ports are disabled. First, an Ethernet port must be enabled, and an IP
address must be set. Usually, static IP addresses are required.

Once at least one Ethernet port has been enabled and configured, the Orion webpage can be used to
configure all remaining network settings as described in section Networking.

Setup Using NCD

The full point mapping and logic configuration for an OrionMX can be created using NovaTech Configuration
Director (NCD), even before the OrionMX is received on site. The following features are configured with
NCD:

▪ Selection of OrionMX hardware and port setup

▪ General setup and debug features (forcing I/O)
▪ Asynchronous protocols using RS-232 ports and fiber ports, including device properties and I/O point
lists
▪ TCP protocols including setup of device properties and I/O lists
▪ Data points for network time protocols/IRIG-B
▪ System/Point Logger (standard software feature)
▪ Sensor Client (standard feature)
▪ Text Module
▪ Advanced Math & Logic (Lua)

19
 OrionMX
NCD configures the programmable elements that pertain to the applications within the OrionMX, such as
communication ports, software features, devices, points list, logic, etc. If there are several departments
involved in the OrionMX setup, the parameters of the programmable elements are typically determined by
the engineering, substation, or communications department. Once a configuration has been created, it can
be loaded into an OrionMX using the OrionMX’s serial MMI port, or the Ethernet port.

The latest version of NCD software can be downloaded from the Orion download site at
www.novatech-llc.com/support as soon as the customer account has been set up. As an option, the NCD
software CD can be ordered separately free of charge.

Setup Using OrionMX Webpage

The features configured with the Orion Webpage are operational features and security features that are
typically set up by, or in cooperation with, an IT department.

▪ Time Synchronization: IRIG-B, UTC/Local, Unmodulated/RS-485, NTP Time Source, Time Zone
▪ User Management: Manage users, set rights, allowed services, allowed operations, clearances
▪ Authentication: Lockout rules, password rules, LDAP setup, Remote Root Login
▪ Networking: Set host name, DNS, DHCP, Gateway, IP, Subnet, Media
▪ Firewall: Set input, output, and forwarding rules, start firewall
▪ Key Management: Create and manage key, certificates
▪ Services: Enable/disable SNMP, Telnet, FTP, HTTP, MultiSpeak HTTP, MultiSpeak HTTPS

Setup Worksheet
The following worksheet in Table 2 assists in configuring an OrionMX most efficiently. The Feature column
describes the features offered by the OrionMX. For each feature, the respective configuration tool is
described in columns Offline Configuration with NCD or Online Configuration with Webpage.

Steps in columns Offline Configuration with NCD and Online Configuration with Webpage can be
performed one after the other by the same engineers, or in parallel. For example, the Substation
Department can use NCD to set up field devices and I/O lists, while the IT Department can set up the
OrionMX’s network settings using the OrionMX’s webpage.

Before the OrionMX’s webpage can be accessed with a web browser, the OrionMX’s IP address must be
configured. This is done as described in section Network Menu of the Orion MMI. It requires a USB port
on the PC and the USB cable NovaTech supplied with the OrionMX. Drivers for the USB connection is
installed as part of the NCD install and is also available in the Microsoft Apps Store. If NCD is not installed
on the PC, the driver will automatically installation when the USB cable is connected if there is internet
access. To use Alarm/Archive/Retentive, the database must be enabled and reset from the webpage.

Once the offline configuration with NCD is completed, the .ncd file created by NCD must be transferred to
the OrionMX. This can be done using a serial connection or an Ethernet connection between the PC and
the OrionMX.

20
 OrionMX
Online
Offline Configuration with
Item Feature Step Step Configuration
NCD
with Webpage
001 Hardware Configuration Hardware Model Information
Select the OrionMX. Select OrionMX
002 Serial Protocols Serial Ports
DNP3, Modbus, etc. For the serial ports, specify
protocol, poll type
(client/server) then port
parameters and list of points.*
003 IP/Network Protocols Network
DNP3, Modbus, etc. Then specify protocol, poll
type (client/server), port
parameters and list of points.
004 Force Inputs/Outputs General Users grants or
Allow/Disallow forcing of disallows each
I/O points through individual user the
OrionMX MMI/Webpage ability to force I/O
for Troubleshooting, etc. points through the
OrionMX Webpage.
005 Archive Alarm/Archive/Retentive
Archive I/O points, and Refer to
view archived values with Alarm/Archive/Retentive
web browser, and transfer Software Manual.
.csv file to PC for further
processing.
006 Data Logger Data Logger
Logs long events to the Refer to Data Logger
OrionMX’s expanded Software Manual.
memory. Files can be
transferred using
FileMover.
007 System Logger System Logger
OrionMX system events Refer to System & Point
(e.g. startup) and point Logger Software Manual.
changes are logged to
OrionMX’s flash memory.
008 Text Module Text Module
Based on user-specified Refer to Text Software
I/O changes, the OrionMX Manual.
creates event-specific
string messages for
further processing.
009 Monitor OrionMX Sensor for automatic setup of
Hardware OrionMX status points.
Monitor essential OrionMX
Status: Firewall, and
Alarms.

* Refer to specific manual for detailed description of setup.

21
 OrionMX
Online
Offline Configuration with
Item Feature Step Step Configuration
NCD
with Webpage
010 Logic Functions Full logic package: Math &
The OrionMX provides Logic refer to the Advanced
freely programmable Math & Logic Software
logic, prepackaged logic Manual.
functions, and IEC 61131. Prepackaged logic: LogicPak
refer to LogicPak Software
Manual.
IEC 61131-3: refer to IEC
61131 Software Manual.
011 IRIG-B/NTP NKI – Time Interface Time
Set up time-related points Time-related points, such as for setting up Time
(e.g. time quality), IRIG-B Orion Time Quality, Zone, IRIG-B,
settings, NTP time source, Orion PLL Status, etc. are Modulated/Unmod
and time zone. set up automatically. ulated, NTP Time
Source
012 User Accounts Users
Manage users, set
passwords and rights,
allowed services and
operations, account
expiration, menu or
command line upon login.
013 Authentication Rules Authentication
Lockout rules, password Rules
rules, enable remote login.
014 Remote Accounts Remote Accounts
Account caching, LDAP,
Kerberos setup.
015 Firewall Firewall
Set input, output, and
forwarding rules; start/stop
firewall.
016 Key Management Key Management
Create and manage keys,
upload key files from
computer to OrionMX.
017 System Log System Log
Setup for system log host
and logged events.
018 Networking Networking
Common and per-port
settings: host name, IP
addresses, DHCP, etc.
019 Time Time
Setup of IRIG-B, NTP time
sources, and time zone.

22
 OrionMX
Online
Offline Configuration with
Item Feature Step Step Configuration
NCD
with Webpage
020 Web User Interface Orion MMI
Setup of login message,
links to custom pages,
web by-page access
control, webpage
appearance, etc.
021 Alarms Alarm/Archive/Retentive Alarms
Setup of alarm points, Refer to
displays, colors, alarm Alarm/Archive/Retentive
archive data. Software Manual.
022 Database Database
Database management
and remote access setup.
023 Cascaded OrionMX Refer to Cascaded Orions Cascaded Orions
IP and key parameters for Software Manual.
cascaded server
OrionMX.
024 Services Services
Enable/disable Telnet,
FTP, HTTP
025 Scheduler Scheduler
Schedule moving or
emailing files and other
tasks to run at user-
specified intervals.
Table 2: OrionMX Setup Worksheet

Change of Passwords
During, or after completing the setup of the OrionMX, the default passwords must be changed in order to
establish secure operations. This is explained in section Change Password.

23
 OrionMX
Operation of OrionMX
For monitoring the operation of the OrionMX, both the Orion webpage and serial MMI can be used
individually or in combination. Each provides a different set of features. For each feature, the respective
menu item to access the feature is listed. All entries in the following table are hyperlinks.

Feature OrionMX Webpage OrionMX MMI Menu Selections

View System Home Tab System Menu
Thread Info
View Data Diagnostics -> DataValues Data Menu
Force I/O Points Diagnostics -> DataValues Data Menu
Device Statistics Diagnostics -> Devices Device Statistics
(poll/responses)
View/Log Communications Diagnostics -> ViewComms View Communications
Serial Port Statistics (bytes) Diagnostics -> System n/a
Network Port Statistics (bytes) Diagnostics -> System n/a
Software Versions Diagnostics -> System System Menu
View Version Info
View orionlx.ntk (license file) Diagnostics -> System File Menu
File Transfer (ORION -> PC)
System/Security Logs Diagnostics -> Logs n/a
Event Logs Diagnostics -> Logs System Menu
Specific logs View Event Log
viewable or downloadable
Configuration File Management Files File Menu
Manage Web Files Files and WebUI n/a
(.svg, .js, .css, etc.)
Passthrough to connected devices n/a System Menu
(IED, meters, relays, etc.) Pass-Through Menu
OrionMX Restart Diagnostics -> System System Menu
Reboot Orion Restart

Table 3: OrionMX Operations – Webpage and MMI Overview

24
 OrionMX

II. OrionMX Hardware

Physical Specifications
Processor and Memory
CPU 800Mhz with cryptographic cipher engines
Memory 512MB
Non-volatile memory 2GB

Data Points
IED/SCADA Points 600 standard, 10,000 optional
DNP3 Connections to IED 128
Refresh Rate < 2 sec typical. Actual refresh rate may be higher or lower, depending
upon the type of protocols, number of ports used, and specified update
cycles.

Data Ports
USB USB type B connector (Port A)
RS-232/485 2 DB9 female ports (Ports B, C) and up to 4 S1 cards with 4 DB9 serial
ports each
IRIG-B Input Compression screw terminal, #12-24 AWG twisted pair

IRIG-B
IRIG-B Input Unmodulated and modulated

Communications
Protocols Byte
Serial 1200-115kbps on RS-232/485/422 and multi-mode fiber
Ethernet
ETH0-0, ETH0-1 10/100/1000BaseT, half/full-duplex
▪ 2 port Ethernet switch or 2 separate NICs
ETH1 SFP transceivers (see www.novatechautomation.com for current list)
▪ SFP-MM01: multimode, LC, 550m, 850nm, 1Gb/s
▪ SFP-SM01: single mode, LC, 10km, 1310nm, 1Gb/s
▪ SFP-SM04: single mode, LC, 40km, 1310nm, 1Gb/s
▪ SFP-RJ01: copper, RJ45, 100m, 10/100/1000Mb/s1

Discrete Input Points

Quantity ▪ 8 points on main unit
▪ Up to 32 points in expansion case
Input Range Software select to High Voltage (HV) or Low Voltage (LV)
▪ LV 12-48V dc (9-60V dc)
▪ HV 125V dc (81-145V dc)

1 Limited LED functionality on OrionMX

25
 OrionMX

Discrete Outputs Points

Type Normally Open (NO)
Quantity ▪ 2 form A points and 1 form C point on main unit
▪ Up to 8 form A and 8 form C points in expansion case (4 DO per D1
card)
Contact Ratings Relay specifications
▪ Make: 30A @ 125V nominal dc per IEEE C37.90
▪ Carry: 10A @125V nominal dc per IEEE C37.90
▪ Breaking Capacity: (10,000 operations) .3A @125V dc per IEC
60255-0-20: 1974

Indication LEDs - Face Plate

Port A Bicolor LED: Red - Receive data; Green - Transmit data
Eth1 Bicolor LED: Red - Receive data; Green - Transmit data
Eth0-0 Green LED: Link; Yellow LED: Activity
Eth0-1 Green LED: Link; Yellow LED: Activity
Ports B and C For each port: Green LED for TX; Red LED for RX
Alarm Active alarm
IRIG IRIG-B time presence
Quality 1ms time accuracy
Active OrionMX configuration file (.ncd) is running
Inputs (1 thru 8) Specific input is active
Power Power supply output present
Outputs (1 thru 3) Specific output is active

Terminals Connectors
Power, IRIG-B, I/O Terminals Compression screw terminals, #12-24 AWG

Power Supply
Wide range supply 24-250V dc / 69-240V ac, ± 20%, 50/60Hz
Low voltage supply 12-24V dc, +/- 20%
Power out terminal 12V @ 1A

Power Usage
Average power 5 Watts
Maximum power 20 Watts

Physical
Dimensions 7” W x 2” H x 6” D
Weight 3 lbs.
Warranty 10 Year Limited

Environmental
Operating Temperature -40ºC to +70ºC
Operating Humidity 5%-95% non-condensing
Altitude 2000 meters max.

26
 OrionMX
OrionMX Standard Features
The OrionMX comes with the following standard features:
▪ IIO Client
▪ System/Point Logger
▪ Text Generation Module
▪ NTP Kernel Interface
▪ Sensor Client
▪ MMI
▪ 2 RJ45 Ethernet ports and 1 SFP slot
▪ 2 serial ports
▪ Discrete I/O with 8 inputs and 3 outputs

OrionMX Options

Power Supply
WR Wide range power supply, 24-250V dc, 69-240V ac
LV Low voltage power supply, 12-24V dc +/-20%

Expansion Case
2S Expansion case for 2 optional boards, see below
4S Expansion case for 4 optional boards, see below

Expansion Cards
S1 4 RS-232/485/422 ports with DB9 female connector; requires option 2S or 4S
F1 4 ST fiber serial ports, wavelength 800-850nm multi-mode; requires option
2S or 4S
D1 8 digital input points, 2 form A and 2 form C output points; requires option 2S
or 4S

Mounting Option
UNIV Two adjustable side mount “L” brackets
SURF Mounting plate for slim mounting of unit
DINR Rear, center mounted standard DIN rail
2RU1 19” rack mount, 2RU, for one OrionMX with standard or 2S expansion case
3RU1 19” rack mount, 3RU, for one OrionMX with 4S expansion case
Dual-Rack-MX-2RU 19” rack mount, 2RU, for two OrionMX with standard or 2S expansion case
Dual-Rack-MX-3RU 19” rack mount, 3RU, for two OrionMX with 4S expansion case

Software Options
-35 LogicPak Module
-80 PassThru Interface Client (MPass)
-81 iDial
-82 DA Logic
-93 PassThru Interface Server (SPass)
-94 Relay Data Logger or “I-Log”
-95 Alarm/Archive/Retentive Module
-96 Email
-97 Cascaded OrionMX Client Module

27
 OrionMX
-98 Cascaded OrionMX Server Module
-99 Advanced Math & Logic
-101 IEC 61131-3 Module
-103 IEC 61850 Client/Server GOOSE
-105 Points Blocking Module
-106 Configuration Backup Manager Agent
-107 Automatic Changeover Device Logic
-108 Tile Annunciator
-109 Redundancy
-110 Tag Name Expansion
-205 SNMP Manager

Client Protocols
-01 DNP3 Serial
-03 DNP3 IP
-04 Modbus Serial Client
-07 Modbus TCP Client
-12 PG&E 2179
-14 SEL® ASCII/Fast Messaging
-15 Tejas V
-25 L&G 8979
-28 DF1
-30 SPAbus
-32 SEL2030®
-33 Generic ASCII
-36 IEC 60870-5-103
-37 SEL® TCP
-39 IEC 60870-5-101
-201 PML
-201 ABB 10-Byte
-203 Harris 5000/6000 Client
-204 IEC 60870-5-104

Server Protocols
-42 DNP3 Serial Server
-44 DNP3 IP Server
-46 L&G 8979 Server
-47 Modbus Serial Server
-49 Modbus TCP/IP Server
-51 Harris 5000/6000 Server
-52 Pusher
-55 ASCII IED Web
-57 WEBserver XML
-67 IEC 60870-5-101 Serial Server
-68 IEC 60870-5-104 TCP Server
-69 Tejas V
-70 SPS
-71 SES-92

28
 OrionMX
Part Number Example
The following part number example specifies the options listed below.

ORIONMX–2S–S1D1–IO–WR–UNIV–01–03–42–44–98–99

Hardware Options
ORIONMX OrionMX base
2S Expansion case for two cards
S1D1 One S1 card with four serial ports, one D1 card with 8in/4out
IO Discrete I/O (8in/3out)
WR Wide Range power supply (24-250V dc / 69–240V ac)
UNIV Universal mounting ears

Client Protocols
01 DNP3 Serial
03 DNP3 IP

Server Protocols
42 DNP3 Serial
44 DNP3 IP

Software Options
98 Cascaded Orions Server
99 Advanced Math & Logic

29
 OrionMX
OrionMX Front Panel
The front panel provides all connections and diagnostic LEDs for the OrionMX. indication of power supply
output, Input and Output point status, time accuracy, active configuration, and alarm. The USB user
interface, Port A, can be used for configuration, diagnostics, and maintenance of the OrionMX.

Figure 3: OrionMX Front Panel

Maintenance Port (Port A)

The maintenance port, Port A, uses a USB Type B connector. The OrionMX provides built-in diagnostics
for viewing data values, port communications, device statistics, system events, and system/version
information. The port can also be used to change network settings, load and activate configuration files
(.ncd file), firmware file, and log file transfers via Z-Modem (bi-directional).

A Male A/B USB 2.0 Cable is included with the OrionMX shipment. The PC connecting to the OrionMX
requires installation of the USB device driver before serial communications can be established. The USB
serial port driver is supplied as part of the NCD installation package. The communication parameters are
as follows.

Port Parameter Value

Interface USB B Female
Baud Rate 115,200 (fixed)
Parity Bits None (fixed)
Data Bits 8 (fixed)
Stops Bits 1 (fixed)
Default Login Name novatech (case sensitive)
Default Password novatech (case sensitive)
Default Root Name root (case sensitive)
Default Root Password novatech (case sensitive)
Password Back Door There is no back door.

Table 4: USB Communications Port Parameters

30
 OrionMX
Power Connections
The OrionMX power input terminal block provides landing terminals for the input supply voltage (12-24V dc
power supply or 24-250Vdc/69-240Vac 50/60Hz) and chassis ground, plus terminals for the 12Vdc auxiliary
power output.

The power supply voltage is indicated on the label below the power connector specifying which power
supply is installed (Low Voltage 12-24V dc power supply or Wide Range 24-250Vdc/69-240Vac 50/60Hz
power supply). The power source connector will be keyed for that power supply. The power connector in
Figure 4 is keyed for the Wide Range (WR) power supply.

Figure 4: WR Power Connector Keying

Power Supply Connector Key

WR – 24-250V dc/69-240V ac 01110
LV – 12-24V dc 01010

Table 5: Power Supply Connector Keying

The terminal block is located on the lower right portion of the front panel. Recommended power input wiring
is #12 AWG, stripping the insulation between 1/4” to 3/8”. The OrionMX uses terminal compression fittings
to make the power connections. There are two chassis ground points that must be connected to Earth
Ground. The first is the protective ground terminal 19 (GND) on the input power terminal block. Minimum
ground wire size is #12 AWG (2.5mm2). The second is the rack mounting ears attached to a properly
grounded equipment rack. NovaTech recommends that all grounding be performed in accordance with
ANSI/IEEE C57.13.3-1983.

The OrionMX provides internal surge suppression circuitry that meets and has been tested to C37.90.1
standards. This circuitry assists with surges but requires proper grounding of the OrionMX to be effective.

The OrionMX motherboard uses 4.7Vdc as the threshold for proper power supply level. The POWER LED
is the visual indicator of this status, with GREEN indicating proper supply voltage.

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 OrionMX

Figure 5: Orion MX Power and Outputs terminals

When the OrionMX is connected to power, touching the power

connectors on the outside of the enclosure could result in injury or
death. Proper corporate and public safety instructions must always
be observed.

Supply Disconnect Requirement

For user safety and regulatory compliance, the power connection must include a means to disconnect the
Orion from all current carrying-conductors. The disconnect must be acceptable for the application and
adequately rated for the equipment. This requirement may vary with local or national codes and specific
Orion use cases.

WR Power Supply Fusing

For user safety and regulatory compliance, the connections to the Orion power supply input terminals must
be externally fused. A 3.15 Amp, 250V, time-delay (T) extremal fuse must be connected in series with the
ungrounded/non-earthed (hot) side of the power supply input. Fuses must be enclosed in an appropriate
fuse holder (5 x 20 mm is recommended) to prevent the possibility of a fuse shattering. The fuse and fuse
holder must carry a voltage rating appropriate for the power system being used. Preferred or required
values may be different depending on local or national codes and specific Orion use cases.

Replacing the external fuse of the Orion exposes the technician to

live Voltage. Proper care must be taken by either removing the power
to the Orion prior to fuse replacement, or by using proper equipment
and tools to protect against electric shock. Failure to do so could
result in equipment damage, injury, and/or death.

Ethernet Ports
The OrionMX provides two Ethernet ports (Eth0-0 and Eth0-1) and one SFP transceiver port (Eth1). Eth 0-0
and Eth 0-1 ports are 10/100/1000BaseT full-duplex port with RJ45 female connectors. The SFP port
supports RJ45 and fiber SFP transceivers. Each RJ45 Ethernet port has a green and a yellow status LED
which indicate the following ().

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Figure 6: Maintenance/Ethernet/Serial Ports

Green LED Yellow LED Link/Activity

Off Off Link off
On Off 1000Mbps link / no activity
Blinking Off 1000Mbps link / activity (Rx, Tx)
Off On 100Mbps link / no activity
Off Blinking 100Mbps link / activity (Rx, Tx)
On On 10Mbps link / no activity
Blinking Blinking 10Mbps link / activity (Rx, Tx)

Table 6: RJ45 Ethernet LEDs

Initial installation overview information is in the Setup of OrionMX IP Address section.

Serial Ports
The OrionMX has two copper serial ports that support RS-232, RS-485, and RS-422 (Figure 6).
Additionally, these serial ports can be software configured to supply +5V dc and unmodulated IRIG-B. The
ports are configured on the Serial webpage.

DB9 Pin Standard RS-232 RS-232 with SEL SEL Pinout

Number Mode Pinout Description
1 NC +5V dc Fused at 50 mA
2 RX RX Receive Data
3 TX TX Transmit Data
4 NC IRIG-B TTL Time Signal
5 GND GND Signal Ground
6 NC IRIG-B GND Signal Ground for IRIG-B
7 RTS RTS Request to Send
8 CTS CTS Clear to Send
9 NC NC Not connected

Table 7: Serial Port RS-232 Pinout

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 OrionMX
If operating on a 2-wire RS-485 network, the pinouts are as follows.

DB9 Pin Signal RS-485 with Description

Number SEL Pinout
1 NC +5V dc Not connected
2 TX/RX+ TX/RX+ TX/RX+
3 NC NC Not connected
4 NC IRIG-B Not connected
5 Ground GND Ground
6 NC IRIG-B GND Not connected
7 NC NC Not connected
8 TX/RX- TX/RX- TX/RX-
9 NC NC Not connected

Table 8: RS-485 Half Duplex Pinout

If operating on a 4-wire RS-485 network, the pinout is as follows.

DB9 Pin Signal RS-485/422 with Description

Number SEL Pinout
1 NC +5V dc Not connected
2 TX+ TX+ Transmit Data +
3 RX+ RX+ Receive Data +
4 NC IRIG-B Not connected
5 Ground GND Ground
6 NC IRIG-B GND Not connected
7 RX- RX- Receive Data -
8 TX- TX- Transmit Data -
9 NC NC Not connected

Table 9: RS-485/422 Full Duplex Pinout

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IRIG Input
The IRIG-B input is standard on the OrionMX. This input allows the OrionMX to acquire synchronization
from an IRIG-B maste, to within 1 millisecond. There are two IRIG signals supported by the OrionMX:
▪ Unmodulated IRIG-B (DC level shift, no carrier signal).
▪ Modulated IRIG-B (amplitude-modulated, sine wave carrier).

The IRIG-B input is configured on the OrionMX webpage as described in Time.

Figure 7: IRIG-B Connector and LEDs

IRIG-B − +
Terminal 22 23

Table 10: IRIG-B Terminal

Discrete Inputs
The standard discrete inputs are high speed inputs suitable for 1ms SOE recording when the OrionMX is
receiving quality time synchronization. These inputs use compression screw terminal connectors that
accept #12-24 gauge wire. The discrete input levels are set to either higher voltage range (HV) or lower
voltage range (LV) with software settings in NCD (see bottom of Figure 61).

Figure 8: Discrete Inputs

Discrete inputs should only be used for secondary (non-main) circuits up to 125 V dc. See Table 11 for
exact voltage ranges.

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 OrionMX
Input Range Turn-On Voltage Max. Current Drain
12/48V dc 9V dc 2.1 mA per input
125V dc 81V dc 2.1 mA per input

Table 11: Discrete Input Voltages and Current Draw

Discrete Outputs
The standard three discrete outputs are electrically isolated, two form A normally open (NO) outputs and
one form C output. These outputs use compression screw terminal connectors that accept #12-24 gauge
wire. All discrete output contacts are tripping duty, substation-grade relay dry contacts.

Figure 9: Output Port and LEDs

Discrete I/O Card (-D1)

The discrete I/O card provides eight digital input points, two form A digital output points, and two form C
digital output points. The I/O card is shown in slot A. The OrionMX supports up to two -D1 cards with the
2S enclosure, and up to four -D1 cards with the 4S enclosure.

Figure 10: OrionMX with -D1 Card in Slot A

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 OrionMX
The standard discrete inputs are high speed inputs suitable for 1ms SOE recording when the OrionMX is
receiving quality time synchronization. These inputs use compression screw terminal connectors that
accept #12-24 gauge wire. The discrete input levels are set to either higher voltage range (HV) or lower
voltage range (LV) with software settings in NCD.

Discrete inputs should only be used for secondary (non-main) circuits up to 125 V dc. See Table 11 for
exact voltage ranges.

Terminal # Description
1 DI 1
2 DI 2
3 DI 3
4 DI 4
5 DI 5
6 DI 6
7 DI 7
8 DI 8
9 Common ground for DI
10 DO 1 NO
11 DO 1 NO
12 DO 2 NO
13 DO 2 NO
14 DO 3 NO
15 DO 3 common
16 DO 3 NC
17 DO 4 NO
18 DO 4 common
19 DO 4 NC

Table 12: I/O Card Terminal Assignments

RS-232/485/422 Serial Port Card (-S1)

The serial communication card provides provides four DB9 serial ports which can operate as RS-232, RS-
485, and RS-422. In the following figure, it is shown in slot B.

The port settings and pinouts are described in Serial Ports. The setup is described in Serial.

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 OrionMX

Figure 11: OrionMX with -S1 Card in Slot B

Fiber Serial Port Card (-F1)

The fiber communication card provides four ST ports with 800-850nm wavelength.

The setup is described in Serial.

Figure 12: OrionMX -F1 Card in Slot B

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 OrionMX
OrionMX Dimensioned Drawings
The following drawings provide the dimensions of the OrionMX with different mounting options. There are
five mounting options:

▪ Standard bracket
▪ Slim mounting plate
▪ DIN rail mount
▪ 19” mounting rack with 2RU or 3RU for one OrionMX
▪ 19” mounting rack with 2RU or 3RU for one OrionMX

There are two captive nuts in each channel on the sides of the OrionMX to secure the mounting brackets.
The aluminum mounting brackets can be repositioned to provide mounting to any vertical or horizontal
surface. To mount the OrionMX, use the provided Philips flathead undercut 6-32 screws with 5/16” length
and attach the device using the existing screw holes in the mounting bracket.

Ensure that the Orion is mounted in compliance with all applicable

safety requirements.

Figure 13: Standard Ears Bottom Mounting

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 OrionMX

Figure 14: Standard Ears Back Mounting

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 OrionMX

Figure 15: Slim Mounting Plate (top)

Figure 16: DIN Rail Mounting Bracket

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 OrionMX
Mounting Instructions
The panel mounting brackets can be repositioned to provide mounting to any vertical or horizontal surface.
To mount the OrionMX, use #10 (10-32) or M4 screws and attach the device using the existing screw holes
in the mounting bracket. The OrionMX must be mounted in an enclosure that exposes only the front panel
to personnel when in operation.

Figure 17: OrionMX in Standard Enclosure, Front-Mounted with Panel Mount Option

Figure 18: OrionMX in Standard Enclosure, Top-Mounted with Panel Mount Option

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 OrionMX

Figure 19: OrionMX in Standard Enclosure, Rear-Mounted with Panel Mount Option

Figure 20: OrionMX in 4S Enclosure, Bottom-Mounted with Panel Mount Option

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 OrionMX

Figure 21: OrionMX in Standard Enclosure, DIN Rail Mounted

Figure 22: OrionMX in 2S Enclosure with 2RU1 for 19” Rack

Figure 23: OrionMX in 2S Enclosure with 2RU1 for 19” Rack (Recessed)

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 OrionMX

Figure 24: Recessed OrionMX in 4S Enclosure with 3RU1 for 19” Rack (Recessed)

Figure 25: Two OrionMX in Standard Enclosure with Option Dual-Rack-MX-2RU for 19” Rack

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 OrionMX

Figure 26: OrionMX Standard and OrionMX in 2S Enclosure with Option Dual-Rack-MX-2RU

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 OrionMX

III.NovaTech Configuration Director (NCD)

Introduction to NovaTech Configuration Director (NCD)

NCD is Windows®-based configuration software with a practical and straightforward graphical user interface
(GUI) that does not require special programming or scripting. NCD is available for download at
www.novatech-llc.com/support. This requires an account which you may obtain from
[email protected]. Communications are easily set up between the Orion and
protocol clients, Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), or Intelligent
Electronic Devices (IED) such as relays and meters. For many server devices (i.e. devices being polled by
the Orion), default files are available that contain the device’s standard input and output points with name,
point address, and range. This further facilitates fast setup of the Orion.

NCD is used to set up the following features of an Orion configuration. The setup of other features not
listed here is described in section Orion Webpage.

▪ Hardware model and options selection

▪ Serial and network port setup
▪ Input/output point lists for each client and server port
▪ Allow forcing of input/output points for commissioning and troubleshooting
▪ Add-on features:
- Alarm/Archive/Retentive
- Alias
- Average Archive
- Configuration Manager Agent
- Data Logger
- Orion Redundancy
- Points Blocking
- Pseudo Client
- Pusher Server
- Hardware Sensor
- System Logger
- Text Module
▪ Input/output hardware
▪ Logic
- Advanced Math & Logic (Lua)
- LogicPak
- DA
- IEC 61131-3

Once the Orion’s configuration has been created off-line and saved to the respective files (.ncd, .ncz, .lua,
.bas), the respective files must be transferred from the PC to the Orion in one of the following ways:

▪ USB or SSH connection between the PC running NCD and the OrionMX. Option File Transfer (PC ->
ORION) of the Orion MMI transfers the configurations file to the Orion.
▪ Ethernet connection between the PC running NCD and the Orion. After logging in on the webpage, the
.ncd configuration file can be transferred to the Orion as described in User Files.
▪ One Click Transfer option from the NCD window using an SSH connection between the PC and
the Orion as described in the Quick Access Toolbar section.

In addition to the configuration options, NCD provides a built-in terminal window for viewing of data values,
port communications, device statistics, system events, and system/version information. It also allows
firmware file and log file transfers via Z-Modem (bi-directional), as well as pass-through to connected relays

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 OrionMX
and meters. This allows using the respective manufacturer’s programming software to configure the relays
and meters, retrieve event information, etc. Section Orion MMI provides a full explanation of these features.

System Requirements
The PC running NCD must meet the following requirements:
▪ > 100MB hard drive space
▪ Windows 8®, Windows 10®, Windows 11®
▪ .NET 4.0
▪ Mouse
▪ Graphics resolution 1024x768 or better
▪ CD/DVD Drive (when using the optional NCD installation CD)
▪ USB port
▪ Ethernet port

Copyright Information
NCD may be installed on multiple computers as needed under the following conditions:
▪ The computers must be owned by the end user or its subsidiary.
▪ The NCD installation must be used for an Orion-related project.

All files installed by NCD are protected by copyright and may not be shared with any third party. By installing
NCD on a computer, the installer agrees to these terms and conditions.

Outline of NCD Sections

The section Installation of NCD provides the step by step procedure to install NCD from the download of
the NCD software from the NovaTech website or using the NCD Installation CD that was ordered with the
OrionMX. This section also describes the associated files that are installed and their location in the
computers file directory.

The section Running NCD explains how the various OrionMX options are configured using NCD. The
respective protocol and software manuals that pertain to the installed options must be available for setup.
For example, if the DNP3 Server over TCP/IP was ordered with the OrionMX, the corresponding DNP3
Server Software Manual explains the DNP3-specific parameters, such as RTU addresses, point types,
communication parameters, etc.

In addition to creating the Orion’s configuration file, NCD also supports online communication ports for
connection to the Orion’s Man Machine Interface (MMI) menu. This feature is fully explained in section
Orion MMI.

All manuals are installed on the PC’s hard drive as .pdf files during the installation process described in the
section Installation of NCD. Once the installation has been completed, the manual can be opened as
follows:

▪ From the NCD Help menu, click the option Documentation.

▪ Windows 10® or Windows 11®: Press the Windows key to get to the Start Menu, then go to NovaTech
NCD3 -> NCD Documentation.

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 OrionMX

Figure 27: Orion Documentation Location

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 OrionMX
Installation of NCD
There are two NCD installation methods available.
▪ Standard NCD Install is most commonly used and requires user response while installing NCD
software, USB serial port drivers and optional Inkscape software.
▪ Passive NCD Install is used by IT professionals and runs from the command line or scripts to install
NCD software only. The USB serial port driver and optional Inkscape software must be installed with
a separate command.

Standard NCD Installation

The standard NCD installation will install the NovaTech Configuration Director software and will also install
the USB serial port drivers and the optional Inkscape software. See Table 13 for a listing of the other
directories and the file types that will be installed with NCD.

Note: Antivirus software running on the PC may cause some NCD software files to not be installed.
To avoid this possibility, either disable the antivirus software during NCD installation,
approximately 10 minutes, or have the IT department “white list” or approve the NovaTech
NCD software if temporary disabling is not possible.

NCD is installed on a PC as follows.

▪ Unzip the downloaded .zip file with NCD to a directory on the PC. In that directory, run the file setup.exe.
▪ If installing from the NCD installation CD, insert the CD into the PC’s CD drive. If the PC is set up to
autorun, the NCD installation will start automatically. If the installation does not start automatically, then
open a command prompt and Type x:\setup.exe where x is the name of the CD drive (E:, F:, etc.).

To complete the installation, the PC must be restarted. When the PC has completed the restart, NCD3 can
be opened. See Running NCD for an explanation of NCD’s function in configuring the Orion for operation.

Passive NCD Installion

To facilitate the installation of NCD to multiple machines, the NCD Passive installation can be used. The
NCD Passive install is run from the command line and does not require user response during the NCD
installation process.

Note: The passive install does not install the Orion Serial Port Driver or Inkscape Extension during
the NCD installation. These will need to be installed individually on the machines.

From the root directory on the NCD installation disk, with administrative rights, enter one of the two following
commands:

▪ setup -passiveinstall This will install to the default file locations (Figure 28).
▪ setup -passiveinstall “C:\[user defined directory]”

To install the serial port driver, go to \\USBDriver\OrionLXm\ftdDrivers in the installation .zip file
and run with administrative rights:

dp-chooser /s

To install the Inkscape Extension, from the root directory on the NCD installation .zip file, run with
administrative rights:

OrionInkscapeExtension /S

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NCD Default File Information

NCD and accompanying files are installed in the following directories as shown in Figure 28.

C:/Program Files(x86)/NovaTech LLC/NCD3/

Figure 28: NCD Program Directory Structure

Directory Description
\Defaults Default files for IEDs and relays supported by the Orion. New default files
can be added as needed and described by each respective protocol
manual. The default files are .csv (comma separated value) files.
\Docs All current released documentation regarding the following: NCD, Orion
equipment, protocols, and Technical Notes.
\HMI Library Library collection of .svg graphic images of equipment faceplates, control
panel elements, substation symbols and other elements to be used in the
one-line diagrams.
\LogicSimulator LogicSimulator.exe allows running the logic program on the PC to
check it for errors before transferring it to the Orion.
\USB Driver\OrionLXm The USB driver for communication between the PC and the Orion via USB
cable. The OrionMX and OrionLXm use the same driver.
\HWDEF Internal software directories.
\IEC61131-3
\Protocols
\WIC

Table 13: NCD Program Directory Structure

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 OrionMX
The NCD configuration files, user-defined connection settings, and user-defined default files are stored by
default under \My Documents\NCD\ as shown below. Of course, other directories can be set up as
needed for storing these files.

Figure 29: NCD Data Directory Structure

Directory Description
\Captures By default, any files with MMI captures are stored in this directory. These files
can also be stored elsewhere on the PC if desired. See section User Settings
– Capture Tab for details.
\Connections User-defined .conn files for the NCD connections with the Orion.
\NCDFiles Orion .ncd configuration files and associated logic files.
\UserDefaultFiles User-defined default files for IEDs, relays, and SNMP configurations. New
default files can be added as needed and described by each respective
protocol manual. The default files must be .csv (comma separated value) files.
\UserMIBFiles Management Information Base (.mib) files for the devices monitored by the
SNMP Manager.
\UserSCLFiles Any .scl, .icd, or .cid files imported by the user in the IEC 61850 driver are
stored in this directory. See the IEC 61850 Client Software Manual for more
details.

Table 14: NCD Data Directory Structure

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Running NCD
To open NCD3 there are multiple paths that can be used. For example:

▪ On the desktop, double click the NCD3 shortcut icon

▪ Press the Windows key to get to the Start Menu, then go to NovaTech NCD3 -> NCD3.
▪ Use the file path C:\Program Files (x86)\NovaTech LLC\NCD3\NCD3.exe

Opening NCD3 will display the NCD opening screen and main menu bar (Figure 30).

NCD Main Menu Bar

The main menu of NCD provides the options listed in Table 15. A more in-depth description, including all
sub-commands, is found in the sub-sections that follow.

Multiple Orion configurations can be opened and edited simultaneously.

Figure 30: NCD Opening Screen - Main Menu

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 OrionMX
Menus Description
File Access to .ncd file-related options, such as New, Open, Close, Save, Save As,
Exit, and list of recently edited files. Each .ncd file contains a single configuration
for an Orion. Multiple .ncd files can be transferred to the Orion, but the Orion can
run only one configuration at any given time. See File Menu for a full explanation
of all file-related options.
Edit The automatic login data to the Orion Support Site, NCD Update Options, settings
to enable logging of events and errors, changing default file locations, and setting
capture file parameters are all accessed with this menu option. See Edit Menu for
a full explanation of all edit related options.
Communications This option manages the Online connections from the PC to the OrionMX. See
Communications Menu for a full explanation of all communications related options.
The Orion’s man machine interface (MMI) can be accessed with both NCD and
standard terminal software, such as WinTerminal, CRT, etc. The Orion’s MMI is
fully explained in the Orion MMI.
Window If multiple configuration windows are open in NCD, this option allows arranging the
windows vertically or horizontally, or cascading of the windows. See Window Menu
for a full explanation of all window related options.
Help This option provides the standard About information, as well as Protocol Info
which summarizes the current configuration. See
Help Menu for a full explanation of all help related options.
Configure The entire Orion configuration is set up from this option, including hardware
configuration and options, software, port configurations, addresses, IP addresses,
input/output point lists, poll rates, etc. See Configure Menu for all configuration-
related options.
Note: The Configure menu selection is only available when an .ncd file is
open.

Table 15: NCD Main Menu

Quick Access Toolbar

Below the main menu is the Quick Access Toolbar (Figure 31) which provides one click access to some of
the most used commands.

Figure 31: Quick Access Toolbar

See Table 16 for the descriptions for these Icons.

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 OrionMX
Toolbar Icon Menu Command Description
File -> New Starts the configuration for a new .ncd file by first
specifying the hardware that will support this NCD file.
New
File -> Open Open an existing .ncd file.

Open
File -> Save All Saves the open .ncd files currently open.
Save File(s)
Communications > Opens Manage Connections command menu to
Online Connections manage the Online maintenance connections from the
Connections PC to the OrionMX.
Configure Orion One Click Transfer. When only one NCD
file is open and the hardware model is OrionLX+,
OrionSX, OrionLXm, OrionMX, or Orion I/O, you can
Configure setup a connection between NCD and the Orion to
Orion One (none) transfer the NCD and logic files to the Orion and
Click automatically activate the file set. One Click configuration
Transfer requires the user to select an SSH connection from the
Communications menu and the username/password for
the Orion.
The Orion One Click Transfer icon will be active once the
One Click Configuration parameters have been entered.
One Click (none)
Clicking the icon will transfer the NCD and logic files to
Transfer the Orion and automatically activate the file set.
Help -> About This provides the standard About information for the
NovaTech NCD software.
About

Table 16: Quick Access Toolbar Description

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 OrionMX
File Menu
This menu has the commands for maintaining the .ncd files which contain the Orion configuration data.
See Table 17 for a description of the File menu commands.

Figure 32: File Menu

Command Description
New Starts the configuration for a new .ncd file by first specifying the hardware that will
support this NCD file. This configuration will later be saved with Save or Save As.
When creating a new configuration, the Select Hardware window (see Figure 33)
will be displayed. Select Cascaded NCD File if this Orion is the Cascading Client
of a cascaded configuration. When using cascaded Orion's, refer to Cascading
Software Manual as well as the section Cascaded Orions. After selecting the Orion
hardware, the next step is the Configure Menu.
Open Opens an existing .ncd file. The installed default directory location is,
C:\My Documents\NCD\NCDFiles\. However, the .ncd file and the associated
.bas, .lua, and/or .ncz files can be stored anywhere on the PC.
Save All If multiple .ncd files are open, this option is enabled for saving all open files at the
same time.

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 OrionMX
Command Description
Save Saves the current Orion configuration to the corresponding .ncd file (and associated
.bas file for Math & Logic, .lua file for Advanced Math & Logic, .ncz for IEC 61850
and IEC 61131) already on the hard drive. If this is the first time that this configuration
is saved to file, a Save As window will appear. If multiple configurations are open,
the configuration to be saved must be selected (see Figure 34).
Save As Saves the current Orion configuration to a new .ncd file and associated files. The
new file name must be entered. If multiple configurations are open, the configuration
to be saved must be selected (see Figure 34).
Close Closes the open Orion configuration. If multiple configurations are open, the
configuration to be closed must be selected (see Figure 34). If the configuration has
unsaved changes, a confirmation message will ask if saving the file is desired before
closing.
Page/Printer Provides the fields to setup paper size and source, orientation and margins for the
Setup selected .ncd file that is to be printed.
Print Preview Opens a “Print Preview” window displaying the selected .ncd files data in the format
that was specified.
Print Opens a “Print” window that allows for printer selection, page range to print and
number of copies to print for the selected .ncd file.
Convert There are several conversion operations available (see Figure 35):
▪ NCD file from Orion5r to OrionLX converts an .ncd file which has
originally been set up for an Orion5r to an OrionLX. If the existing OrionLX
configuration includes Modbus Plus, this function converts all related
configuration information to Modbus TCP.
▪ NCD file from OrionLX to OrionLX+ converts an existing .ncd file which
has been set up for an OrionLX to an OrionLX+ .ncd file. The conversion sets the
NovaCard type to NC1, removes Power Supply 1 and Power Supply 2
Status points from the SER Client and adds Power Supply 1 and Power
Supply 2 online points to the Sensor Client.
▪ NCD file from Standard to Cascaded Client converts an existing .ncd
file which has originally been set up for a stand-alone Orion into a new .ncd file
for the client Orion of several cascaded Orions.
▪ NCD file from Standard to Cascaded Server converts an existing
.ncd file which has originally been set up for a stand-alone Orion and makes it
part of an existing cascaded .ncd file.
▪ Math and Logic to Advanced Math and Logic converts .bas logic to
.lua logic. The Orion will support both logic types; however, using Advanced Math
& Logic offers more user flexibility and options. This conversion tool will convert
both the .bas to .lua as well as update any references in the .ncd file from .bas to
.lua.
Show This option compares two NCD files. The result of the comparison is displayed in a
Differences window and can be copied to the clipboard or saved to a file for detailed analysis.
Relay Helper The Relay Helper supports configuration for SEL® relays and is described in the
SEL® Client Software Manual.
Reorder This function opens an existing .ncd file for reordering the network ports. Then the
Network Ports network ports can be rearranged by clicking
in NCD File the Move Up and Move Down buttons as shown in Figure 36.

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 OrionMX
Command Description
IEC 61850 This option is used to create an .scl file that models and configures logical devices,
Model Builder logical nodes, data objects, and data attributes to the specifications required by IEC
61850 standards.
Exit Exits NCD. If the current configuration has not yet been saved to an .ncd file, an
additional prompt allows saving the file before exiting.

Table 17: NCD File Menu

Figure 33: Select Hardware and Options

Figure 34: Selecting Configuration for Save, Save As, Close

Note: An asterisk (*) following the file name indicates unsaved changes to the file.

Figure 35: Convert Operations

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 OrionMX

Figure 36: Reorder Network Ports

Note: The Orion configuration is stored as an .ncd file on the PC’s hard drive. If logic is used,
NCD stores the logic in an associated .bas or .lua file located in the same directory. The
name of the .bas or .lua file is saved in the corresponding .ncd file.

If the .ncd file has been renamed, or the .ncd file has been moved without moving the associated .bas or
.lua file, NCD displays a prompt for the missing .bas or .lua file (see Figure 37). This is because the
renamed .ncd file still contains the original name of the associated file, but now the associated file also has
a new name or is still in one directory while the .ncd file is in another directory. If the correct logic file name
is not entered, NCD will continue with an empty logic file.

Figure 37: NCD Prompt for Logic File

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 OrionMX
Edit Menu
The Edit menu sets up features related to the operation of NCD.

Figure 38: Edit Menu

Once Settings is selected, the User Settings window opens (Figure 39).

Figure 39: User Settings – Updates Tab

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 OrionMX
User Settings - Updates Tab

Under the Updates tab (Figure 39), the following features can be configured.

Orion Support Site User Information

Entering the NovaTech-issued User Name and Password enables NCD to automatically log in to the
NovaTech Orion support site to obtain update information. If the User Name and Password have not yet
been issued, clicking Request User Name generates an email to NovaTech using the default email client
software installed on the PC such as Outlook.

NCD Update Options

NCD is updated based on the option selected here. Updates can be installed automatically whenever they
are available. A notification can be displayed when an update becomes available. If the update is
downloaded, the update will be installed automatically when NCD is restarted. If desired, updates can be
disabled altogether. The number of backup copies of the previous install to keep is designated here. This
can range from 0-3 with a default value of 3.

Proxy Server

If the PC is connected to the Internet using a proxy server, its address and port number must be entered to
allow NCD to access the NovaTech server.

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User Settings – General Tab

In the first checkbox, the splash screen on NCD startup can be enabled and disabled.

Selecting the Log Program Events/Errors box logs the NCD events and errors to the log file specified
in the directory path field (Figure 40). Click View Log File to open the current log file for viewing and
click Delete Log File to delete the current log file.

If a specific default directory for NCD files, user default files, user SCL files, or user MIB files is needed
which is different from the NCD standard location, it must be entered in directory path field. To browse for
the desired file location, click the “Browse for Folder” button .

Figure 40: User Settings – General Tab

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User Settings – Capture Tab

The communications between the OrionMX and other devices can be captured to a file as described in
section Communication Window. The settings for the capture file are configured under the Capture tab
as shown in Figure 41.

If the Enable Capture File Limits box is selected, the size of the capture file and the number of
capture files can be set. If the Enable Capture File Limits box is not selected, the capture file can
potentially occupy all remaining free space on the hard drive.

File Size Limit sets the upper limit for a log file. The default maximum is 10 MB.

Limit Number of Capture Files limits the number of log files. The default value is 10.

If Rollover is enabled, the oldest capture file will be deleted when the above limits are reached. If the
box is not selected, the capture will stop when the above limits are reached.

Figure 41: User Settings – Capture Tab

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Configure Menu
The options under the menu item Configure set up all aspects of the Orion with regard to client and server
port configuration, point lists, logic, logging, redundancy, etc.

Figure 42: Configure Menu

The configuration is stored in an .ncd file on the PC’s hard drive using the steps described in the previous
section. If ‘logic’ is used, NCD stores the logic for an .ncd in an associated .bas or .lua file located in the
same directory. Once the .ncd (and .bas/.lua) file is created, it must be transferred from the PC to the
OrionMX using either the Orion Webpage (Ethernet connection), Orion MMI (serial connection or Ethernet
connection) or One Click Transfer option from the NCD window using an SSH connection (Quick
Access Toolbar).

Options under NKI – Time Interface, Add Ons, Hardware I/O, and Logic are marked with
once they are configured.

Additional drivers and options can be obtained by contacting NovaTech.

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Standard Software Features

The following software is standard for all OrionMX units and will show as configured when NCD is installed.

▪ NKI – Time Interface

▪ System Logger
▪ Sensor

Other software options must be ordered specifically as shown in OrionMX Options.

General

The following window is displayed for this selection. Table 18 provides the description for each setting in
the General Settings window.

Figure 43: General Settings

Setting Description
Force Inputs Allows forcing of input points from the Orion’s MMI console. If the box is checked
here and the input is forced in the MMI, the client station will see the input point
with the value forced at the Orion MMI, as opposed to the value obtained from
the end device. This feature helps debug the communication between the client
station and the Orion without having to force input values in the end device. See
the section Data Menu in the MMI section of this manual for details. Note that for
a user to be able to force inputs, the user account must be set up with this option
(see section Group Management).

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Setting Description
Force Outputs Allows forcing of output points from the Orion’s MMI console. If the box is
checked here and the output is forced in the MMI, the end device will receive a
value for an output point as forced by the Orion as opposed to sending a value
all the way from the client. This feature helps debug the communication between
the end device and the Orion without having to send output values in from the
client. See the section Data Menu in the MMI section of this manual for details.
Note that for a user to be able to force outputs, the user account must be set up
with this option (see section Group Management).
Comments This field allows recording of any kind of notes regarding this configuration, such
as location, specific parameters, history, etc.

Table 18: General Settings

Enabling Force Inputs allows forcing of input values through the

OrionMX’s MMI console. Then, the forced OrionMX data point(s) will
indicate an equipment state or condition to the SCADA master that is
only simulated and does not reflect the actual state or condition. This
may lead the SCADA master or personnel to initiate operations based
on the simulated state as opposed to the actual state. The necessary
permissions must be obtained from the control center and other
departments in accordance with your corporate safety and operating
guidelines. Failure to do so could result in equipment damage, injury,
and/or death.

Enabling Force Outputs allows forcing of output values through the

OrionMX’s MMI console. This may operate a live piece of equipment on
the end device, the same way it would be operated locally, or from the
front end/SCADA master. The necessary permissions must be obtained
from the control center and other departments in accordance with your
corporate safety and operating guidelines. Failure to do so could result
in equipment damage, injury, and/or death.

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Hardware Model Information

The various models of Orion family are listed, and any available options will be shown when the model is
selected. If the Orion unit has a options installed, the options box should also be checked.

Figure 44: OrionMX Hardware Configuration

When the NCD file that is open is a cascaded NCD file, the model of the client and server(s) cannot be
change but their options may be changed.

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Operations in Port Setup Window

Most of the options described in the following sections are configured using a port setup window with the
following Port Options displayed at the top of the window. Depending on the port type, all options may
not be available.

The asterisk (*) on the right side of the title bar text indicates that the current NCD setup has not yet been
saved.

Figure 45: Port Options

Setting Description
Copy Port The current port configuration can be copied or moved to another port in the
Move Port same OrionMX configuration. If multiple configuration files are open, the ports
in the other configuration files are listed as well as targets for the copy or move
operation. Any port-specific parameters are automatically adjusted to the target
port. All other parameters are simply moved or copied.
Delete Port Remove the current port with all configured parameters and data points from
the configuration. If other ports map points defined on this port, these ports are
affected by the removal of this port.
Close Port After configuring all parameters and data points for this port, clicking this option
closes the port setup window.

Table 19: Port Options Operation

Figure 46: Choose Port for Copy/Move

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Serial Ports

Except for Port A (USB console port), all supported ports can be individually configured with a specific
protocol, and the related communication parameters, device lists, and point lists. All ports are independent
of each other, i.e. there are no limitations on the combinations of protocols used. After selecting a port in
Figure 47, the protocol selection screen in Figure 48 allows the selecting of the protocol for the port.

Figure 47: Serial Port Selection

Port Description
Port A Built-in maintenance port. The communication parameters are 115200N81 and
cannot be changed.
Port B This standard ports can be software configured to RS-232 or RS-485/422.
Port C

Port D Not available on the OrionMX.

Port 1 thru 16 This optional ports are available on the S1 cards can be software configured to
RS-232 or RS-485/422.

Table 20: Orion Serial Ports

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Figure 48: Serial Protocol Selection Menu

After selecting the protocol for the serial port, refer to the specific NovaTech protocol documentation to
configure the port communication parameters, RTU/device list, input point list, output point list, and other
related parameters. Example settings for Modbus Serial Server:

Figure 49: Serial Port Configuration

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Network Port

Under Network, the network ports are configured. Port 23 is a default HTTP Server port. Selecting
Configure New Port (Figure 50) adds a new TCP/IP port to the configuration using the protocol which
is selected on the screen shown in and Figure 51.

Figure 50: Network Port Configuration

Figure 51: Network Protocol Selection Menu

After selecting the protocol for the network port, refer to the specific NovaTech protocol documentation to
configure the port communication parameters, RTU/device list, input point list, output point list, and other
related parameters.

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NKI – Time Interface

The Orion time synchronization software module is a standard OrionMX feature. It is used for obtaining
and distributing time. This module samples IRIG-B and/or NTP time sources, providing highly accurate
time and date in the Orion. IRIG-B and NTP can be sampled concurrently for redundant time sources.

Synchronization is accomplished through constant sampling. Thousands of time samples are required
before the Orion adjusts its time. On power up, it can take the Orion up to 30 minutes to set the time Quality
flag, which indicates 1ms accuracy. Under rare circumstances, it can take up to 8 hours for the flag to set
when no frequency drift file is present on the Orion.

On the Port tab, the Orion driver and port information is entered. For most configurations, the default
parameters generated during creation of the configuration file are correct and need not be changed.

Figure 52: NKI – Port Setup

Parameter Description
Port Name The default name is NTP Kernel If the name is changed, the new port name
should describe the port’s purpose, as this will provide self-explaining MMI
menus when the Orion is operating. This string can be up to 30 characters
long, and can contain all printable characters except @, [, ], ', ", &, =, and
commas.
Module Name The Module Name specifies which protocol driver will be utilized in the Orion.
NKI defaults to mnki, which is required for NKI and cannot be edited.

Table 21: NKI Port – General Options

In the screen shown below, the following data points can be configured as explained in Table 22. These
points can be monitored by a SCADA master and used in the OrionMX logic. The parameters for each
point are explained in Table 23.

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Figure 53: NKI – Time Interface Data Points

Inputs Function
Orion PLL Offset The last applied correction to the system clock in seconds.
Source scaling: -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.
Orion PLL Freq The automatic periodic correction to the system clock in Parts Per Million
(PPM). Positive values make the clock go faster while negative values slow it
down.
Source scaling: -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.
Orion MaxErr The maximum clock error in seconds.
Source scaling: -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.
Orion EstErr The estimated collective time source error in seconds. This value will vary from
OrionMX to OrionMX.
Source scaling: -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.
Orion PLL Status The PLL status is represented by a numerical range. If the PLL is enabled,
synchronization is occurring (synchronization is a never-ending process when
connected to a time source). Entering the following command on the MMI
command line displays the current status condition along with a brief
description:
# ntpdc –c kern
Source scaling: -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.
Orion Time The time quality of the Orion time daemon. This value is 0 when no time
Quality sources are reachable or if estimated error is greater than or equal to 0.03
seconds…32 if estimated error is less than 0.0005 seconds…31 if estimated
error is less than 0.00075 seconds.
Source scaling: 0 to 32.

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Inputs Function
Orion Time Binary point indicating time accuracy. On indicates accuracy to +/- 500 µsec.
Quality Binary Source scaling: 0 to 1.
Orion Time This is an 8-bit register with the bits corresponding to the reachability of a
Reachability configured source during the last 8 poll cycles. 0 indicates no sources were
reached during the last 8 polls. 255 (decimal) indicates a source was reached
during each of the last 8 polls. Bit 0 (LSB) corresponds to the most recent poll
issued while bit 7 (MSB) represents the poll “8 polls ago”.
Source scaling: 0 to 255.

Table 22: NKI – Time Interface Data Points

Parameter Description
Point Name The Point Name and the Device name are combined into the Tagname
which references the point within this port, as well as all other ports/protocols
where that point might be used. Using self-explanatory names facilitates online
monitoring of the OrionMX’s operation. This string can be up to 30 characters
long, and can contain all printable characters except @, [, ], ', ", =, and
commas.
Alias Name Displays the Alias Name (specified in the Alias module under Add Ons).
Point Type Eight types are used for the predefined points. The types are:
offset, freq, maxerr, esterr, status, quality,
qualitybin, and reach
The Point Type cannot be modified by the user since it is predefined in the
Orion.
Device The only Device available on this tab is the predefined Orion Internal
device, since each Orion has only one NKI port.
Min/Max Values Each point has a minimum and maximum value. The minimum and maximum
values are used by the NKI to normalize the value and make it available to
other ports in the Orion. A complete discussion of scaling is provided in
NovaTech’s Analog/Accumulator Scaling Technical Note.

Table 23: NKI – Time Interface Parameters

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Add Ons

The Orion has numerous additional modules for data retrieval, storage, logging, and communications
available. These modules are configured under the Add Ons menu (Figure 54).

Figure 54: Add Ons - Options

For each option, the respective NovaTech software manual provides complete instructions regarding setup
and operation.

Accumulator Freeze

The Accumulator Freeze option enables accumulator change logging, automated freeze commands,
and accumulator resets. See the Accumulator Freeze Software Manual for a detailed description.

Alarm/Archive/Retentive

The Alarm/Archive/Retentive option sets up alarming, archiving and retention (restoration of point
values after a power-cycle) of data points. These values are then written to the database. The
Alarm/Archive/Retentive Software Manual provides the necessary details regarding the setup and
operation of this option.

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Alias

The Alias feature is a standard feature of the Orion. It allows mapping the point names as generated
during the Orion configuration to external point names imported from a .csv file. From then on, the Orion
data points can be referred to by their imported point names throughout the OrionMX software, menus,
and webpage. This feature is useful for importing standard point names already defined and used in the
corporate setting. Thus, without any additional training, all staff are immediately familiar with all data points
which are configured in the OrionMX, because those are the names already in use.

When opening the Alias option, the following screen is displayed with all Inputs and all Outputs that
have been configured for the current configuration file. Select Inputs or Outputs in the pane on the left.
In the center pane, all configured input or output points are displayed. In the right pane, the Load File
button allows opening of a .csv or .txt file which contains a simple list with all input and output aliases, i.e.
existing names that are already used in the corporate environment, to describe the points currently in
operation (see example in Table 24). Alternately, you can copy/paste or drag/drop one or more cells from
a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet into the Available Alias Names field to create additional alias names.
In the .ncd file, the Alias names can be a maximum of 63 characters. There are seven (7) characters that
cannot be used in the Alias name (@, [, ], ’, ”, =, comma).

Figure 55: Alias Assignment

Each point can be assigned its alias by drag and drop. Aliases can also be entered manually.

The .csv or .txt file containing the alias names consists of a single column as shown in the following table.
Both the list of input aliases and the list of output aliases require a specific header ([Input Alias] and
[Output Alias]) for the alias file to be useable by NCD.

Note: The headers, [Input Alias] for the input alias list and [Output Alias] for the output
alias list are required. Without the header, the alias list will not be imported.

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The size of the .csv or .txt file depends on the number of points configured in the OrionMX and the number
of points existing in the corporate environment. If multiple Orion’s are used, multiple alias files can be
created, each representing a subset of the total number of existing points in the control system.

[Input Alias]
AliasName for Input1
AliasName for Input2
AliasName for Input3
AliasName for Input4
AliasName for Input5
AliasName for Input6
AliasName for Input7
AliasName for Input8

[Output Alias]
AliasName for Output1
AliasName for Output2
AliasName for Output3
AliasName for Output4
AliasName for Output5
AliasName for Output6
AliasName for Output7
AliasName for Output8

Table 24: Alias File Format

Once all input and output aliases have been assigned, clicking Close at the top of the window closes the
Alias Interface.

Configuration Manager Agent

The Configuration Manager Agent creates a .zip file containing configuration information for the Orion and
its connected relays. The agent scans the relays using the command list specified in the .ncd file, captures
additional information from the Orion, and packages the results into a .zip file on the Orion. The .zip file
produced by the Configuration Manager Agent is named according to the IEEE C37.232 standard, which
requires the timestamp, substation name, device name, and company name. The following table explains
the components of the .zip file name in greater detail.

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Example Value IEEE C37.232 Field Description
150424 StartDate Date of file creation (YYMMDD)
163415026179 StartTime Time of file creation (HHMMSSmicroseconds)
0 TimeCode Time code (0 denotes UTC)
Station1 StationId The Station Name property set in NCD
Orion1 DeviceId The Orion Name property set in NCD
PowerCompany CompanyName The Company Name property set in NCD

Table 25: Configuration Manager Agent .zip File

The .zip file produced by the Configuration Manager Agent contains the following files.

▪ Log files: Individual log files for the ports configured in NCD on the Configuration Manager Agent
Ports tab. The file name for each log file uses the Station Name, Device Name, and Company Name
components, with an additional port number component. The start date, start time, and time code can
also be included.
▪ User files: All user files currently on the Orion, including the following file types.
o Active NCD file and logic files (.bas, .lua, and .ncz).
o Orion16.ini file that specifies active NCD file.
o All SVG files.
▪ Sysfiles: System configuration files. These files are stored in the Sysfiles subdirectory in the .zip file.
▪ orionlx.ntk: This file contains the license keys for all NovaTech software components installed on the
Orion.
▪ packages.txt: This report lists the Orion serial number and all the packages that have been
automatically installed on the Orion. The version number of each package is included.
▪ openports.txt: This report lists all listener sockets on the Orion. These listeners can include IP, TCP,
UDP, and Unix Socket listeners. This information indicates what open ports currently exist for the Orion.
▪ sysfiles_attr.txt: This report uses typical Linux listing methodology to list all the files included in the
Sysfiles directory, including file attributes and date.

The General tab allows you to manage settings for the .zip file and .log files produced by the Configuration
Manager Agent. You can modify the following settings.

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Figure 56: Configuration Manager Agent General Settings

Field Description
Station Name This field entry determines the first part of the .zip file name and each of the .log
file names.
Orion Name This field entry determines the second part of the .zip file name and each of the
.log file names.
Company Name This field entry determines the third part of the .zip file name and each of the .log
file names.
Output This field entry determines the file path location on the Orion where the .zip file
Directory is created. You must either retrieve this file from the selected directory on the
Orion after the file is created or use FileMover to automatically transfer. You can
ignore the other temporary files created in that directory.
Purge Old This option instructs the Orion to remove any .zip files that currently exist in the
Archives output directory whenever a new .zip file is generated. This option can prevent
the directory from taking up too much space on the Orion. If you select this option,
there will only be one such .zip file at any time. Make sure you have a process in
place to retrieve the generated file before the file is purged. This option is selected
by default.
Include Time This option includes the recorded creation time and date in the file name for each
Stamp of the generated .log files. This is the same time stamp that displays in the .zip
file name itself. This option is not selected by default.

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Field Description
Checksum Point If you select this option, at the specified point name, the Orion will create a
checksum of all the content in the files in the .zip file. Since the MD5SUM result
is a 128 bit value, the checksum is stored in the specified point as a string. You
can monitor the checksums using another software utility to determine if the file
contents have changed. Use this process to pinpoint unintended changes in the
Orion and the specified ports. If you select this option, a new point is created
inside the Orion with the name entered in the Point Name field.

Table 26: Configuration Manager Agent General Settings

After you make your modifications to the settings on the General tab, click the Accept button.

On the Ports tab, select the ports you want to generate .log files. By default, all ports with a defined SEL®
Client protocol are included in the “Available Ports” list. If a port has no selected commands, the
configuration agent manager does not produce a .log file for that port.

Figure 57: Select Port Commands

Data Logger

The Data Logger module sets up data points for logging to files. Multiple files can be set up for logging.
Points related to each other can be logged to the same file. The setup and operation of this option are
described in the Data Logger Software Manual.

Orion Redundancy

Orion Redundancy is a hot standby redundancy configuration consisting of a Primary Orion and a
Secondary Orion running the identical configuration file. With Orion Redundancy, user system performance

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requirements will not be impacted by the failure of one system component. The failure will be detected and
initiate an automatic switchover to the standby Orion. The repair of the failed component of the system and
the normal monitoring and maintenance of the sub-station can be accomplished without causing the system
to be inoperable. See also the Orion Redundancy Software Manual.

Points Blocking

Points Blocking is defined as the action of temporarily not reporting changes in real-time data values to
SCADA and/or Archiving. The Points Blocking module can be ordered for the Orion to enable users to
temporarily block the reporting of selected points, or groups of points, to SCADA and/or Archiving. The
Points Blocking Module requires the additional Alarm/Archive/Retentive option to be purchased due to the
retention of the blocked point state through power cycles (see Points Blocking Software Manual).

Pseudo

Typically, data is polled from the end device by the Orion through a client port, and in turn, an Orion server
port is polled by a client station, such as a SCADA master or HMI. However, some applications specify
that the Orion be connected to two client stations, and data to be exchanged between two clients. Thus,
the outputs of one client become the inputs of the other client, and vice versa. This option allows setting
up the data transfer between two server ports on the Orion, i.e. data between two client stations is
exchanged. The setup and operation of this option are described in the Pseudo Client Software Manual.

Pusher

Typically, the Orion is polling data from the end device using a client port. In turn, an Orion server port is
polled by a client station. However, some applications specify that the Orion be connected to two server
devices, and for data to be exchanged between those two server devices. A typical example is two PLCs
connected to the Orion, with the PLCs needing to exchange data. Thus, the Orion reads the inputs from
one server device and writes them as outputs to the other server device, and vice versa. This option allows
setting up the data transfer between two client ports on the Orion, i.e. data between two server stations is
exchanged. The setup and operation of this option are described in the Orion Pusher Manual. This option
is an integrated part of the Modbus Client (see Modbus Client Manual) and SEL Client (see SEL® Client
Manual).

Sensor

The Sensor Client module is a standard Orion feature. It monitors the Orion hardware-related sensor
points, (temperature, voltages, firewall status, and alarm status) and security points (login, failed login,
remote login, and SSHD status). These configured point values will be available as analog or discrete
data points for logging, processing in logic, or client stations. All data points shown in the table below are
available in default setup.

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Figure 58: Sensor Setup - Port

By default, the alarm status, firewall status, syslog error, Ethernet port statuses, and hardware-related
sensor points are included in the Orion realtime database.

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Figure 59: Sensor Setup - Inputs

Inputs Function
Active Config The string attribute of this point will contain the name of the active NCD file. Value
is 1 when string attribute contains the active NCD file, value is 0 when the active
NCD file cannot be obtained.
Alarm Status Binary point indicating whether an alarm is active. When mapped, the range of
the mapped point must be 0 to 1. An active alarm is also indicated by the Alarm
LED.
Source scaling: 0 (Off) to 1 (On).
Available Analog value showing the available memory space available. Value is in Bytes.
Memory Range is 0 to 2000000.
Distro Version The version, such as “9.6.0”, will be displayed in the string attribute.
eth0-0 activity There is communication activity on the respective Ethernet port.
eth0-1 activity
eth1 activity
eth0-0 link The respective Ethernet port has a good link to another device or switch.
eth0-1 link
eth1 link

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Inputs Function
Firewall Status Binary point indicating whether the Orion firewall is turned off or turned on. When
mapped, the range of the mapped point must be 0 to 1.
Source scaling: 0 (Off) to 1 (On).
Free Memory Analog value showing the free memory space available. Value is in Bytes. Range
is 0 to 2000000.
HTTP Session Value is 1 if HTTP login is used. Value is 0 with logout, including idle timeout.
Status
HTTPS Session Value is 1 with HTTPS login. Value is 0 with logout, including idle timeout.
Status
Idle CPU Analog value indicating the percent of idle CPU time. Range is 0 to 100.
IEC61131-3 Value is 1 if IEC61131-3 login is made via NCD. Value is 0 with logout, including
Session Status idle timeout.
Invalid Incremental counter registering each invalid signature failure. Indicates execution
Signature of a file, kernel module or peripheral firmware loading was blocked due to a failed
Failure signature verification. When this point is mapped, it will create a system log entry
that mirrors the audit log entry but will contain a level so the entry can be sent via
syslog protocol. Range is 0 to 65535.
Known User Increments every time a known user fails to log in. Does not decrement. Value
Login Failure is 0 on reboot. The value of this point is also available as Text event.
Count Examples of Text event format:
host slog username attempted login on app
Affected application(s): Any
Local Root Value is 1 if local root login is used. Value is 0 with local root logout, including
Session Status idle timeout.
Local Session Value is 1 if local login is used. Value is 0 with local logout, including idle timeout.
Status
Login Telnet Value is 1 if Telnet login is used. Value is 0 with logout, including idle timeout.
Session Status
Login TTY Value is 1 with TTY login. Value is 0 with logout, including idle timeout.
Session Status
Pro FTPD Value is 1 if FTP login is used. Value is 0 with logout, including idle timeout.
Session Status
Remote Root Value is 1 if remote root login is used. Value is 0 with remote root logout,
Session Status including idle timeout.
Remote Session Value is 1 if remote login is used. Value is 0 with remote logout, including idle
Status timeout.
Root Session Value is 1 if root login is used. Value is 0 with root logout, including idle timeout.
Status
SSHD Session Value is 1 if SSH or SFTP login is used. Value is 0 with logout, including idle
Status timeout.
Syslog Error Binary point indicating an error with the system log file. Values is 0 (Off), 1 (On).

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Inputs Function
Unknown User Increments every time an unknown user tries to log in. Does not
Login Failure decrement. Value is 0 on Orion process restart or reboot. The value of this point
Count is also available as Text event.
Examples of Text event format:
host slog Invalid user username attempted login on app
Affected application(s): Any
User Lockout Increments every time a user is locked out. Does not decrement when user is
Count unlocked out. Value is 0 on Orion process restart or reboot. The value of this
point is also available as Text event.
Examples of Text event format:
host slog User username is locked out
Affected application(s): Any
User Login Increments with every login. Decrements with each logout, including idle
Count timeout. Value is 0 on Orion process restart or reboot. The value of this point is
also available as Text event.
Examples of Text event format:
host slog username login on app
host slog username logout on app
Affected application(s): Any
Note: The above text events will be attached to this point.

Table 27: Sensor Setup - Input Points

System Logger

The System Logger is a standard OrionMX feature. It allows logging of system events, such as operation
and communication related events, as well as point changes for all points or a specified list of points. The
setup and operation of this option are described in the System & Point Logger Software Manual.

Text Module

The Text module monitors the current values of specified discrete or analog points and generates text
string events for the monitored point. For specific values, text strings can be defined, and when the point
assumes a specific value, the associated text is generated. The Email, Datalogger, and Logic modules of
the Orion can subscribe to the generated text strings for various purposes, such as sending emails. The
setup and operation of this option are described in the Text Module Manual. See also Email Manual, Data
Logger Manual, and Advanced Math & Logic Software Manual.

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Hardware I/O

The OrionMX supports either two or four card slots with the S2 and S4 enclosure options. The slots can
be populated with the following I/O cards. Check www.novatechautomation.com for updates as new cards
will be added.
▪ 8 Point Discrete Input/4 Point Discrete Output (8DI/4DO)

The S1 and F1 serial communication cards can also be installed in these slots. The Orion hardware
configuration of the input/output cards and their location is set up at the NovaTech manufacturing facility
as per customer order.

Selecting the I/O Cards (IIO) in NCD Configuration menu will add the IIO Client Port to the .ncd file.
Configuration of the IIO Client Port will involve the following actions:

▪ Configure the OrionMX input points and output points.

▪ Set the input point voltage range to high or low.

IIO Client Port

To open the IIO Client Port configuration (Figure 60), click Configure -> [filename.ncd] -> Hardware I/O ->
I/O Cards (IIO).

Figure 60: IIO Client Port

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Port

On the Port setting in Figure 60, the Port Name is the only parameter entry. The Module Name is the
default file and cannot be changed. If the port name is changed, click Accept .

Parameter Description
Port Name The default name is IIO Client. If the name is changed, a port name that
describes the ports purpose should be used, as this will provide self-explaining
MMI menus when the Orion is operating. This string can be up to 30 characters
long, and can contain all printable characters except @, [, ], ', ", &, =, and
commas.

Table 28: Port – General Options

I/O Configuration

To configure the I/O points on the OrionMX base unit, click on Base in the left column menu tree and then
click Choose Company/Card to open the company and card selection menu (Figure 61).

Figure 61: OrionMX Base Configuration

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Parameter Description
Company Select NovaTech as the company.
Default is NovaTech.
Card From Card list shown in Figure 61, select OrionMX.
Default is OrionMX.
Description The text entered here will be the card name. If the Alias add-on is configured,
the Description will be added to the Tag Name to be used as the default
Alias point name. Using a descriptive name makes the displays self-
explanatory.
Input Range The input voltage can be selected in the dropdown box at the bottom. The
following ranges are available. Note that the range is selected on a per-card
basis and not on a per-point basis.

Input Range Voltage Range

High 125V dc
Low 12-48V dc

Default: high

Table 29: I/O Card Parameters

After setting up the card in the base unit as desired, click on Accept to save the changes.

To configure additional I/O cards in the S2 or S4 enclosure, click on Add New Card at the top of the left
pane in Figure 61. Then the following windows opens. Match the card that has just been added in NCD to
the hardware slot where it is installed.

Figure 62: Select Slot for New I/O Card

Then select the card type installed in that position, such as 8 DI/4 DO (Type D1), from the Card pane
on the right (Figure 63).

Note: Communication cards can be installed in the same positions, so matching the correct card
type to the correct position is important.

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Figure 63: Configuration of Additional I/O Cards

Now the I/O points on the cards which have been set up on the base unit and expansion enclosure can be
configured. To do so, click on the desired point type under the respective card in the left pane, such as
Inputs under Base, or Outputs under Card A –(A). Then the points on that card can be configured
as described in Inputs Configuration and Outputs Configuration.

Inputs Configuration

This menu item allows the configuration of discrete inputs points in the OrionMX and the associated
accumulators/counters.

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Figure 64: Inputs Configuration – Binary Filter

The Tag Name column shows a complete list of input points of the input card. Any physical input point to
be mapped in the Orion’s configuration must be highlighted in the Tag Name column and moved to the
Orion Point Name column by clicking >> . Highlighting a point in the Orion Point Name column
and clicking << removes the highlighted point from the Orion’s configuration. See Table 30 for a
description of the input point parameters.

Parameter Description
Common Input Parameters
Orion Point Name The Orion Point Name can be edited and should be changed to something that
better describes the signal that is wired to that input point. Using self-
explanatory names facilitates online monitoring of the Orion’s operation. This
string can be up to 50 characters long, and can contain all printable characters
except @, [, ], ', ", =, and commas.
Alias (Optional, feature must be enabled in the Add Ons menu). Displays the Orion
Point Name Alias as described in section Alias) or by default it will be
<card_description_Tag Name>.
Channel Number The valid range for both BinaryInput and BinaryInputCounter inputs is
0 - 7, corresponding to physical inputs Input01 – Input08. The Binary
input with Channel Number 0 maps the first binary input BinaryInput01,
and the Counter input with Channel Number 0 counts the changes of the
first binary input InputCounter01, and so on. This field is not editable.
Type This field is not editable and is only displayed on the All Points filter tab.
For BinaryInput points, this field will be Binary and for
BinaryInputCounter points it will be Binary Changes.
Binary Point Specific Parameters (see Figure 64 and example Figure 65)

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Parameter Description
Filter Sets the contact Filter time in milliseconds. The discrete input must remain
in the new state for at least this amount of time for the new state to be recorded
by the OrionMX. If the input remains in the new state for less than the Filter
time, no change of state or event will be recorded. The recorded event time
will be when the input state was initially changed.
Value range is 0 to 65535ms.
Default is 1ms.
Debounce Sets the Debounce filter timer in milliseconds. After the Filter timer expires,
all input state changes are disregarded until the Debounce filter timer expires.
Value range is 0 to 65535ms.
Default is 4ms.
Chatter Count Sets the threshold for setting the chatter flag for a specific input point. This
counter tracks the number of state transitions during a specific period of time,
(Chatter Time), and if exceeded will put the input point into the chatter state
which is then reported back to the Client polling device.
Default is 1000.
Chatter Time Interval in milliseconds of the sliding interval of time used with the Chatter
Count value.
Default is 60000ms.
Invert LED When selected, the operation of that input point LED will be reversed. The input
point LED will be ON with no input signal and OFF when signal is present.
Default is deselected.

Table 30: Input Point Parameters

In the following example (Figure 65), the Filter time setting is 20ms, and the Debounce timer setting is
30ms.

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Figure 65: Example – Input Processing with Filter and Debounce Timer

Outputs Configuration

This menu item allows the configuration of discrete output points in the OrionMX.
.

Figure 66: Outputs Configuration

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The Tag Name column shows a complete list of available output points. Any OrionMX output point to be
used in the configuration must be highlighted in the Tag Name column and moved to the Orion Point
Name column by clicking >> . Highlighting a point in the right column and clicking << removes the
highlighted point from the Orion configuration. See Table 31 for a description of the output point
parameters.

The input and output points on the card can be configured as a feedback dropout solution for circuit breaker
trip/close momentary control points where the operation is terminated when the designated input changes
to the designated state (52a/52b).

Parameter Description
Common Output Parameters
Orion Point The Orion Point Name can be edited and should be changed to something that better
Name describes the signal that is wired to that output point. Using self-explanatory names
facilitates online monitoring of the Orion’s operation. This string can be up to 50
characters long and can contain all printable alpha-numeric and special characters
except @, [, ], ', ", =, and commas.
Alias (Optional, feature must be enabled in the Add Ons menu). Displays the Orion Point
Name Alias as described in section Alias) or by default it will be
<card_description+Orion Point Name>.
Channel This defines the output point internal to the OrionMX but is a zero based number, so
Number Output01 is channel 0, Output02 is channel 1, etc.

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Parameter Description
Mode Each output point must be assigned one of the following three output modes.
Default is Pulse.
Output Description
Mode
TC If an Output point is designated as a Trip/Close (TC), two
consecutive physical outputs are mapped. The first output is pulsed
if a Trip command is received, and the second output is pulsed if a
Close command is received. When On Time expires, the output is
set to Off/Open again. For example, if Output Point 1 is configured
as TC, then output Output01 is the Trip coil, and output Output02
is the Close coil.

Command Output01 Output02

0 (Trip) Pulsed ---
1 (Close) --- Pulsed

Note: Only odd output points (Output01, Output03…) can be

mapped as TC points.
Pulse A Pulse output is pulsed with the time specified in On Time when
a command is received. A Pulse output is mapped to a single
output coil, i.e. address 1 is Output1, address 2 is Output2, etc.
Note: Only Pulse On commands will be accepted. Pulse Off
commands will be ignored.
Latch A Latch output stays in the commanded position after the command
is received. A 0 opens the coils, and a 1 closes the coil. A Latch
output is mapped to a single output coil, i.e. address 1 is Output1,
address 2 is Output2, etc.
Note: Rebooting or power cycling the OrionMX will return
closed coils to the open (0) state.

Timer Allows overriding of On Time received from the server port. If checked, the user
Override defined On Time is used instead of values sent to the OrionMX server port. If
unchecked, the On Time will only be used if the value sent to the server port is 0.
This applies only to TC and Pulse output types.
On Time Number of milliseconds to pulse an output. Only applies to TC and Pulse output
(msec) types.
Feedback Selects the configured Discrete Input on this card to monitor to terminate the Discrete
Output operation. The output point must be set for TC mode.
Values are <None>, BinaryInput01, …, BinaryInput03
Default - <None>, Feedback Dropout disabled.

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Parameter Description
Contact Selects the input breaker contact that is wired to the Feedback (Discrete Input).
Values are:
▪ 52a – follows the status of the breaker (breaker open, contact open/OFF)
▪ 52b – follows the opposite status of the breaker (breaker open, contact
closed/ON)
▪ <None> - Feedback Dropout disabled
Default: <None>

Table 31: Output Point Parameters

Once the configuration of the input points and output points of the base unit or an additional card is
completed, that configuration can be saved to a Default File for reuse of another card in the same or another
configuration. In the pane on the left of Figure 63, click on the card for which to create the Default File, such
as Base or Card A –(A). Then click on the Config To Default File in. Then the file naming
window opens (Figure 67) with the default company name and card name. Change the names to something
unique based on your naming convention. Click OK to complete the file creation.

Figure 67: User Default File Name

The following Information window displays instructions for use of the new default file and the location of the
file in the PC.

Figure 68: Default File Information

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The new default file can then be used to simplify the addition of new cards that will be configured the same
as this card. Once the Default File has been created, NCD must be restarted to read the new Default File.

Logic

The OrionMX provides five logic options (Figure 69). All logic modules process the selected input points
and output points and the user-programmed logic. They can set any input or output point configured in the
Orion. Logic also defines and sets internal data points points which can be used by external client or server
devices

Figure 69: Logic Options

Math & Logic

Math & Logic is the basic logic module. A complete description of this module is provided in the Math &
Logic Software Manual.

Advanced Math & Logic

Advanced Math & Logic utilizes the Lua programming language (Lua 5.3.5 – Copyright © 2015-2020
Lua.org, PUC-Rio). A complete description of this module is provided in the Advanced Math & Logic
Software Manual. For a complete reference of the Lua programming language, refer to the complete online
reference manual via the following link: http://www.lua.org/manual/5.3/manual.html .
H H

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LogicPak

The LogicPak module provides the following pre-packaged input and output functions.

Input functions:
▪ PrimarySecondary
▪ OR
▪ AND
▪ Negate
▪ KYZ Relay
▪ Delay
▪ Calculator
▪ DoubleBit
Output functions:
▪ LocalRemote
▪ Negate
▪ PrimarySecondary
▪ TripCloseSplit

A complete description of this module is provided in the LogicPak Software Manual.

Distribution Automation (DA) Logic

The DA logic module sets up the Distribution Automation module which provides control for electrical grid
functions and operations on the distribution level. Before the DA Logic can be set up, all client ports in the
OrionMX that communicate with the respective RTUs in the DA Logic must be set up. A complete
description of this module is provided in the DA Logic Software Manual.

IEC 61131-3

The full set of IEC 61131 programming languages is available for the OrionMX:
▪ Structured Flow Chart
▪ Function Block Diagram
▪ Ladder Diagram
▪ Structured Text
▪ Instruction Language

A complete description of this module is provided in the IEC 61131 Software Manual.

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Communications Menu
The following steps show how to connect to the Orion using NCD (NovaTech Configuration Director) either
by way of a serial connection or an Ethernet connection.

Note: During the initial setup of the Orion, its IP address must be entered using the serial MMI as
described in Network Menu.

If another terminal software program is being used, consult the documentation supplied with that software
for setup of a connection to the Orion.

Select the Communications tab and choose Online Connections (Figure 70) to open the Manage
Connections window (Figure 71).

Figure 70: NCD Communications

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Figure 71: Manage Connections

New connections are created by highlighting Connections at the top of the pane (Figure 71) which
enables the New Connection button. Then click on New Connection to open the following window
(Figure 72).

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Button Function
New Connection Creates a new connection, and opens the window for configuration as
shown in Figure 72. In this window, the connection name is entered,
such as Washington County Substations.
Delete Connection Deletes the highlighted connection.
Edit Connection Opens the window (Figure 72) for editing the highlighted connection.
Connect Uses the parameters from the highlighted connection to connect to an
Orion.
Close Closes the Manage Connections window.
Advanced >>
<< Simple Toggles the display of the following actions.

Group Folder Actions

Create New Creates a new folder for connections, such as Western Utah.
Under a folder, new specific connections can be created, such as
North or West. Folders can be nested. This allows easy connection
management for multiple devices or locations.
Deleted Selected Deletes the currently selected folder and all connections in it.
Rename Selected Renames the currently selected folder.
File Actions
Create New Create a new .conn file for saving all connections presently displayed
in the Connections pane.
Save Configuration Saves all current connections to a file as shown in Figure 73.
Load File Load a previously saved connection file.

Table 32: Manage Connections

NCD supports multiple serial and Ethernet connections. The settings for each connection can be saved to
a separate file.

The bottom section of the Manage Connections window allows saving and loading the connection files
from the hard drive. The display of this section can be toggled by
clicking Advanced >> and << Simple .

In the Simple display of the Manage Connections window, all items below the << Simple button
(Figure 71) are hidden. In the Advanced display, the items below the Simply button are displayed as shown
in Figure 71.

Most of the time, the Simple display is sufficient. When working in larger or multiple regions, then the
Advanced display helps with grouping the connections in two ways. See also Grouping Connections.

▪ Creating and managing groups such as “Western Utah” to group connections by user-specific criteria
using the buttons in the group “Group Folder Actions”.
▪ Creating and managing different connection files for different regions, etc. when even more connections
are needed. These files can then be loaded as needed. The related buttons are in the group “File
actions”.

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Figure 72: Connection Information

Clicking OK saves the parameters and returns to the Manage Connections window.
Clicking Cancel abandons any changes and returns to the Manage Connections window.

Note: The communication parameters for connection to serial Port A of the Orion are 115200N81.

Parameter Description
Connection Name The name entered here is used to display the connection in Figure 71.
File Transfer The default value is 1024 bytes. To facilitate communication on slower
Packet Size connections such as radio modems, this value can be set to 128 bytes.
Serial These four buttons select the type of connection. Only one button can be
TCP/IP Connection selected for a connection. If a button is selected, the associated parameter
SSH frame (Serial Connection or Settings) is enabled, while the other
frame is disabled.
Telnet

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Parameter Description

Serial Connection

Comm Port Select the COM port used to connect to the Orion. If Show All is checked,
any COM port between 1 and 256 can be selected, whether it is installed or
not on the PC. If Show All is not checked, only the COM ports installed
on the PC will be available for selection. Window assigns the COM ports
randomly. It is recommended to check the Device Manager to determine the
current COM port assignment. In the following example, an Orion is
connected to COM10. Other Orion models are displayed accordingly when
connected to the PC.

Parity None, Odd, or Even can be selected. The Orion supports No Parity.
Data Bits 7 or 8 data bits can be selected. The Orion supports 8 data bits.
Stop Bit 1 or 2 stop bits can be selected. The Orion supports 1 stop bit.
Baud Rate Baud rates between 1200 and 115200 baud can be selected from the
dropdown list. The Orion supports 115200 baud.

Network Connection

Host Address Enter the IP address of the Orion that this connection is set for.
Port Specifies the TCP Port number for the connection if User Specified port
number is selected. If User Specified is not selected the default SSH
(22) or Telnet (23) TCP Port number will be used.
Login Retention Retains the username and password entered when the user checks the
Time (min) Remember Until Terminal Closes or Timeout box on the Login
message box.
Default is 30 minutes.

Terminal Colors
Back Color Background color of the window used to communicate with the Orion.
Fore Color Foreground color of the window used to communicate with the Orion.
Font Font used to display text in the window used to communicate with the Orion.

Table 33: Connection Information

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Grouping Connections

NCD supports multiple serial and Ethernet connections to provide access to Orions. The connections can
be grouped in groups like “Western Utah” or saved to different files.

The bottom section of the Manage Connections window provides the means for creating, saving, and
loading connection files from the PC hard drive. The display of this section can be toggled by
clicking Advanced >> and << Simple button (Figure 71).

Button Function
<< Simple Toggles the display of the following five options (Figure 71).
Advanced >>

Group Folder Actions

Create New Creates a new folder for connections, such as Western Utah.
Under a folder, new specific connections can be created, such as
North or West. Folders can be nested. This allows easy connection
management for multiple devices or locations.
Deleted Selected Deletes the currently selected folder and all connections in it.
Rename Selected Renames the currently selected folder.

File Actions

Create New Create a new .conn file for saving all connections presently displayed
in the Connections pane.
Save Configuration As Saves all current connections to a file as shown in Figure 73.
Load File Load a previously saved connection file.

Table 34: Manage Connections Folders and Files

Figure 73: Creating/Saving/Loading Connection Files

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Note: When a previously configured and working USB connection does not work, it is possible
that the USB cable was plugged into a different USB port, which results in a different
communication port number. The Windows Device Manager shows the connected COM
ports (Table 33).

Communication Window

After highlighting the desired connection and clicking Connect in Figure 71, NCD will open the following
communications port window. Refer to section Orion MMI of this manual for more information regarding
the Orion MMI operation.

Figure 74: NCD Communication Window

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The toolbar at the top of the window provides the following tools.

Parameter Description
Edit Connection… Clicking this button opens the Connection Information window shown in
Figure 72 for editing the connection parameters.
Start Capture/ Any communication between a client or server device and the OrionMX can be
Stop Capture logged to a file for analysis or tech support purposes. This button is a toggle
button, i.e. either Start Capture or Stop Capture is displayed. After
clicking Start Capture, the log file name and location on the PC’s hard drive
must be specified. While the communication is being logged, Stop Capture
is displayed. Clicking on it will stop the logging and close the log file.
Reset Clicking this option disables the current configuration file of the connected Orion.
Configuration The type of currently connected Orion (Orion16, Orion5, or Orion5r) must be
specified. After the subsequent warm boot, the legacy Orion will operate without
the configuration file. This option can be used, for example, if the current
configuration file contains improper port or mapping parameters that cause
operation errors.
Disconnect Closes the current connection.

Table 35: NCD Communication Window Tools

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Window Menu
If multiple configuration and communication windows are open, this option allows
▪ Cascading all windows
▪ Closing all windows
▪ List of the currently open windows for specific window selection

Figure 75: Window Menu

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Help Menu
The Help menu has a hyperlink to the NovaTech Documentation directory on the PC, protocol, version
and system information regarding the OrionMX and NCD configuration. The information provided by these
Help selections may be required for technical support.

Figure 76: Help Menu

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Documentation

This option provides a link to the NovaTech documentation directory that contains the Orion user manuals,
protocol manuals, software manuals, field instructions, and tech notes.

Figure 77: Documentation Files

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Protocol Information

This option provides a point count for all currently open configuration files, as shown below.

Figure 78: Protocol Information

Control Versions

Displays the information about the currently installed drivers.

Figure 79: Control Versions

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Program Versions

Displays the details of the currently installed software files for the support and operation of NCD.

Figure 80: Program Versions

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System Information

Display of the information about the hardware, drivers, and operating system that make up the computer
system that is in use.

Figure 81: System Information

About

This option displays the NCD version information.

Figure 82: NCD Version Information

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IV. Orion Webpage

Introduction
When connected to a LAN or the Internet, the Orion provides a webpage for user settings and diagnostics.
All current web browsers are supported, including Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Safari. By
default, the Orion does not enable unsecured HTTP. Secure HTTPS is enabled. To start working with the
Orion webpage, type https:// and the IP address of the Orion in the browser URL window. Example:

Figure 83: Connect with the Orion

After connecting to the Orion via HTTPS, the browser may display a certificate warning. The Orion ships
with a self-signed key used for all encrypted communication including HTTPS. NovaTech does not include
a key file issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) such as VeriSign, because the Orion leaves NovaTech’s
control when shipped. Since the Orion key file is not certified by a Certificate Authority (CA), the browser
warns that an individual could have obtained the key file and could monitor network communications
between the PC and the Orion. For setting up keys, see section Key Management.
.

When using Microsoft Edge (Figure 84), this warning message will display. Click Advanced and then
Continue to <IP address> (unsafe) to proceed to the Orion login screen in Figure 87.

Figure 84: Microsoft Edge Security Warning

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When using Chrome, the following warning message will display. Click on Advanced to display
additional information and a link to the Orion webpage. Click Proceed to <ip_address>
(unsafe) to proceed to the Orion login screen in Figure 87.

Figure 85: Chrome Security Warning

When using Firefox, the following warning message will display. Click Advanced to display the
button Accept the Risk and Continue in order to proceed to the Orion login screen in Figure 87.

Figure 86: Firefox Security Warning

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Orion Login
After entering the username and password (Figure 87), the Orion homepage is displayed (Figure 88). The
tabs under the OrionMX logo are the various main headings for diagnostics and settings.

Figure 87: Orion Login

Note: The tab headings shown may vary depending on the various protocol packages and options
installed on the Orion. The figures shown in the following figures represent the standard
tab headings.

Figure 88: Orion Homepage

To access all Orion menu items and make changes, click on Locked in the upper right corner as shown
in the following figure. A window for entering the password is displayed. After 30 minutes of user inactivity,
the Orion will automatically return to the “Locked” state, which limits user operations.

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Figure 89: Orion Unlock Prompt

Menu Function
Home View basic Orion information, including Serial Number, Orion Main Firmware
Version, Uptime, Active Configuration, Hostname, and Ethernet Address.
Diagnostics Diagnostics offers the following menu items:
Devices View and clear Poll and Response counters for each device polled by the Orion.
DataValues View and force values of Input and Output points by port.
ViewComms View communications on any Orion port.
System View and manage Orion system information and firmware upgrades.
Logs Displays the various Orion logs messages including timestamps and priority level.
Alarms View and acknowledge alarms by point name, zone, etc.
Archive View archived values based on standard or custom filters, such as time, device,
point name, etc.
System Download system information, view key file with licensed options, reboot the Orion,
view version information, serial and Ethernet port statistics, and more information.
Files Transfer files to and from the Orion including NCD configuration files, SVG, and
update packages, and system files.
Settings Configure Users, Authentication Rules, Remote Accounts, Key Management,
System Log, Networking, Serial Access, System, WebUI, Alarms, Tagging,
Cascaded, Services, and Scheduler.
Contact NovaTech address, phone number, and email address.

Table 36: Orion Homepage Menu Items

The following sections describe each tab on the Orion homepage in detail.

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Home Tab
The Home tab provides general information about the OrionMX including serial number, Distro version,
firmware information, uptime, active configuration, and hostname.

If user web graphics are used, a link to these graphics can be set up on the home page under User Links
on the right side (see section WebUI for more information). The name of currently active configuration file
is displayed in the upper right corner. The adjacent lock symbol indicates whether the Orion is locked
or unlocked .

Figure 90: Orion Home Tab

Item Description
Orion Serial # Each Orion has a unique serial number. This serial number is required
when requesting support from NovaTech. The serial number is also
found on the identification label on the Orion.
Orion Distro Version Displays the version and the date of the Distro currently running in the
Orion Distro Date Orion.
OS Uptime Displays the time since the Orion Linux operating system has been
running in days, hours, minutes, and seconds. This will reset after a full
restart or after a power cycle.
Orion Process Uptime Displays the time since the Orion process has been running in days,
hours, minutes, and seconds. This will reset after a full restart, quick
restart, or power cycle.
Active Configuration The NCD configuration file that is currently running in the Orion.
Date/Time Current date and time as well as time zone.

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Item Description
Hostname The hostname is used to identify the Orion on the network. This is found
on the top right corner of every page. Using the hostname requires a
DNS server.
eth0 Shows the configured IP address for each enabled Ethernet port. If a port
eth1 is disabled, this information is omitted.
...

Table 37: Orion Home Tab

Under User Links links to user-defined .svg files can be set up for quick access as described in section
HMI Tab.

Diagnostics Tab
The Diagnostics tab provides the following items:

▪ Diagnostics -> Devices – Check communication statistics for devices connected to the Orion
▪ Diagnostics -> DataValues – Check and force data points in the Orion
▪ Diagnostics -> ViewComms – Monitor communication on any of the Orion’s serial or Ethernet ports
▪ Diagnostics -> System – View system information and upgrade the firmware
▪ Diagnostics -> Logs – View Orion logs

Diagnostics -> Devices

The Devices page displays communication statistics about all server devices attached to the Orion, i.e.
devices that are being polled by the Orion. The Reset All Counters link resets the Polls and Responses
counters for all devices to 0 (zero). The counters roll over a 232 (=4,294,967,296). Devices that are offline
are displayed with red background to indicate an error. If more devices are connected to the Orion than can
be displayed on one page, scrolling and paging is available.

Figure 91: Devices Page

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Diagnostics -> DataValues
The DataValues page allows real-time viewing and forcing of each input/output point’s value and point
information on a port-by-port basis.

Each data point in the Orion will typically be displayed on at least two ports:
▪ The client port of the Orion that communicates with a server device and obtains the input point value
from that server device or sends the output point value to the server device.
▪ The server port of the Orion that communicates with a client station and sends the input point value to
that client station or receives the output point value from that client station.

The Orion maintains the value of each input point and each output point in the real-time database as a
normalized value, i.e. percentage of full scale. For complete details, see the Analog/Accumulator Scaling
Technical Note.

Forcing the value of input points and output points is available only if the logged in user has permission in
the Users settings. Forcing an input/output point means that the Orion will use the value(s) entered on the
Orion webpage as described below when communicating to the SCADA master (to which the Orion is a
server) or RTUs/IEDs (to which the Orion is a client) instead of using the values from live devices the Orion
communicates with. This is useful for testing, or when the Orion is installed and not all other devices or
communication links are available yet.

As shown in Figure 92, select the inputs or outputs of the port whose point values are to be monitored
or forced.

Figure 92: DataValues – Main Page

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View Input Values

After clicking on inputs for a specific port, all the inputs on that port are displayed.

Figure 93: DataValues – View Input Values

Up to 30 input values can be displayed on one page and sorted by Point Name,Alias, Device, Type,
and Point Number. If more input points are mapped to the port, pagination allows browsing of the pages.
Points that are offline are highlighted in red to indicate an error. Points can be forced from the input page
by clicking the desired point name. If the point does not highlight when moving the mouse over it, the Orion
is Locked and needs to be Unlocked (see Figure 89) or the login account does not have the permission
to force inputs. Section Users section provides information on setting user permissions.

The links First, Previous, Next, Last, and the page numbers enable browsing of the pages as follows.

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Link Function
First Skip to the first page.
Previous Go to the previous page.
Next Go to the next page.
Last Skip to the last page.
Go to the specific page.

Table 38: DataValue – Browsing Pages

Column Options

When viewing the page for input values (Figure 93) or for output values (Figure 96), click
the Column Options button to customize the page by adding and removing columns from the default
display. The Column Options section lists all available columns that can be displayed as well as the point
value notation (Decimal, Octal, Hex) (Figure 94). The columns selected to be displayed are
highlighted in green. The column selection can be changed by clicking on the column name in the list, to
either add the column or remove the column from the current display. The Reset Selection button
returns to the last saved settings which are saved using cookies on the PC.
The Save Preferences option saves the changes made to the display. These settings are universal
for all ports. The Remove Saved Preferences button returns the display to the default column
selections.

Figure 94: DataValues – Column Options

The displayable columns are explained in the following table.

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Column Description
Point Name Each point has two text descriptors for user identification. A Point Name, also
Alias known as Tagname, is required and usually describes the end device where the
point originates, such as Breaker424@HV Relay. An Alias is an optional
descriptor that is intended to display the SCADA master terminology, such as West
Sub Breaker 424 HV Relay.
Default: Point Name column is displayed, and the Alias column is not displayed.
Device Every point belongs to a device. This column displays the user defined device
name, such as HV Relay, and is convenient for sorting multi-dropped ports.
Default: Device column is displayed.
Type Protocol-specific point number and point type. Some examples of point types are
Point Number AI for Analog Input, BI for Binary Input. Depending on the protocol and the way it
addresses points, points may be numbered in hexadecimal (17h), decimal (23), or
octal (27o). The MMI will display the point address the way the specific protocol
addresses points. If there is a bit position within a word, the point number is
displayed as 17:03, which means bit 3 in word 17. Bit numbering and word sizes
are protocol dependent, i.e. bit 1 can be LSB or MSB, and a word can be 8 bits or
16 bits. The respective protocol manual provides additional information.
Default: Type column is displayed, and Point # column is displayed.
Changes Counter that displays the number of point changes since the Orion (re)start. For
analog or accumulator points, every data change increments the corresponding
change counter by 1. For digital points, every 0-1 or 1-0 transition increments the
change counter by 1.
Default: Changes column is not displayed.
Fails Counter that displays the number of failed polls since the Orion (re)start.
Default: Fails column is not displayed.
Successes Counter that displays the number of successful polls since the Orion (re)start.
Default: Successes column is not displayed.
Value Current value of the point as per communication with an end device. If the point
has been forced, the forced value will be displayed instead of the value from the
end device.
Default: Value column is displayed.
Percent FS Percent of full scale of the current value. For example, if the value is scaled from
–2048 to 2047, and the current value is 1024, this file will show 0.75 for 75%.
Default: Percent Full Scale column is displayed.
Status If the corresponding value is updated from the remote device, the field will show
Online. If there is any type of communication error with the remote device, the
field will show Offline.
Default: Status column is displayed.
Forced No or Yes, depending on whether the value is obtained from the server device, or
overridden by a value entered on the webpage.
Default: Forced column is displayed.

Table 39: DataValues – Input Point Display Options

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Force Input Values

Forcing or overriding input values allows for the testing of the correct transmission of values to the client
polling the Orion, without having to generate those values in the end device in the field. The ability to force
inputs depends upon the user’s permission settings. Forcing inputs can be useful under several
circumstances:

▪ The end device and/or the communication to it have not yet been installed or are temporarily not
available.
▪ Generation of test values in the end device is too complicated or not possible, depending on the end
device.

To force a point, first select the port of the point that is to be forced (see Figure 93). After clicking on the
point, the following screen (Figure 95) will appear. If the Force Input Value display does not open, the Orion
may be Locked or the account used to login does not have permission to force inputs.

Note: If the desired point does not highlight when moving the mouse over it, the Orion may be
Locked or the account used to login does not have permission to force this point.

Figure 95: DataValues – Force Input Value

With this command, the Orion data point will indicate an equipment
state or condition to the SCADA master that is only simulated and does
not reflect the actual state or condition. This may lead the SCADA
master or personnel to initiate operations based on the simulated state
as opposed to the actual state. The necessary permissions must be
obtained from control center and other departments in accordance with
your corporate safety and operating guidelines. Failure to do so could
result in equipment damage, injury, and/or death.

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By entering the following parameters, input data points can be forced to report those values.

Parameter Description
Force Value Enter a decimal number either a percentage or scaled value.
Scaled Value or In the drop-down box, select one of these two values:
Percent Full Scale ▪ scaled value
▪ percent full scale
Examples:
For a discrete value of 1 (On), enter either 1 and Scaled Value, or
100 and Percent Full Scale.
For an analog value of 6 with a scaling range of 0..10, enter either 6
and Scaled Value, or 60 and Percent Full Scale.
Comm Status The point can be simulated as being either Online or Offline.
Online indicates that the value is received online from the end
device. Offline indicates that there is no communication with the
end device, but rather the most recent value as of the time of the last
communication.
Time to Remain Forced Determines how long (in minutes) the point will stay in the simulated
state before returning to the actual value as obtained from the end
device.

Table 40: Data Values – Force Input Values

After entering the above parameters, clicking Force Value writes the entered value to the data point.
Clicking Cancel aborts the operation. Clicking Remove Forced Value clears the forced value on
this input point only.

Click the Clear Input Override button (Figure 93) to clear all forced values on all ports.

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Viewing Output Values

To view output values, i.e. values sent from a client port to an end device, click on outputs of the desired
port as shown in Figure 92. The last output value sent to the device will be displayed (Figure 96). This
value may have been sent by a client, to which the Orion is connected as a server, or the value may have
been generated by logic running in the Orion, or the value may have been forced by user input.

Figure 96: DataValues – View Output Values

Up to 30 values can be displayed on one page. Pagination is provided to allow jumping to different pages.
See Table 38 for a description of the pagination commands.

Section Column Options provides a complete description of the Column Options button.

Force Output Values

This function sends output values to connected server/end devices as entered by the Orion. During normal
operation, any output commands sent to those devices would be issued by a front end/SCADA master, and
merely passed through by the Orion. This function can be used for localized testing without involving the
entire system end-to-end. The ability to force outputs depends upon the user’s permission settings.

Output points can be forced by clicking on the desired point name in Figure 96.

Note: If the output point does not highlight when moving the mouse over it, the Orion may be
locked or the login account does not have permission to force outputs.

This command can possibly operate live equipment on the end device,
the same way it would be operated locally, or from the front end/SCADA
master. The necessary permissions must be obtained from control
center and other departments in accordance with your corporate safety
and operating guidelines. Failure to do so could result in equipment
damage, injury, and/or death.

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Clicking on the desired point displays the following screen.

Figure 97: DataValues – Force Output Value

The dialog shown in Figure 97 is a “generic” screen in that it shows all parameters possibly needed, whether
the output point is a simple discrete output, a select-before-operate output, a trip/close output, a pulse
output, or an analog output/setpoint. Depending on the protocols used to connect the front end/SCADA
master to the end device, only a selection of the listed types will be available, as either the protocol between
the front end and the Orion, and/or the protocol between the Orion and the end device may not support all
point types. The only value that must be entered is the value required by the point type. The following
table lists the parameters.

Item Description
Force Value Enter a decimal number either a percentage or scaled value.
Scaled Value or In the drop-down box, select one of these two values:
Percent Full Scale ▪ scaled value
▪ percent full scale
Examples:
For a discrete value of 1 (On), enter either 1 and Scaled Value, or
100 and Percent Full Scale.
For an analog value of 6 with a scaling range of 0..10, enter either 6
and Scaled Value, or 60 and Percent Full Scale.

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Item Description
Duration Usually, trip/close, raise/lower, and pulse outputs require a duration. If
(msec) none is entered, and a default value is used in the point configuration,
the default value is used instead.
Pulses For pulse output points, the number of pulses may be required unless
it is predefined by the respective protocol.
Offtime For pulse output points, the offtime between on-pulses may be
(msec) required as well.

Table 41: Data Values – Force Output Values

After entering the above parameters, click Force Value to perform the operation as set up.
Clicking Cancel aborts the operation.

View Tagging Archive

The View tagging archive button allows a user to determine whether or not any tags which may
have been created in the Orion HMI menus have been applied. The button is located on the upper right
side in the following figure. Clicking on the button displays a summary for each tag entered. The summary
for each tag consists of the parameters described in Table 42.

Figure 98: DataValues – View Tagging Archive

Any tag which has been applied will result in an entry being created in the tagging archive. Once the entry
appears in the tagging archive, the user can remove the tag if desired. If a tag in the tagging archive is

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removed, the archive will display a time stamp parameter indicating when the tag was applied and removed
(Figure 99).

Figure 99: DataValues – Applied Tags

Item Description
Point Name The Point Name and the Device name are combined into the Tagname
which references the point within the port, as well as all other ports/protocols
where that point might be used. Using self-explanatory names facilitates
online monitoring of the Orion’s operation. This string can be up to 30
characters long, and can contain all printable characters except @, [, ], ',
", =, and commas.
Alias Point Name Each point has two text descriptors for user identification. Name, also
known as Tagname, is required and usually describes the end device
where the point originates, such as Breaker424@HV Relay. An Alias is
an optional descriptor that is intended to display the SCADA master
terminology, such as West Sub Breaker 424 HV Relay.
Tag Type Generally, tags are identified by one of three types (or by user-specified
custom tags). The three default tag types are Do Not Operate,
Information, and Out of Service.
Applied Time Stamp Time stamp alerting the user to the moment the tag went into effect.
Removed Time Stamp Time stamp alerting the user to the moment the tag was released or
removed.
User Name User name required at login.
Comment Optional field. Comments can be used to alert the user to special
circumstances or instructions.

Table 42: Data Values – Tagging Archive

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Diagnostics -> ViewComms
The communications on any client or server port of the Orion can be monitored, similar to the viewing on
the MMI of the Orion (see section View Communications). First, select the desired port on the Port tab in
the following figure.

Figure 100: ViewComms – Select Port

On the Options tab, specific information can be excluded or included as needed. Also, the viewing Timeout
can be set.

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Figure 101: ViewComms – Select Displayed Information

When all selections are made, click on the View tab to monitor the ongoing communications for the
selected port. The viewing can be paused by clicking on the Pause button.

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Figure 102: ViewComms

The viewed communications can be reset/cleared and downloaded via the menu item .

Figure 103: ViewComms – Reset, Clear, and Download

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Diagnostics -> System
The System page displays the following Orion system information:
▪ Operating system information
▪ File system
▪ Module versions
▪ Serial and Ethernet interfaces
▪ Network statistics
▪ Memory information
▪ Interrupts information
▪ Package versions

The System page also provides some maintenance and management tools:
▪ Download system information
▪ Restart the Orion
▪ Update Orion image
▪ Manage Orion core dumps
▪ Backup user configuration
▪ View key file
▪ Download key file
▪ Delete key file

The operations available on this page usually require unlocking the Orion.

Table 43 describes the information displayed on the system pages.

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Figure 104: System Page

Item Description
Uptime The time the Orion Linux operating system has been running, in days,
hours, minutes, and seconds. This will reset after a full restart or power
is reapplied.
Linux Version Version of the currently installed Linux kernel.
DataBase: True/False Database Enabled status display. Possible values are True or False.
See also setion Database.
Download system info Compresses all system diagnostic log files into one .zip file. This file
can be transferred to the PC. NovaTech support engineers may
request this file to support the Orion.
Full Restart Force a hard re-start of the Orion.

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Item Description
Quick Restart Force a restart of the configuration without a full reboot.
Update This button updates the image of the Orion. Refer to the Updating
Orion Image Field Instructions for a complete description of the update
process.
Core Dumps A core dump will be generated by the Orion if a program crash occurs.
The core file can be transferred to the PC by clicking on the date and
time stamp that is displayed. It is used by Technical Support to analyze
the issue.
Backup This button allows backing up Orion files.
▪ System Files – Online settings and System Files listed on the
Files tab.
▪ User Files – NCD, logic, SVG, and key files.
▪ Database – SQL tables including Archive/Alarm/Alarm Archive,
and tagging files.
A compressed .zip file will be created containing the selected file
groups and is downloaded to the PC. See Appendix C – Backup and
Restore User Configuration for additional information.
Default file name: sysfiles.zip
View key file View all protocols and software options licensed on this Orion. To
check for protocol library versions, scroll to the Package Versions
table on the System page (Figure 107).
Download Key File Transfers the Key File from the Orion to the PC.
Delete Key File Deletes the orion.ntk license key file from the Orion’s non-volatile
memory.
Note: The key file with the software licenses is required for the
Orion applications to run.
File System Display the status of the Orion file system, including overall size,
available space, mounting points, etc.
Module Versions Lists port, name, version, and date for all protocol drivers and the
main.exe running on the Orion. All Orion protocol packages can be
verified in this table.
Serial Ports Displays all serial ports, the number of bytes transmitted and received
on each port since the last boot, and the status of the RS-232 lines.
Ethernet Interfaces For each Ethernet port, the port’s name, MAC address, IP address,
and subnet mask is displayed.
Network Stats–Receive Displays the number of transmitted and received bytes, packets,
Network Stats–Transmit errors, etc. for each network interface since the last reboot.
/proc/meminfo Displays memory information.
/proc/interrupts Displays interrupt information.
Package Versions Displays the application packages and their versions which are
installed on the Orion.

Table 43: System Page Information

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Figure 105: System Page – Serial and Ethernet Interfaces

Figure 106: System Page – Memory Info

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Figure 107: System Page – Package Versions

Diagnostics -> Logs

The Logs page displays the log information showing the entries time stamp, message source identifier, and
message priority (emergency, alert, critical, error, warning, notice, information and debug). The log
messages can be filtered by the filters Identifiers, Boot IDs, and Priorities. The events meeting
the selected criteria can be downloaded as a .csv (Comma Separated Values) file by
clicking Download.CSV near the top of the page. Additional details of a message will be displayed by
clicking on the message (Figure 109).

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Figure 108: Logs Page

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Figure 109: Log Message Details

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Alarms Tab
The Alarms page shows all currently unacknowledged alarms in the Orion. Alarms can be acknowledged
individually by selecting a specific alarm check box or collectively by clicking the select all check box at the
top of the column, and then clicking Acknowledge Selected . Acknowledged alarms are moved to the
alarm archive which can be viewed by clicking on Alarm Archive .

The colors for specific alarm levels and unacknowledged/acknowledged are set up as described in section
Alarms. By default, data points that are still in alarm are displayed in red, and data points that have returned
to normal are displayed in green.

Point setup for alarming is described in the Alarm/Archive/ Retentive Software Manual.

Figure 110: Alarms Tab

The active Alarm list can be sorted by clicking the respective column header. The Alarm list may also be
searched by entering text in the search box, upper right in window, and click the search button .

The display tables for the Alarms and Alarms Archive can be customized to display only the desired set of
columns (Figure 111). Click the Column Settings button , select the columns to be displayed
(highlighted in green) for this table and click Apply Preferences . The customized settings only apply
to the user logged on and to the specific browser currently being used.

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Figure 111: Column Setting Menu

The Alarm Archive list (Figure 112) can be filtered by clicking the Filter Table button and specifying a
Pointname, Message or Alias, and/or by specifying a date/time range in the filter options section, and
click the Add Filter button to add the option to the filter string and display the results. The following
figures show the unfiltered and the filtered Alarm/Alarm Archive.

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Figure 112: Alarm Archive without Filter

Figure 113: Alarm Archive with Filter

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Archive Tab
The Archive page displays the periodic archived values and/or events for binary data changes and analog
data changes. The desired points are configured in the AAR Module in NCD. Binary events are displayed
when the value changes from On to Off or from Off to On. Analog events are displayed when they change
outside the defined limits. Binary and Analog values can also be configured to archive periodically, such
as every 15 minutes. The events can be viewed in their entirety, or filtered to the 1000 most recent records,
or filtered by clicking the Filter Table icon . Via Rows per page, the records can be viewed 10, 25,
50, or 100 records per page.

Figure 114: Archive - 1000 Most Recent Records

Alternatively, the archive can be filtered by clicking the Filter Table icon and enter a Point Name
or Alias in the Search for data point… box and click the Add Filter button . The archive
table can additionally be filtered by selecting a time period from the Date dropdown menu (Figure 115).

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Figure 115: Archive with Custom Filter

Trends can be viewed by clicking View Trending at the upper right side (Figure 115). Click
on Date and Point Name (Figure 116) to specify the desired time period and the desired point
name(s) for the trend.

Figure 116: Archive –Trending

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Item Description
Under Date, select the time period for which to display the trend. A
Custom time period can also be specified.

Under Point Name, select whether to search for Point Names or

their Alias. Then enter the desired name. The matching points are
displayed automatically for selection. To add a point to the trend, click
on the icon on the right side of the entry field. When the first point
has been added, the trend is displayed automatically.
The values of the currently displayed trend can be saved to the PC as
a CSV file.

Table 44: Trending Filters

All applied filters, such as time period and points, are displayed as shown in Figure 117 and can be removed
by clicking the X behind each, or altogether by clicking .

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Figure 117: Archive – Trend for Multiple Data Points

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Files Tab
The Files page allows uploading, downloading, activating, and removing configuration files from the Orion.
This page also allows the transfer of system files and update packages. File transfers between the PC and
the Orion use the HTTPS file transfer protocol. HTTP can also be used if enabled as described in section
Services.

Figure 118: Files Page

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User Files

Files can be transferred to the Orion by clicking the + Select files... button and selecting the file
in the PC’s file system. Alternatively, files on the PC can simply be dragged and dropped onto the User
files area of the webpage. Click the Send button to transfer the selected files to the Orion (Figure
119). This process is used to restore a backup file to the Orion (see Appendix C – Backup and Restore
User Configuration).

Figure 119: Send Files to Orion

If a file selected for transfer has the same name as the active configuration, a warning
message is displayed. If the file is then actually transferred, the active configuration
will be overwritten and the Orion application process will automatically restart.

File Extension File Use Description

.ncd Configuration file Orion configuration file.
.bas Logic file Logic in “Basic” syntax executed by the Orion.
.lua Advanced logic file Logic in Lua programming language.
.ncz Compressed file 61850, 61131, and SNMP Manager information.
orionlx.ntk Key file They key file specifies what protocol drivers a specific
Orion is licensed to run. Protocol and software modules
will not execute without the proper license in this file.
Contact NovaTech support for troubleshooting.
.svg Scalable Vector Graphics file User webpages.
.js Java Script file User webpages.
.zip Compressed file Contains system files.

Table 45: Orion File Types

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All available files are listed under User files. The files in Table 45 can be transferred between the PC
and the Orion using the Files page.

The listed files can be sorted by filename, size, and date by clicking the respective column headers
Filename, Size, and Date.

Clicking a file name opens the file for viewing. Files of type .ncd, .lua and .bas are displayed as ASCII text.
Files of type .svg are displayed as graphics.

Each of the files can be selected by clicking the checkbox to the left of the file name. Then, either
the Download or the Delete button can be clicked, and the operation is applied to all selected files.

Clicking the Download button transfers all selected files from the Orion to the PC.

Clicking the Delete button deletes all selected files from the Orion non-volatile memory.

Selecting the Active Configuration

From all configuration files that have been transferred to the Orion, the active configuration can now be
selected from the drop-down box shown in Figure 120. A separate prompt requires confirmation for
switching to another configuration (Figure 121). Note that all files belonging to a configuration must have
been transferred to the Orion, such as .bas, .lua, .svg, etc. for the selected configuration and .ncd file to
operate correctly.

Figure 120: Select Active Configuration

Figure 121: Confirmation Prompt

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System Files
The System Files section on the Files page includes system files parameters such as date and size (Figure
120). The system files contain user-configured settings which have been set and saved using the Orion
webpage. These files can be moved from one Orion to another, assuming the logged in user has the
appropriate permissions. The files can be transferred to the PC as a compressed .zip file by clicking
the Download all button at the bottom of the list. System files cannot be transferred individually to
the PC.

The System Files section allows sorting on Filename, Size, and Date by clicking the respective column
header. The sort will alternate between ascending and descending.

Figure 122: System Files

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Settings Menu
Configuration and system parameters such as user authorization, console settings, alarms, or scheduling
can be set up on the Settings Menu. All settings configured through these pages are saved on the Orion
and can be transferred to the PC for backup (see System Files). These settings can also be transferred to
a spare Orion instead of being manually configured on a spare Orion.

Figure 123: Settings Menu

The following table provides an overview of available settings behind each link.

Menu Function
Users Manage users, set passwords and rights, allow services and operations,
account expiration, menu or command line upon login.
Authentication Rules Set user lockout rules, password rules, and remote root login permission.
Remote Accounts Set accounts, server parameters, and active directory parameters.
Firewall Set firewall rules for receiving, sending, and forwarding of packets.
Key Management Create, manage, and transfer keys.
System Log Set system log destination and filters.
Networking Enable/disable Ethernet ports, IP networking, port bonding, network bridging,
and PRP/HSR setup.
Serial Access Setup of console port.
Time Set time zone, IRIG-B input/output parameters, and NTP time sources.

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Menu Function
Serial Configuration of RS-232/485/422 and ST fiber ports.
WebUI Setup of webpage links, HMI tagging, and Orion webpage access rules.
Alarms Alarm notifications, alarm colors, and alarm archive settings.
Database Setup of archive, retentive, and tagging database and database access
management.
Tagging Setup and management of tags.
Cascaded Orions Settings for cascaded Orions.
Services Enable SNMP; Telnet, FTP, and HTTP (unsecure protocols); DisplayPort;
Multispeak HTTP and HTTPS.
Scheduler Set up recurring tasks in the Orion, such as emailing of .csv export files from the
archive and alarm database, and moving files via SFTP/FTP from the Orion to
a host computer.

Table 46: Settings Page

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Users
The Orion users are managed on the following page. The Orion is shipped with the two default users root
and novatech. Additional users can be added as needed.

Note that the following user administration pages are displayed only for users who belong to at least the
groups https (or http) and useradmin.

Figure 124: User Management Page

Function Description
Add User Click this link to add a user. Then the page in Figure 125 opens.
Edit the setttings for this user.

Change the password for this user. See also Change Password.

Delete this user.

Table 47: User Management Commands

Note: NovaTech recommends creating new accounts and deleting the default novatech account.
Setting up a second administrator account to be used only in an emergency (e.g. when the
first administrator account has been locked out, or its password has been misplaced) is
strongly recommended.

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Figure 125: Add User Page

Function Description
Username Enter unique username for the new user.
Password Sets the user password. The password rules are configured on the Authentication
Verify Password Rules page.
Days valid Sets the number of days that the password is valid. Upon expiration, the user will
be prompted to enter a new password.
Login Type Defines the user interface provided by the Orion after logging in via Telnet, SSH,
or serial connection.
Menu Display of Orion MMI. See Orion MMI for details.
Text Command line interface. Typing ntsh will display the Orion menus
from the command line.
iDial For communication with SEL AcSELerator Quickset ®. See Orion iDial
Software Manual.
Groups The groups the user is a member of. Each group grants certain permissions to
a user as explained in Table 49.

Table 48: User Account Management

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Change Password

If the user that is logged in does not have the permission to manage users (useradmin), only the own
password can be changed. This is the only available option for users without user management
authorization.

Figure 126: Change Own Password

Group Management

Note that access to any Orion webpage requires membership in group https or http. Figure 124 is
displayed only for users which belong to group https or http and useradmin.

Function Description LDAP

Group ID
alarming (1-5) The Alarming checkboxes are used with the Alarm/Archive/Retentive 116 - 120
option. These levels can be used to enable different users to
acknowledge different types of alarms. Up to 5 levels of
acknowledging alarms are supported.
Example: a breaker maintenance issue could be set up so only a
maintenance engineer can acknowledge, while a breaker status
change might be set up for only a relay protection engineer to
acknowledge.
The assignment of points to alarm acknowledgment groups is
described in the Alarm/Archive/Retentive Module Software Manual.
control (1-5) The Control checkboxes are used with the user webpage options. 121 - 125
These levels can be used to enable different users to send different
controls from a webpage. Up to 5 levels of controls are supported.
The assignment of points to control groups is described in the
WEBserver Software Manual, section "NCD Setup of XML Server",
"Outputs Tab".
cronconfig This group grants a user the ability to change the scheduled tasks on 128
the Scheduler page.

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Function Description LDAP
Group ID
forceinput Allows the user to force inputs in the Orion through the diagnostic port 109
for debugging purposes (see section Force Input Values (webpage)
and Force Input Values (MMI)).
forceoutput Allows the user to force field outputs connected to the Orion through 110
the diagnostic port for debugging purposes (see section Force Input
Values (webpage) and Force Output Values (MMI)).
ftp Allows the user access to the Orion using FTP. 101
http Allows the user access to the Orion using HTTP and a web browser. 102
https Allows the user access to the Orion using secure HTTP and a web 103
browser.
modem Allows the user access to the Orion using the dialup modem over 105
PPP.
networkconfig Allows the user to modify and save network parameters on the 111
Network Settings page. This page can be viewed but not edited by
the users that do not have this box checked.
networksecurity Allows the user access to the Firewall page. This page cannot be 114
viewed by users that do not have this box checked.
orionconfig Allows access to the Files page. This page cannot be viewed by 108
users that do not have this box checked.
packageinstall Allows the user to install updates on the Orion. 113
passthrough Allows the user to use the passthrough option on the system menu 115
via Telnet/SSH. Passthrough allows users to communicate with
devices that support ASCII protocols
postgres Checking this box will allow the user to set up the PostgreSQL 502
options.
ppp This group grants a user the ability to make a dial-in connection and 127
establish a PPP link using a modem
ssh Allows the user access to the Orion using secure shell. 104
tagging (1-5) Up to 5 levels of tagging for HMI use. 129 - 133
The setup of the tagging groups is described in section Tagging.
telnet Allows the user access to the Orion using Telnet. 106
tty Allows the user access to the Orion console on port A. 5
useradmin Allows maintenance of this page (adding, deleting, and editing of user 107
accounts). This page cannot be viewed by users that do not have
this box checked.
viewlogs Allows the user to view system log files. This page cannot be viewed 112
by users that do not have this box checked.
webfiles This group grants a user the ability to view/add SVG pages on the 126
Orion.

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Function Description LDAP
Group ID
wheel This group grants a user who has shell access (the login type Text) 10
the ability to become the super user (root).

Table 49: User Groups

For each category (alarm acknowledgment, control, and tagging), the matrix of each group and the users
assigned to each group must be carefully designed. The users must be able to perform their job functions,
and at the same time be prevented from operations they are not authorized to perform.

Each of the five groups of a category (alarm acknowledgment, control, and tagging) are disjoint groups and
not supersets of each other (like the groups superuser, administrator, power user, and user are in a
computer). This means that assigning a user to control groups 2 and 5 for example, grants permission for
operating control groups 2 and 5 only, and not for control groups 1, 3, and 4.

For more details, see also Orion Alarm/Archive/Retentive Software Manual.

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Authentication Rules
The Authentication Rules page sets the criteria for failed login results, valid password guidelines, and
remote Root user access. If any changes are made to the Authentication rules,
click Save changes button at the bottom of the page.

User Lockout Rules

User Lockout rules define the number of consecutive failed password attempts before a user account is
locked out or disabled. This is an important setting to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to
the Orion. A locked out user can be enabled again by the root user using the faillog command on the
console.

Figure 127: Authentication Rules – User Lockout Rules

Parameter Description
User Lockout Enable/disable lockout rules. When this setting is on, the Orion will use the
Rules following settings to decide when to disable a user due to failed login attempts.
Default: On
Max. Login Defines the number of consecutive failed password attempts before the user
Attempts account is locked out or disabled.
Default: 5
Lock Out Instructs the Orion to permanently disable a user account after a number of
Permanently failed attempts.
Default: Off
Time Until Unlock Defines the number of seconds the Orion will remain in lockout.
(sec) Default: 172800 seconds (2 days)

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Parameter Description
Temporary Lock The amount of time between failed attempts the Orion will lockout.
Time (sec) Default: 3 seconds

Table 50: User Lockout Rules

Password Rules

Password rules configure how many digits and the types of characters that are required in a password. A
long password with a mixture of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters is the most secure.
This password conformance check is executed when a new user is added or when a user changes the
password.

Figure 128: Authentication Rules – Password Rules

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Parameter Description
Password Rules Enable/disable password rules. When this setting is on, the Orion will check user
passwords to make sure they follow the rules defined below.
Default: Selected (On)
Min. Length Defines the minimum number of characters a password must be to be accepted.
Default: 8
Min. Digits Defines the minimum number of numeric digits (0-9) that must be used in a
password.
Default: 1
Min. Uppercase Defines the minimum number of uppercase (A-Z) letters that must be used in a
password.
Default: 1
Min. Lowercase Defines the minimum number of lowercase (a-z) letters that must be used in a
password.
Default: 1
Min. Special Defines the minimum number of special character digits that must be used in a
Chars password. Special characters include:
! @ # $ % ^ & * ( )+ ,- ./ :;< => ?“‘ [\ ]_ `{| }~
Default: 1
Max Repeated Defines the maximum number of times a character can be repeated.
difok Sets the minimum number of characters that must be different when changing a
password.
Default: 5
Password Defines the number of password changes before a previously used password can
History be reused.
Default: 3

Table 51: Password Rules

Remote Root Login

If the Allow Remote Root box is checked, remote login will be allowed for the root user. However, the
root user will also need to be given remote login permissions as described in section Users. To do this, the
root user must be a member of the ssh group (see also Figure 125 and Table 49).

Figure 129: Authentication Rules – Remote Root Login

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Note: For security reasons, enabling remote root login is not recommended.

Remote Accounts
The Remote Accounts page (Figure 130) configures the remote authentication settings for Active Directory
and RADIUS. For a full description of the Active Directory or RADIUS setup of the Orion, see the Orion
Remote Authentication Tech Note.

Figure 130: Remote Accounts Page

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Firewall
The firewall is an important cyber-security tool since it is a first defense step to keep unwanted traffic from
entering the Orion and its applications. The firewall is only one component which must be combined with
secure authentication and encryption methods as well as other security procedures to secure the network
and the devices connected to it.

The firewall provides a packet filtering process. Configuration involves establishing a list of rules based on
source and destination server IP address and port numbers. Rules will be set for Input traffic which will
have a specific IP address as an allowed source server and the Orion IP address as the destination server.
Rules will also be set for Output traffic which will have the IP address of the Orion as the source server
and a specific IP address as the destination server.

If Routing has been enabled using the Network Settings, data will be routed through the Orion. In this case
rules for Forward traffic will need to be established where neither the source nor the destination server is
the Orion but are device addresses within the network.

Generally, a firewall is set up to drop all incoming and outgoing packets. Exceptions are defined to allow
specific applications from specific machines to communicate with the Orion and its applications. Adding a
comment to each rule is recommended so settings can easily be identified and modified later.

Figure 131: Firewall Settings

The Orion is shipped with the firewall disabled. The default setting is set to drop both input, output, and
forward packets. When configuring the firewall, the Input rules, the Output rules, and the Forward rules
must be modified.

Note: As a general practice, firewall settings should only be configured locally so that the firewall
can be disabled using the serial MMI interface if an incorrect rule is configured.

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When first setting up a firewall, we recommend temporarily setting the output default to ACCEPT packets
while setting up the input rules to keep from having too many changes at once. Once the input rules function
properly, change the default for the output back to DROP, and then add the output rules.

The order in which rules are executed is important. If the firewall is configured to accept traffic from
26.45.123.54 and the next rule drops all incoming packets, this results in no incoming traffic being received.
If the first rule drops all incoming packets and the second rule accepts packets from 26.45.123.54, incoming
traffic will be received.

To set up the firewall of the Orion, rules must be added. Select the Input, Output, or Forward tab and
click the Add Rule button (Figure 131) for each rule.

Clicking the Edit button displays the following Filter Options webpage (Figure 132). To go to the
second page of the firewall Filter Options (Figure 133), click the button. After the filter options for this
rule have been specified, click Submit to establish the options for this rule. All filter options that are not
needed should be left empty.

To rearrange rules, drag and drop the rules into the desired order. After all rules have been configured, the
Enabled checkbox must be checked before clicking Save . The web browser will automatically refresh.
If the browser does not refresh within one minute, the Orion will turn off the firewall to enable the user to
modify the firewall rules.

Figure 132: Firewall Filter Options Page 1

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Figure 133: Firewall Filter Options Page 2

Function Description
Source
Interface The Interface setting specifies the Ethernet interface(s) to which this rule applies.
The available options are any (all interfaces), eth0, eth1, lo (loopback), and/or
tun0 (VPN tunnel).
The first list box allows choosing whether the selected interface is or is not
included in this rule.
Address Defines the IP source address of the incoming packet that is or is not included
in this rule.
Port Defines the source port number that is or is not included in this rule. A list of
preset port numbers is provided for convenience. Other port numbers can be
manually entered. Presets include:
FTP, SSH/SFTP, Telnet, HTTP, HTTPS, DNP, Modbus, NTP, OpenVPN, Radius,
Radius Account, PostgreSQL, LDAP, and Secure LDAP.
Destination
Interface The Interface setting specifies the Ethernet interface(s) to which this rule applies.
The available options are any (all interfaces), eth0, eth1, lo (loopback), and/or
tun0 (VPN tunnel).
Address Defines the IP destination address of the incoming packet that is or is not
included in this rule.

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Function Description
Port Defines the destination port number that is or is not included in this rule. A list
of preset port numbers is provided for convenience. Other port numbers can be
manually entered. Presets include:
FTP, SSH/SFTP, Telnet, HTTP, HTTPS, DNP, Modbus, NTP, OpenVPN, Radius,
Radius Account, PostgreSQL, LDAP, and Secure LDAP.
Common
Protocol The Protocol setting specifies the IP protocol (tcp, udp or icmp) that is or is
not included.
Default: TCP and UDP
State The Orion remembers the State of the connection. This setting defines the actions
based on the current state of the connection. Stateful packet inspection is important
to prevent exploitation of a device. Server (or server) protocols will utilize a state
setting, such as Established to keep a program from accepting a connection that
met all other firewall rules. The available settings are:
NEW A new connection is being created.
ESTABLISHED A current connection is established.
RELATED New connections created from previous connections.
INVALID Not new, established, or related.
Action and Additional Options
limit Specifies the maximum average number of matches per the specified time frame:
/seconds, /minutes, /hours or /day.
limit-burst Specifies the maximum burst before the limit parameter is enforced.
mac-source Defines the MAC address of the incoming packet that is or is not included in this
rule.
Action Action to take if the packet matches the rule.
NONE No action is taken.
DROP Drop the packet and do not send a reject message.
ACCEPT Accept the packet.
REJECT Drop the packet and send an ICMP error message back to sender.
LOG Accept packets and log packet information.
Default: NONE
Additional This is a command line option that requires advanced knowledge of firewalls. If
Options needed, this option will require assistance from NovaTech.
Comment Allows users to add a comment for the purpose of the rule.

Table 52: Firewall Settings

Note: It is possible to create a set of firewall rules that lock out the user during the Orion setup.
In this case, the USB interface port must be used to disable the firewall using the MMI
network menu.

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Key Management
The Key Management page allows the creation of new keys, the uploading of them, and the associating of
SSL keys with system features. The Orion ships with a default key that is used for SSH and HTTPS.
NovaTech does not include a key file issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) such as VeriSign, because the
Orion leaves NovaTech’s control when shipped. The Orion’s self-signed keys cause most browsers to
generate a warning message. The warning message can be resolved by accepting the warning, changing
browser settings, or installing your own certificate. For the latter, obtain a signed key from a trusted CA,
upload it by clicking Browse and Upload , and associate SSH and HTTPS with that key.
Clicking Save saves any entered settings.

Figure 134: Key Management Settings

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Field Description
Keys The Keys section shows the list of all SSL keys in the Orion. The key values
can be viewed by clicking the respective link under the Key Name heading.
Figure 135 shows the parameters associated with the default key. In order
to create a new key, click Create a new key, which requires the parameters
shown in Figure 136. See also section Create Key.
System Keys Allows users to select a specific key for SSH, HTTPS (Apache), and the
MultiSpeak, DNP3, and IEC 104 protocols. The dropdown box next to each
displays all key files displayed in the Keys section.
Key file upload Allows uploading of key files to the Orion. If the file selected on the PC exists
already on the Orion, you

Table 53: Key Management Settings

Figure 135: Default Key Values

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Create Key

After selecting the Create a new key button, the Distinguished Name window (see figure below)
opens for entering all the key parameters. Once the parameters have been entered,
click Create Key to create the key. The new key will be displayed in the key list (see Figure 134).

Figure 136: Create New Key

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System Log
If the system log or syslog function is set up, the Orion sends the system messages specified below to the
specified computer(s) for logging and analyzing. This function is used for system management and security
auditing.

Figure 137: System Log Setup

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Field Description
Enable Remote Logging This box must be checked to enable the syslog functionality.
Host Address IP address of the syslog host computer.
Backup Host Address IP address of the computer that is the backup host computer.
Destination Port Port number of the host computer which is used for syslogging.
Default: 514
Connection Type Connection type with syslog host computer.
Default: TCP
Filter Options Check all types of events for which messages shall be sent to the syslog
host for logging.
Default: alert, critical, emergency, error.

Table 54: System Log Setup

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Networking
The Networking page configures the installed Ethernet ports as well as General Interface Settings and
Advanced Networking Options. Once the Save changes button is clicked, these settings immediately
take effect. If the IP address of the Orion has been changed, the new address of the Orion must be entered
in the web browser for continued access to the Orion’s webpages.

Figure 138: Networking Settings

The internal names of the Ethernet ports which are labeled as Eth0-0, Eth0-1, and Eth1 on the Orion
enclosure are as follows. The following table also shows the PTP/IEEE 1588 support for each port. If
PTP/IEEE 1588 is supported in hardware, the achieved accuracy is < 1µs. It is not supported on switch
ports and PRP/HSR ports.

Connector Label Interface Name PTP/IEEE 1588

Eth0-0 lan0 No supported
Eth0-1 lan1 No supported
Eth1 eth1 Hardware

Table 55: OrionMX Ethernet Port Names and PTP Support

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General Interface Settings

The General Interface Settings settings affect all network adapters as follows.

Function Description
Hostname Optional name that identifies the Orion on a network. The DNS server must be
aware of this hostname and supply connecting devices with the IP address. This
name is also displayed on the Orion title bar for device recognition.
Default: orionlx
DNS Servers The Domain Name System (DNS) Server converts a hostname to an IP address.
The Orion supports two DNS servers. If no DNS is required for communications to
and from the Orion, it is recommended to leave the DNS server fields empty for
faster SSH connection times.
Enable Routing The Enable Routing setting allows the Orion to act as a router. When routing, the
Orion becomes the gateway between two networks. After selecting this option, the
user must configure the Orion IP address as the gateway addresses of the two
networks that the Orion is routing. The default gateway addresses of the Orion
Ethernet ports should be left blank.
Note: NovaTech recommends using the Firewall, Forward Settings when the
Enable Routing setting is selected.

Table 56: General Interface Settings

Interface(s) Settings

For all network ports, the same set of parameters must be configured. All ports operate independently of
each other. In most environments, the IT department or networking engineering personnel must be
consulted to obtain specific addresses for the Orion’s network configuration.

Note: Each Ethernet port must belong to a different network and set up with corresponding IP
addresses. If network ports are set up with IP addresses belonging to the same IP
network, IP communication errors may occur.

Example 1: 192.168.x.x and 172.16.x.x are different networks.

Example 2: With subnet mask 255.255.255.128, the ranges 192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.127 and
192.168.1.129 - 192.168.1.255 are different networks.

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Function Description
Enabled Controls whether the Ethernet port is enabled (checked) or disabled (cleared).
Default: cleared (disabled).
Use DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allows the Orion to obtain its IP
address from a DHCP server. Depending on the requirements and network setup,
the IP addresses can be assigned automatically through a DHCP server on the
network. However, unless the DHCP server is set up to assign a specific address
to the Orion, this will result in varying addresses assigned by the DHCP server. In
most network architectures, static IP addresses will be the preferred setup.
Default: Checked (DHCP enabled)
IP Address Static IP address for Ethernet ports.
Example: 172.16.123.12
Subnet Mask The Subnet Mask is used to divide networks. Devices that communicate over a
network must have the same subnet mask. The corporate IT department or
networking engineering personnel normally provide the specific settings.
Example: 255.255.0.0
Gateway The Gateway setting allows the Orion to communicate with devices that are not on
the network. Commonly, the gateway is the IP address of the router. NovaTech
recommends using a gateway setting for one network interface only. If multiple
gateways are required, Static Routes may need to be configured using the
Advanced Networking settings.
Example: 172.16.0.1
Media Settings Defines the speed at which the Orion communicates over the network. auto
negotiate allows the Orion to connect at the optimal available speed. Selecting
a specific setting restricts this port to the selected speed and duplex mode.
Default: auto negotiate

Table 57: Network Settings for Ethernet Ports

Advanced Networking Options

The following advanced networking options are supported:

▪ Static Routing
▪ Network Bonding
▪ Network Bridging
▪ HSR/PRP (if NC3 card is installed)

Static Routing

Static routing is a manual configuration of a network route. It is used in situations where the network
parameters and configuration will remain constant. Packet routing decisions are preconfigured in the routing
table which can only be changed manually by the administrator.

Clicking the Static Routs link opens a new window where static routes can be configured.
Click Add to open the following window (Figure 139) to configure new static routes.

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Figure 139: Add Static Route

Function Description
Destination Network Enter the IP address of the final destination.
Address
Destination Network Enter the subnet mask of the final destination.
Subnet Mask
Gateway Enter the gateway IP address which must be on the same LAN segment as
the Orion.
Interface Select the Orion Ethernet port for which this static route applies.

Table 58: Static Routing Parameters

Network Bond(s)

Bonding provides a method for aggregating multiple network interfaces into a single logical bonded
interface. The behavior of the interface depends on the mode of operation that has been selected. Modes
provide hot standby or load balancing plus the option of link integrity monitoring. Clicking the Network
Bond(s) link opens a new window where a bonded port can be edited or configured. Click Add to open
the following window (Figure 140).

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Figure 140: Ethernet Bonding Configuration

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Function Description
Use DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allows the Orion to obtain its IP
address from a DHCP server. Depending on the requirements and network setup,
the IP addresses can be assigned automatically through a DHCP server on the
network. However, unless the DHCP server is set up to assign a specific address
to the Orion, this will result in varying addresses assigned by the DHCP server.
Note: In most network architectures, static IP addresses will be the preferred
setup.
Default: DHCP disabled
IP Address Orion static IP address for the logical bonded interface.
Subnet Mask The Subnet Mask is used to divide networks. Devices that communicate over a
network must have the same subnet mask. The corporate IT department or
networking engineering personnel normally provide the specific settings.
Gateway The Gateway setting allows the Orion to communicate with devices that are not on
the network. Commonly, the gateway is the IP address of the router. NovaTech
recommends using a gateway setting for one network interface only.
Mode Specifies the mode of operation of the bonded interface: See Table 60 for mode
descriptions.
▪ active-backup
▪ balance-rr (default)
▪ balance-xor
▪ broadcast
▪ 802.3ad
▪ balance-tlb
▪ balance-alb
Enslave Specifies the primary server port that makes the logical bonded interface specified
in the IP Address field.
MIIMON Specifies the MII link monitoring frequency in milliseconds. This is the frequency of
Frequency checking the link state of each server for link failure.
Default: 100 ms
Down Delay Specifies the time, in milliseconds, to wait before disabling a server after a link
Time failure has been detected. Valid with miimon link monitor only.
Default: 0
Up Delay Time Specifies the time, in milliseconds, to wait before enabling a server after link
recovery has been detected. Valid with miimon link monitor only.
Default: 0
Use Carrier Specifies the method that miimon uses to monitor link status. The two methods
are:
▪ True - netif_carrier_ok (default)
▪ False - MII/ETHTOOL ioctls
Enable Controls whether the port bonding is enabled (checked) or disabled (cleared).
Default: checked (enabled)

Table 59: Network Bonding - Settings

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The following table provides a description for the available bonded interface modes.

Mode Description
active-backup Operates in an active backup configuration. One interface will be in a backup
state and will only become active if the link is lost by the active interface. This
mode provides fault tolerance.
balance-rr Balanced round robin mode transmits packets in a sequential order starting
with the first available server through the last. This mode provides load
balancing and fault tolerance. This mode is the default mode.
balance-xor Packets are transmitted on a server interface based on XOR formula using the
source MAC address XOR’d with the destination address. This mode provides
load balancing and fault tolerance.
broadcast All packets are transmitted on all server interfaces. This mode provides only
fault tolerance.
802.3ad Dynamic Link Aggregation which creates aggregation groups that share the
same speed and duplex settings. Requires a switch that supports IEEE
802.3ad Dynamic link.
balance-tlb Adaptive transmit load balancing mode. Outgoing traffic is distributed
according to current load and queue on each server interface.
balance-alb Adaptive load balancing mode which includes the balanced-tbl plus receive
load balancing. Receive load balancing is achieved by ARP negotiation.

Table 60: Bonding Modes

For more details, see the Orion Port Bonding Technical Note.

Network Bridging

Clicking the Network Bridges link opens the page where the network bridge can be configured.
Click Add to open the following window (Figure 141) to configure a new network bridge.

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Figure 141: Add Network Bridge

Function Description
Use DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allows the Orion to obtain its IP
address from a DHCP server. Depending on the requirements and network setup,
the IP addresses can be assigned automatically through a DHCP server on the
network. However, unless the DHCP server is set up to assign a specific address
to the Orion, this will result in varying addresses assigned by the DHCP server.
Note: In most network architectures, static IP addresses will be the preferred
setup.
Default: DHCP disabled
IP Address Enter the IP address of the final destination.
Subnet Mask Enter the subnet mask of the final destination.
Gateway The Gateway setting allows the Orion to communicate with devices that are not on
the network. Commonly, the gateway is the IP address of the router. NovaTech
recommends using a gateway setting for one network interface only.
Bridge Specifies the interfaces that make the logical bridge.
Enabled Controls whether the network bridge is enabled (checked) or disabled (cleared).
Default: checked (enabled)

Table 61: Network Bridge Parameters

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Serial Access
The OrionMX offers direct user console support on ports B or C if the port is not used for a protocol.
Standard modem support is not available on the OrionMX. The entered settings become effective after
clicking Save changes .

Figure 142: Console Port Settings

Field Description
Enabled To enable the console on the port specified in Comm Port below, check the
Enabled checkbox.
Default: Unchecked
Comm Port Select the serial port on which the console will be enabled. Serial Ports B or
C are supported.
Default: Port B
Direct (not dial-up) This option is fixed and cannot be changed.
Port Speed Select the communication port speed from the drop-down box.
Default: 115200

Table 62: Console Port Settings

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Time
The Time page configures the Time Zone, Date/Time, IRIG-B, NTP, and PTP/IEEE 1588.

Figure 143: Time – Time Zone

Field Description
Time Zone Defines the Orion time zone. The Orion will use this time zone setting for user
interface time values, but not for log files. Protocols that use time provide an offset
for multi time zone systems. If daylight savings time is undesirable, use the
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) offset zones.
Click Save Time Zone to save the setting.

Table 63: Time – Time Zone

Figure 144: Time – Set Time

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Field Description
Date Enter or select the desired date and time and click Save to set the Orion clock.
Time

Table 64: Time – Set Time

Figure 145: Time – IRIG-B Input Settings

Field Description
Signal Type Defines what type of IRIG-B signal the Orion will receive. Unmodulated is an
AC signal and Modulated is a DC signal.
Default: Unmodulated
Timezone Defines how the Orion will interpret the incoming IRIG-B signal. If UTC is selected,
the Orion will apply the time zone setting to the incoming time before using it. If
Local is selected, the Orion will use the exact time received.
Default: UTC

Table 65: Time – IRIG-B Input Settings

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Figure 146: Time – NTP

Field Description
NTP Time Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a very accurate network protocol for setting the
Sources Orion time. The Orion can receive both IRIG-B and NTP messages. Commonly, a
hostname or IP address is entered. Several hostnames are provided, but usually
the NTP Server is a GPS clock or server on the network. Hosts can be added by
typing the hostname or IP address and clicking Add . After saving, the new entry
will be displayed in the list box. The Delete button allows deletion of individual
hosts.
Remote Host Select to Enable NTP For All Remote Hosts to allow other devices to receive
timing from this Orion.
Default: Disabled

Table 66: Time – NTP

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Figure 147: Time – PTP/IEEE 1588

Field Description
Domain Number 0: Default domain
1-3: Alternate domains
4-127: User-defined domains
128-255: Reserved
Interfaces All the ports which support PTP are listed. Using Table 55, select the port on which
you want to use PTP.
Network Select UDPv4, UDPv6, or Layer 2 (L2) for PTP, depending on the settings for your
Transport network.
Default: UDPv4
Delay The Delay Mechanism specifies one of the two PTP delay mechanisms supported
Mechanism for propagation delay measurements: End-to-end (delay request-response
mechanism) and peer-to-peer (peer delay mechanism). Auto setting is also
supported.
Default: Peer-to-peer

Table 67: Time – PTP/IEEE 1588

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Serial
The OrionMX has standard serial ports B and C as well as additional serial port on the S1 and F1 cards.
The serial ports are configured on OrionMX webpage via Settings -> Serial.

Figure 148: Serial Port Settings

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Port Type Description
RS-232 The port operates as an RS-232 port. The pinout is described in Table 7.
(Default)
RS-485 2-wire The port operates as an RS-485 half duplex port using two wires. The pinout
is described in Table 8.
RS-485/422 4-wire The port operates as an RS-485/422 full duplex port using four wires. The
pinout is described in Table 9.
Enable terminating This option is available only if the port is set up for RS-485 or RS-485/422.
resistor The termination resistors (120 , ½ watt) between the + and – terminals for
the RS-485/422 serial communication link should be enabled only if the
OrionMX is a “terminating” device on either end of the network link.
Note: For correct line impedance and for EMI protection, use twisted
pair wiring for each signal.
Enable IRIG-B/5VDC This option enables 5V dc (50mA) and IRIG-B on the serial port. Depending
on the selected port type, see Table 7, Table 8, or Table 9 for the respective
pinout.

Table 68: Settings for Serial Ports B and C and S1 Card Serial Ports

See section Serial Ports for the pin-outs of the supported serial port modes.

Port Type Description

Point-to-Point The fiber optic port communicates directly with the attached device.
Multi-drop ring The fiber optic port transmits between multiple devices connected in a ring
(Echo) topology. Only the addressed device responds to the transmitted protocol
telegram. In a ring topology, the client is configured without echo and all
server devices are configured with echo.

Table 69: Settings for F1 Card Serial Ports

WebUI
The settings related to the Orion’s webpages are set on the tabs of the WebUI Settings page. All settings
become effective by clicking the Save button at the bottom of the page.

HMI Tab

The items in the following figure are set up on the HMI tab.

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Figure 149: WebUI Settings – HMI

Field Description
Use large text in If this box is unchecked, the header bar is displayed as shown in Figure 150.
the header bar and If the box is checked, the header bar is displayed as shown in Figure 151.
link bar on HMI Default: Small text
Display tagging Tags can be set up as described in section Tagging. When executing control
button and operations in the HMI dialog, the respective tags can be displayed as part of
information in HMI the confirmation screens. If this is desired, this box must be checked (Figure
control dialog 152). Otherwise, this box must be unchecked (Figure 153).
Default: Enabled
Refresh HMI SVG The HMI can be updated every time a new SVG file is uploaded to the Orion.
when a new SVG Default: Disabled
file is uploaded
Check for new HMI The Orion checks for new SVG files every x seconds.
SVG file every x Default: 60 seconds
seconds

Table 70: WebUI Settings – HMI

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Figure 150: Small text in header and link bar

Figure 151: Large text in header and link bar

Figure 152: Control dialog with tag information

Figure 153: Control dialog without tag information

On the Orion Home page, direct links to user-defined SVG files can be displayed under User Links
(Figure 149). Each file that requires a link on the home page must be checked like SUB900_ONELINE.svg
in the following figure.

Figure 154: User-defined SVG files on Home page

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Link Bar Tab

Below the blue Orion banner, links can be set up for immediate access to the linked pages by entering the
desired link names and link addresses in Figure 155. As shown below, the link addresses and names must
be entered on the respective lines. Orion menu items are be linked by, for example, /Alarms for the Alarms
page. User-defined .svg files must be prefixed with /SVG, for example /SVG/SUB900_ONELINE.SVG.

Figure 155: Link Bar Example

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Timeouts Tab

The Sessions timeout and Inactive Redirect are set on the following tab.

Figure 156: WebUI Settings – Timeouts

Field Description
User sessions Sets the amount of time in minutes that user inactivity on the Web UI will result in
time out user logout. Factory default is 1200 minutes (20 hours). This parameter increments
after x in 1 minute steps to a maximum of 44640 minutes (744 hours/31 days).
minutes. Default: 1200 minutes
Auto redirect Enter the number of minutes following user inactivity before the Orion redirects to
after user is the specified page. The redirect functionality is only supported on Orion pages.
inactive for Default: 0 (disabled)
x minutes
Redirect Enter the file path of the destination page. Do not include the IP address or domain
Address name in this file path. For example, enter /SVG/SUB900_ONELINE.svg/ to
redirect users to the oneline diagram of the Orion.

Table 71: WebUI Settings – Timeouts

The Inactive Redirect timer does not restart following an automatic logout. For example, if the
Inactive Redirect timer is set to 15 minutes and the User sessions time out timer is set to 10
minutes, the redirect timer does not restart following the logout at 10 minutes. Instead, the redirect occurs
15 minutes following the most recent user activity.

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Page Configuration Tab

Each Orion section shown in the figure below has three parameters that can be customized; the dropdown
box for access setting, Hide header, and Show link bar. Clicking Add rule will allow additional
access rules to be defined for specific IP address or CIDR address range. If no rules or parameters are
defined for a section, the default settings for each parameter will be used. After all of the parameters are
set and the rules have been added for the sections, click the Save button located on the bottom of the
webpage.

Note: The HMI section is available only if the XML Server protocol is configured.

Figure 157: WebUI Settings – Page Configuration

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Control Box Description
By default For each section (Home, Files, System, etc.) of the Orion, default access can
(dropdown list) be set (login, unlock,…).
Additional rules can be added by clicking the Add rule button. For each
section, multiple rules can be specified. Each rule determines whether
accessing that section of the Orion from the specified IP address or CIDR
block, no_login, login, or unlock is required. deny denies access from
that address (range). Access to that section can also be disabled altogether by
selecting deny for the specified IP address or CIDR block (see the dropdown
box in Figure 157). To remove a rule, click the Delete button associated
with that rule.
Hide header If this box is checked, the blue Orion header as shown in the red frame in Figure
158 will not be displayed when the respective section page is displayed.
Show link bar If this box is checked, the user link bar is displayed as shown in the green frame
in Figure 158. The link bar will also be shown on all pages linked from the main
section page.

Table 72: WebUI Settings – Page Configuration

Figure 158: Link Bar and Header Settings

Login Message Tab

By default, no custom text is shown on the Orion’s initial login page. Custom text (Example: “Welcome to
Desert Road Substation!”) can be entered in the Login Message text field (Figure 159), which is then
displayed as shown in Figure 160.

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Figure 159: WebUI Settings – Login Message

Figure 160: Custom Login Message

Database Tab

Specifies the user group that has access to database management actions. Typically, the access is
restricted to the postgres group. See also section Group Management.

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Figure 161: WebUI Settings - Database

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Alarms
For alarms, the visual and audio notifications, and the colors can be specified. Refer to the
Alarm/Archive/Retentive Module Manual for setting up data points for alarming.

Figure 162: Alarms configuration

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Notifications

For unacknowledged alarms, the following options can be specified. Refer to Alarms Tab for acknowledging
alarms.

Control Box Description

Show warning If this box is checked, a warning banner will be displayed if there are any
banner unacknowledged alarms.
Show most recent If this box is checked, the most recent alarm will be displayed if there are any
alarm in banner unacknowledged alarms.
Play <alarm sound> If this box is checked, the specified alarm sound (alarm1, alarm2, alarm3,
every <x> seconds alarm4, or alarm5) will be played at the specified interval.

Table 73: Notification Parameters

Operations

When the Acknowlegde All button checkbox (Figure 162) is checked, the red button is displayed on
the Alarms tab as shown in the following figure.

Figure 163: Acknowledge All button on Alarms tab

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Text Colors

The colors for normal values, alarm values, and acknowledged alarms can be defined using standard colors
or custom colors. The colors can be entered either by text name as shown in Figure 162 or by the respective
six-digit hex code. For example, #FF0000 represents red.

Background Colors

The background colors for normal values, alarm values, and acknowledged alarms can be defined using
standard colors or custom colors. The colors can be entered either by text name as shown in Figure 162 or
by the respective six-digit hex code. For example, #FF0000 represents red.

Database
The following database operations work in combination with NCD configuration for archiving, retentive data,
and/or alarming (see Alarm/Archive/Retentive Module Manual). For the user to have access to these
database actions, they must be assigned to the postgres users group.

Note: For all database operations (such as Reset database), the database must be enabled.
The database is enabled when the link Disable database is displayed as shown below
(Figure 164).

Figure 164: Database Settings

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Function Description
Enable Database Enable or disable the PostgreSQL database.
Disable Database Default: Disabled.
Reset Database Deletes and recreates all database tables. All data in the database will be
lost. The database must be enabled for this operation to be available.
Analyze Database Collects statistics about the contents of tables in the database. The query
planner uses these statistics to help determine the most efficient execution
plans for queries. Using this feature for large databases optimizes the query
response time. The database must be enabled for this operation to be
available.
Allow remote When this box is checked, the database server will listen on TCP/IP port
database access 5432 (on all interfaces) for connections and provide access.
Click Save to save the setting.
Add When connecting remotely to port 5432 using a client such as pgAdmin, or
a driver such as psqlODBC, a username and password must be specified
to connect. This option permits access for the specified database users.
When clicking this button, the following window is displayed (Figure 165).
The respective username and password must be entered. The checkboxes
for the desired access (archive, retentive, tagging) must be set as
well.
Delete Clicking on this link to the right of a database user name removes that user’s
account.

Table 74: Database Settings

Figure 165: Add Database User

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Tagging
For tagging of equipment, the Orion provides the following three standard tag types.

Tag Type Name Description Permis- Disable Display

sion Output Value Group
Do Not Operate Place on devices to inhibit operation. 1 0 1
Information Place on devices to give information. 1 None 2
Out of Service Place on devices that are out of 1 Both 3
service.

Table 75: Standard Tags

The meaning of Permission, Disable Output Value, and Display Group is explained in Table 76.

Figure 166: Tag List

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Additional tag types can be added by clicking Add tag type in Figure 166. Then the new tag type can
be set up as shown in Figure 167.

Figure 167: Add New Tag

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Field Description
Name Name of the new tag.
Description Description of the purpose of the new tag.
Disable control This parameter sets which output values will be disabled when the tag is
value applied to the individual control. The options available in the drop down
menu are:

Parameter Description
none This parameter would be used for Information only type
tags. Neither control will be disabled with this selection.
both This is the most restrictive parameter. The control will
not be able to be turned on or off.
0 An output value of 0 will be disabled if this option is
selected. Depending on how the operation of the control
is defined, this parameter could turn the control on or off.
1 An output value of 1 will be disabled if this option is
selected. Depending on how the operation of the control
is defined, this parameter could turn the control on or off.

Permission There are five permission groups set up in Group Management, called
tagging1, tagging2, etc. The operator who is setting the tag must
belong to the specified group.
Display Group The display group can be 1 through 16. This option corresponds to the
Tagging Visibility Group that is set on the Orion HMI Inkscape
Extension.
Additional Fields The additional fields are optional. If left empty, no additional fields will be
displayed (Figure 169). If additional fields are needed, they can be added
by clicking + and filling in the desired text labels. In the above example,
two fields called Tester Name and Tester Phone Number have been
added. When the tag is used, those additional fields are displayed as
shown in Error! Reference source not found..

Table 76: Tag Fields

Note: Using the tagging feature requires that the Alarm/Archive/Retentive (AAR) module is
configured in the NCD file, even if the point to be tagged is not configured for AAR. Without
the AAR module running, tagging does not work.

For taggable equipment, the Tagging button must be inserted in the .svg graphics next to the
equipment (Figure 168). Clicking the button opens the tag window shown in Figure 169.

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Figure 168: Tagging Button in Graphics

All existing tags for the associated data point are displayed below the data point’s name on the left hand
side. Existing tags can be removed by clicking the respective Remove tag button.

Figure 169: Setting a Standard Tag

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Cascaded Orions
When several Orion’s are cascaded, the NCD configurations for the server Orion are generated on the
following screen of the client Orion by clicking Save and Make Active . The client Orion in turn, has
been set up accordingly in NCD (Figure 33).

A complete description of setting up a cascaded Orions is available in the Cascading Software Manual.

Figure 170: Cascaded Server

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Services
The Services page enables/disables SNMP, the MultiSpeak protocol, and the unsecure protocols that are
disabled by default. Each of these protocols has a secure equivalent that is enabled in the Orion by default.
SSH replaces Telnet, SFTP replaces FTP, and HTTPS replaces HTTP. After clicking
the Save changes button, any changes will immediately take effect. Enabling SNMP requires
additional configuration as described in SNMP Manager Software Manual. The MultiSpeak protocol is
described in the MultiSpeak Server Software Manual.

Figure 171: Services Settings

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Scheduler
The Scheduler page allows the scheduling of various tasks to run at user-specified intervals. Multiple tasks
may be run concurrently. Only users who belong to the cronconfig group (see Users) can access this
function.

Figure 172: Scheduler – Task List

Field Description
Restart Cron Daemon Click this button after adding new tasks, or editing or removing existing
tasks.
Add CSV Task Add a CSV task as described in Scheduling Tasks and Add CSV Task.
Add FileMover Task Add a FileMover task as described in Scheduling Tasks and Add
FileMover Task.
Add Config Manager Add a Configuration Manager Agent task as described in Scheduling
Agent Task Tasks and Add Config Manager Agent Task.
remove When clicking this link next to a task, the task will be removed and will no
longer be executed.
Task (such as Click on a task to open the task for editing.
CSV File Generator)

Table 77: Scheduler – Task List

The hwclock task is the hardware clock task that keeps the time synchronized. This task cannot be edited
or deleted.

Scheduling Tasks

For all tasks, a task name must be entered. The scheduling procedures for all tasks are identical. Two
schedulers are available, the Basic Scheduler and the Advanced Scheduler. To ensure correct scheduling,
both schedulers display the specified schedule in red verbose text.

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Figure 173: Task Scheduling

The task-specific setups are described in the section Add CSV Task, Add FileMover Task, and Add Config
Manager Agent Task.

Add CSV Task

With the CSV task, portions of the Archive or Alarm database can be emailed. The CSV task parameters
are set up on the following page. Any changes on this page must be saved by clicking the Save button.

Figure 174: CSV Task Parameters

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The .csv files generated by this task are saved to one of two directories, depending on the database being
used. Files generated using the Archive database are saved to the
/var/cache/csvFileGenerator/archive directory on the Orion. Files generated using the Alarm
database are saved to the /var/cache/csvFileGenerator/alarmArchive directory.

The naming conventions for the generated CSV file use the format <Date>,<Time>,<Time Zone
Code>,<Name describing CSV file>.csv. In addition, if the Use device date/time setting is
enabled, a “t” character is included following the time stamp. For example, a file with the text “Sub237” in
the Name describing CSV file field that was generated on July 19, 2016 at 10:29:55,936 with the
Use device date/time setting enabled has the filename 160719,102955936,+02h00t,
Sub237.csv.

Field Description
Database Designates whether the CSV file will contain data from the Archive or from
the Alarm database.
Maximum file size Minimum file size is 10 Kbytes, and maximum file size is 500000 Kbytes.
Default: 20000
Maximum files This is the number of files that will be saved before the files begin to be
deleted to make room for new files.
Default: 60
Use device Uses the date and time information gathered from the specific device rather
date/time than using the Orion information.
Email CSV To utilize the emailing function, check the Email CSV box which will enable
Email to group the Email to group field. In this field, enter the name of the group that
data should be emailed to. The email groups are configured in NCD. For
instruction on how to configure an email group in NCD, see the Email
Software Manual.
Name describing CSV The content of this field will be used as the “Subject” of the email.
file

Table 78: CSV Task Parameters

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Add FileMover Task

With the FileMover task, files in the Orion can be transferred to a host computer using FTP or SFTP. The
FileMover task parameters are set up on the following page. See the Orion FileMover Tech Note for an
example.

Figure 175: FileMover Task Parameters

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Field Description
ftp sftp Select the protocol for the file transfer.

Source
Path Path in the Orion file system of the file to be transferred.
Private Key Path to the private key file used for encrypting the transferred file. This is
only needed when using SFTP.
Destination
IP Address IP address of the host computer to which the file is transferred.
Port Port of the host computer used for file transfer.
Path Path in the host computer file system where the transferred file is stored.
Username Username for login at the host computer.
Password Password for login at the host computer.
Delete on success If this box is checked, the specified file will be deleted in the Orion file system
upon successful transfer to the host computer.

Table 79: FileMover Task Parameters

Click the Save button to save any changes.

Add Config Manager Agent Task

The Configuration Manager Agent creates a .zip file containing configuration information of the Orion. The
agent scans the configured ports using the command list specified in the NCD file, captures additional
information from the Orion, and packages the results into a .zip file on the Orion. See the Configuration
Manager Agent section for information about configuring the software agent in NCD.

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V. Orion MMI
Introduction
The OrionMX provides a built-in MMI for viewing data values, port communications, device statistics,
system events, and system/version information. It also allows configuration file, firmware file, and log file
transfers via Z-Modem (bi-directional).

The Orion’s dedicated MMI port is the USB maintenance port. Additional serial ports on the Orion can be
set up as MMI ports if needed. For example, if viewing in different locations is required, or if multiple aspects
of the MMI are to be viewed at the same time.

In addition, the same MMI with the same functionality is available for access by way of SSH, and the Orion’s
Ethernet port(s). Again, multiple MMI windows can run simultaneously.

Using the MMI requires NCD (NovaTech Configuration Director) software or a standard terminal or SSH
software to make commissioning, monitoring, and troubleshooting as easy as possible.

Connection Requirements
In order to connect to the Orion, the following hardware and software is required.

Serial Connection Ethernet Connection

Hardware PC with available USB port and A/B PC with Ethernet port and Ethernet
USB cable (included with OrionMX) cable
Software - NCD or - NCD or
- any terminal software - any software which allows SSH
connection (CRT, PuTTY, etc.)

Table 80: Serial/Ethernet Cables and Software

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Connecting to the Orion MMI

Orion Maintenance Port

The configuration and MMI port of the OrionMX is the USB port on the front panel. The maintenance port
is automatically set up to run the MMI and does not require any configuration. The communication
parameters are 115200 Baud, No Parity, 8 Data Bits, and 1 Stop Bit (115200-N-8-1). The terminal mode
is ANSI and the port parameters cannot be changed, meaning the above parameters are fixed, and the port
cannot be used for a protocol interface.

Loading an NCD configuration file into the OrionMX enables the Orion to operate the configured protocols
on all other ports, as well as operating additional MMI ports, user-defined logic, etc.

Connecting to the Orion with NCD

The section Communications Menu describes how to set up a serial connection in NCD and how to connect
to an Orion. After connecting to the Orion MMI, login to the Orion with the appropriate username and
password.

Unlocking a User Account

If a user is locked out due to too many failed login attempts, the Orion MMI can be used to view the failed
login attempts and unlock the user account. This must be done from an administrative or root user account.
In the terminal window, type the command faillog followed by the username to reset the locked out user
account. Example: faillog novatech. See the Orion Linux Commands Tech Note for a list of other
shell commands that can be used in the terminal window.

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MMI Menus
The Orion displays the following Main Menu on the USB maintenance port.

All menu items in Figure 176 are hyperlinks to the respective sections.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC
OrionMX_1stDemo.ncd

Main Menu
--------------------------------------------

1. File Menu
2. Data Menu
3. View Communications
4. Device Statistics
5. System Menu
6. Disconnect
7. Session Timeouts
8. Network Menu

Figure 176: OrionMX MMI Main Menu

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File Menu
The File Menu allows uploading, downloading, activation, and deletion of configuration files from the Orion.
File transfers between the PC and the Orion use the Z-Modem file transfer protocol.

All menu items in Figure 177 are hyperlinks to the respective sections.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

File Menu
--------------------------------------------

1. File Transfer (PC -> ORION)

2. File Transfer (ORION -> PC)
3. Make Config File Active
4. Delete a File
5. View a File

Figure 177: OrionMX File Menu

File Transfer (PC -> ORION)

This option allows the selection of and uploading of files, such as .ncd or .bas, to the Orion. For a description
of the file extensions, see Table 81. When using NCD, the following “File Transfer” window will open to
select the file or files that are currently open in NCD on the PC.

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Figure 178: File Transfer to OrionMX

File Type/Extension File Use Description

.ncd Configuration file Configures the OrionMX’s ports with protocols and
points.
.bas Logic file Basic file containing logic executed by the OrionMX.
.lua Advanced logic file Lua file containing Advanced Math & Logic executed by
the OrionMX.
.ncz Compressed file IEC 61850, IEC 61131, and/or SNMP configuration.
orionlx.ntk Key file The key file specifies what protocol drivers a specific
Orion is licensed to run. Protocols will not execute
without the proper license in this file. Contact NovaTech
support for troubleshooting.

Table 81: Orion File Types

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File Transfer (ORION -> PC)

This feature uploads a specific file from the Orion to the PC. The typical reason for this would be to review
a configuration that has been downloaded from another PC that is not available on the presently connected
PC. First, specify the file to be downloaded by its number on the following screen.

Note: Files can be uploaded only one file at a time.

If more than 20 files are stored in flash memory, the screen ends with ---More---. In this case, hitting
any key will scroll the screen by 20 more lines, or until the end of the file list.

1. orion16.ini
2. central.bas
3. central.ncd
4. southyard.ncd
5. southyard.bas

Please enter the number of the file to send to PC:

Figure 179: File Transfer OrionMX to PC

After entering a file number, a browser window is displayed for specifying the location on the hard drive for
the file that is to be transferred to the PC.

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Make Config File Active

An Orion can have several .ncd files (and associated .bas, .lua, and/or .ncz files) stored in its flash memory.
However, only one of those files can be active at any given time. This option specifies the configuration file
the Orion shall load and operate. The user must verify that the configuration file loaded is intended for the
specific OrionMX, and that the OrionMX has the correct hardware options installed. In the following screen,
the configuration file to be loaded is specified by its number. If there is a logic file associated with a
configuration file, it will be loaded automatically.

If more than 20 files are stored in flash memory, the screen ends with ---More---. In this case, hitting
any key will scroll the screen by 20 more lines, or until the end of the file list.

1. spv1_31.ncd
2. bricktn2.ncd
3. central.ncd
4. southyard.ncd
5. eastyard.ncd

Please enter the number of the file to make active:

Figure 180: Configuration File Selection

After the new configuration file has been specified, the Orion must be restarted for the configuration file to
be loaded and run (Figure 181). If Do not restart is chosen, the OrionMX will continue to operate with
the current configuration file.

A Full restart resets all hardware, all software, and all drivers; including the operating system.
However, it can take up to several minutes, depending on the Orion’s configuration.

A Quick restart reloads only the protocol drivers and usually takes under 60 seconds to complete.

In order for the new configuration to take effect the

OrionLX must be restarted. Do you wish to perform a
full restart, quick restart or no restart?

1. Full restart.
2. Quick restart.
3. Do not restart.

Figure 181: Make Selected Configuration File Active

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Delete a File

If multiple configuration files are downloaded to the Orion for testing, commissioning, or for use as a lab
unit, eventually files will have to be deleted off the flash memory of the Orion. Figure 182 shows a list of
files from which the file to be deleted must be specified by its number. Files can be deleted only one at a
time by entering the number that is listed with the respective file.

If more than 20 files are stored in the flash memory, the screen ends with ---More---. In this case, hitting
any key will scroll the screen by 20 more lines, or until the end of the file list.

After a file has been specified, a user prompt requires confirmation of the operation.

1. spv1_31.ncd
2. spv1_31.bas
3. orion16.ini
4. southyard.ncd
5. southyard.bas

Please enter the number of the file to delete:

Figure 182: Delete File from Flash Memory

View a File

View a file allows viewing of a configuration file. First, the file must be selected using its number as
shown in the following screen. If more than 20 files are stored in flash memory, the screen ends
with ---More---. In this case, pressing any key will scroll the screen by 20 more lines, or until the end of
the file list.

After entering the file number, the actual file is displayed. The  (Cursor Up) and  (Cursor Down) keys
allow scrolling through the file. <Esc> returns to the menu in Figure 177. Entering <G> prompts for a line
number to go to, and then displays that line (Figure 184).

1. spv1_31.ncd
2. spv1_31.bas
3. southyard.ncd
4. southyard.bas

Please enter the number of the file to view:

Figure 183: Select File for Viewing

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ConfigCreation=2017-08-23 11:58:47
ConfigLastWrite=2018-09-28 9:41:05
RemoteUsername=
RemotePassword=
RemoteAttemptsBeforeLockout=0
RemoteLockoutTime=0
MMITCPPort=23
ForceInputs=1
ForceOutputs=1

[Comments]

[System]
BootDelay=0
EnableRouting=0
LoadTimeout=

[Orion Model]
Model=OrionMX
NetworkCards=NONE
ModbusPlusCards=NONE
InternalModem=0

Figure 184: View File

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Data Menu
Option 2 of the main menu is Data Menu. The Data Menu allows real-time viewing of each input/output
point’s value information on a port-by-port basis.

An input point is a point that is obtained from a field device and reported to a client, and an output point is
a point that is sent from a client to a field device. Since the Orion essentially only passes through points
from the front end to the end device, the notion of input point and output point is maintained the same way,
whether the point is viewed as part of a client port where the Orion acts as a client to an end device, or as
part of a server port where the Orion acts as a server to a front end/SCADA master.

The following options are available if the Force Inputs and Force Outputs options are selected
accordingly under option General in NCD.

3. Override Input Values

4. Clear Input Override
5. Send Output Values

Forcing an input/output point means that the Orion will use the value(s) as entered by the user at the MMI
of the Orion. These values are then transmitted when communicating to SCADA masters (to which the
Orion is a server) or the I/O cards (to which the Orion is a client). Forced values temporarily replace values
from live devices the Orion communicates with. This is useful for testing, or when the Orion is installed and
not all other devices or communication links are available yet.

All menu items in Figure 185 are hyperlinks to the respective sections.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Data Menu
--------------------------------------------

1. View Input Values

2. View Output Values
3. Force Input Values
4. Clear Forced Input Values
5. Force Output Values

Figure 185: Data Menu

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View Input Values

After selecting this option, select the port whose point values are to be monitored from the following screen.

OrionLX
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Input Values
--------------------------------------------

1. Port B – DNP Server

2. Port C – Modbus Client
3. Port 20 - NTP Kernel
4. Port 21 - Sensor Client
5. Port 24 - IIO Client
6. Port 25 - AAR Server

Figure 186: Select Port for Input Point Monitoring

Each data point in the Orion will typically be displayed on at least two ports; the client port that obtains the
point from another device, and the server port through which another device polls the Orion for the point’s
value. A point can also be mapped to more than one server port if more than one client polls the Orion for
that point. The Orion maintains the point’s value in the real-time database as a normalized value, i.e.
percentage of full scale. However, the scaled values for the same point will vary, based on the scaling
entered for each port. See also NovaTech’s Analog/Accumulator Scaling Technical Note for more details.

Once a port is selected, all its values are displayed as follows.

Data values for Port B – DNP Server (p1)

Name Point Number Value Percent FS
Comm Fail @Card A N/A 0.000 0.000000
BinaryInput01 @Card A 00000 1.000 100.00000
BinaryInput02 @Card A 00001 0.000 0.000000
BinaryInput03 @Card A 00002 1.000 100.00000
BinaryInput04 @Card A 00003 0.000 0.000000

ESC=Back C=Column Editor S=Sort Editor H=Hex D=Dec O=Oct

Figure 187: Input Point Monitoring

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The  (Cursor Up) and  (Cursor Down) keys allow paging through the points on the selected port. In the
header of the above figure, (p1) indicates page 1 of the points list.

<G> allows jumping to a specific page. After pressing <G>, Goto: appears in the lower left hand corner
for entering the specific page number, followed by <Enter>.

<Esc> returns to the screen in Figure 185.

<H>, <D>, and <O> display the Value column in hexadecimal, decimal, or octal format, respectively. The
default display is decimal.

<C> starts the Column Editor (Figure 188). The Orion always displays four columns, and defaults to the
columns shown initially. In the column editor, columns can be removed from and added to the display.
New columns are displayed in the order in which they were added. After specifying the desired columns,
<Esc> returns to the previous screen.

COLUMN EDITOR

Add/Remove: Selected Columns:

1. Remove Name Name
2. Add Device Point Number
3. Add Data Type Value
4. Remove Point Number Percent FS
5. Add Changes
6. Add Fails
7. Add Successes
8. Remove Value
9. Remove Percent FS
0. Add Comm Status
A. Add Forced
B. Add Alias

Figure 188: Data View Column Editor

Field Description
Name Point’s tagname, such as Breaker424 @Card A.
Device Device from which the point originates, such as Card A.
Data Type AI: Analog Input, BI: Binary Input, ACC or CI: Accumulator/Counter Input.
Point Protocol-specific point number. Depending on the protocol and the way it addresses
Number points, points may be numbered in hexadecimal (17h), decimal (23), or octal (27o). The
MMI will display the point address the way the specific protocol addresses points. If there
is a bit position within a word, the point number is displayed as 17:03, which means bit 3
in word 17. Bit numbering and word sizes are protocol dependent, i.e. bit 1 can be LSB
or MSB, and a word can be 8 bits or 16 bits. The respective protocol manual provides
detailed information.
Changes Counter that displays the number of point changes since the Orion (re)start. For analog
or accumulator points, every data change increments the corresponding change counter
by 1. For discrete points, every 0-1 or 1-0 transition increments the change counter by 1.

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Field Description
Fails Failed polls for the specific point.
Successes Successful polls for the specific point.
Value Current value of the point as per communication with an end device. If the point has been
forced, the forced value will be displayed instead of the value from the end device.
Percent Percent of full scale of the current value. For example, if the value is scaled from -2048
FS to 2047, and the current value is 1024, this file will show 0.75 for 75%.
Comm If the corresponding value is updated from the remote device, the field will show Online.
Status If there is any type of communication error with the remote device, the field will show
Offline.
Forced No or Yes, depending on whether the value is obtained from the server device, or
overridden by a value entered at the Orion MMI.
Table 82: Data Point Information

The Sort Editor (Figure 189) is started by pressing the <S> key. The editor allows sorting of the data
screen by any of the displayed columns. Table 82 shows the available sort criteria. Up to three sort criteria
can be selected, each in ascending (lowest value first) or descending order (highest value first). First, one
or more of the existing sort criteria must be removed. Then the new sort criteria must be selected.
Ascending order will be indicated by ASC, and descending order will be indicated by DESC. Once the sort
order is specified, <Esc> returns to the previous screen.

SORT EDITOR

Add/Remove: Sort Order:

1. Add Name Device ASC
2. Remove Device Data Type ASC
3. Remove Data Type Point Number ASC
4. Remove Point Number
5. Add Changes
6. Add Fails
7. Add Successes
8. Add Value
9. Add Percent FS
0. Add Comm Status
A. Add Forced
B. Add Alias

Figure 189: Data View Sort Editor

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 OrionMX
View Output Values

On the following screen (Figure 190), the port whose point values are to be monitored is selected. The last
output value sent is displayed. Depending on the application, the output value may have been sent by a
client that the Orion is connected to as a server, or it may have been generated by logic running in the
Orion, or it may have been forced at the MMI.

OrionLX
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Output Values
--------------------------------------------

1. Port B – DNP Server

2. Port C – Modbus Client
3. Port 20 - NTP Kernel
4. Port 21 - Sensor Client
5. Port 24 - IIO Client
6. Port 25 - AAR Server

Figure 190: Select Port for Output Monitoring

Once a port is selected, all its values are displayed as follows.

Output values for Port 25 - SER Client (p1)

Name Point Number Last Output Percent FS
Output1 @Card C 0 0 0.000000
Output2 @Card C 1 1 100.00000
Output3 @Card C 2 0 0.000000
Output4 @Card C 3 1 100.00000

ESC=Back C=Column Editor S=Sort Editor H=Hex D=Dec O=Oct

Figure 191: Output Point Monitoring

The  (Cursor Up) and  (Cursor Down) keys allow paging through all the points on the selected port. In
the header of the above figure, (p1) indicates page 1 of the points list.

<Esc>, <C>, <S>, <H>, <D>, <O>, and <G> are identical options for viewing input values, and are explained
in the section View Input Values.

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Force Input Values

Forcing input values allows testing of the correct transmission of values to the client that is polling the Orion,
without having to generate those values in the field I/O. This can be necessary under several
circumstances:

▪ The end device and/or the communication to it, have not yet been installed, or are temporarily not
available.
▪ Generation of test values in the end device is too complicated or not possible, depending on the end
device.

By default, this function is enabled when the configuration file is set up in NCD.

As with the other options, first select the port of the point that is to be forced temporarily.

OrionLX
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Force Input Values

--------------------------------------------

1. Port B - DNP Server

2. Port 20 - NTP Kernel
3. Port 21 - Sensor Client
4. Port 24 - IIO
5. Port 25 - AAR Server
6. Port 124 - Logic

Figure 192: Select Port for Forcing Input Values

The  (Cursor Up) and  (Cursor Down) keys allow scrolling to the point which is to be forced. All points
on the port are available and are sorted in alphabetical order of the tagname. The current point is always
highlighted. Pressing <Enter> selects the point to be forced. <G> (Goto) allows jumping to a specific page
by entering the page number.

Force values for Port B – DNP Server (p1)

Comm Fail @Card B
AnalogInput01 @Card B
AnalogInput02 @Card B
AnalogInput03 @Card B
AnalogInput04 @Card B

Figure 193: Select Input Point

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 OrionMX

FORCE INPUT VALUE

Point Name: AnalogInput01 @Card B

Percent Full Scale: 0.018311
Comm Status: Online
Minimum Value: 0.000000
Maximum Value: 32767.000000
Scaled Value: 6.000000
Manually Forced: No

Force Value
Back

Figure 194: Force Input Point

Pressing <Enter> while on Force Value in the above screen displays the following screen (Figure 195).
By entering the following parameters, an input point can be forced to a specific value. This facilitates the
testing of the Orion’s communication link with any SCADA master polling those input values without having
to go through the effort of forcing the test values in the end devices in the field.

With this command, the Orion data point will indicate an equipment
state or condition to the SCADA master that is only simulated and does
not reflect the actual state or condition. This may lead the SCADA
master or personnel to initiate operations based on the simulated state
as opposed to the actual state. The necessary permissions must be
obtained from the control center and other departments in accordance
with your corporate safety and operating guidelines. Failure to do so
could result in equipment damage, injury, and/or death.

FORCE INPUT VALUE

Point Name: Comm Fail @Card B

Percent Full Scale: 0.000000
Comm Status: Online
Minimum Value: 0.000000
Maximum Value: 1.000000
Scaled Value: 0.000000
Manually Forced: No

Forced Point Values

Scaled Value [ 0.000000]

Percent Full Scale [ 0.000000]
Comm Status [ Online]
Time to Remain Forced [ 5]
Force Value
Cancel

Figure 195: Enter Input Point Value

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Function Description
Scaled Value One of these two values is required for all point types. For discrete input points,
or enter 0-1 or 0-100 percent, and for analog values enter either the scaled value,
Percent Full or its percentage of full scale. Regardless of the point type, a value must be
entered in either of those two fields, as this is the value that will be sent to any
Scale polling SCADA master.
Comm Status A point can be simulated as being either Online or Offline. Online indicates
that the value is received online from the end device. Offline means that there
is no communication with the end device. However, the most recent value as of
the time of the last communication can still be polled.
Time to Remain Determines how long the point will stay in the simulated state before returning to
Forced the actual value as obtained from the end device. The unit is minutes.
Force Value After entering the above parameters, Force Value or Cancel must be selected.
or Cancel immediately returns to the points list (Figure 193). Force Value displays
Cancel a prompt to confirm the operation before sending the entered output point value
to the field device.

Table 83: Force Input Point Parameters

FORCE INPUT VALUE

Point Name: AnalogInput01 @Card B

Percent Full Scale: 0.024415
Comm Status: Online
Minimum Value: 0.000000
Maximum Value: 32767.000000
Scaled Value: 8.000000
Manually Forced: Yes

Remove Forced Value

Back

Figure 196: Remove Forced Input Value

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Clear Forced Input Values

With this option, forced inputs can be cleared. This means that all forced input values are removed, and
that the real-time values from the field devices are used and transmitted to the client station again.

Are you sure that you want to clear the override flag
for all input values? This will cause all forced
inputs to change value on the next scan.

(Y/N)

Figure 197: Clear Input Override

With this command, multiple value and state changes may be reported
to the SCADA master. All involved personnel must be informed of this
action in order to avoid wrong responses to the real-time data reported
to the SCADA master. Failure to do so could result in equipment
damage, injury, and/or death.

Force Output Values

This function sends output values to connected server/end devices as entered by the Orion. During normal
operation, any output commands sent to those devices would be issued by a front end/SCADA master, and
merely passed through by the Orion. This function can be used for localized testing without involving the
entire system end-to-end.

By default, this function is enabled when the configuration file is set up in NCD.

With this command, you will possibly operate a live piece of equipment
on the end device, the same way it would be operated locally, or from
the front end/SCADA master. The necessary permissions must be
obtained from the control center and other departments in accordance
with your corporate safety and operating guidelines. Failure to do so
could result in equipment damage, injury, and/or death.

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For the output point to be forced, first select the point’s port (Figure 198).

OrionLX
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Force Input Values

--------------------------------------------

1. Port B - DNP Server

2. Port 20 - NTP Kernel
3. Port 21 - Sensor Client
4. Port 24 - IIO
5. Port 25 - AAR Server
6. Port 124 - Logic

Figure 198: Select Port for Forcing Output Values

The  (Cursor Up) and  (Cursor Down) keys allow scrolling to the data point to be forced (Figure 199). All
points on the port are available and are sorted in alphabetical order of the tagname. The current point is
always highlighted. Pressing <Enter> selects the point to be forced. <G> (Goto) allows jumping to a
specific page after entering the page number.

Force outputs for Port 24 - IIO Client (p1)

Output1 @Card C
Output2 @Card C
Output3 @Card C
Output4 @Card C

Figure 199: Select Point for Forcing Output Value

On the following screen, the two initial choices are Force Value and Back. Back will return to the point
selection screen (Figure 199). Force Value displays the screen in Figure 200. This screen is a “generic”
screen in that it shows all parameters possibly needed, whether the output point is a simple discrete output,
a select-before-operate output, a trip/close output, a pulse output, or an analog output/setpoint. Depending
on the protocols used to connect the front end/SCADA master to the end device, only a selection of the
listed types will be available, as either the protocol between the front end and the Orion and/or the protocol
between the Orion and the end device may not support all point types.

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 OrionMX

Point Name: Output2 @Card C

Percent Full Scale: 0.000000
Comm Status: Offline
Minimum Value: 0.000000
Maximum Value: 1.000000
Scaled Value: 0.000000

Force Value
Back

Figure 200: Forcing Output Value

FORCE OUTPUT

Point Name: Output2 @Card C

Percent Full Scale: 0.000000
Comm Status: Offline
Minimum Value: 0.000000
Maximum Value: 1.000000
Scaled Value: 0.000000

Forced Output Values

Scaled Value [ 0.000000]

Percent Full Scale [ 0.000000]
Duration (msec) [ 0]
Pulses [ 0]
Offtime (msec) [ 0]
Force Value
Cancel

Figure 201: Entering Forced Output Value

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Function Description
Scaled Value One of these two values is required for all point types. For discrete output points,
or enter 0-1 or 0-100 percent, and for analog values enter either the scaled value,
Percent Full or its percentage of full scale. Regardless of the point type, a value must be
entered in either of those two fields, as this is the value that will be sent to the
Scale output point.
Depending on the output point type, the following fields may be required.
Duration (ms) Usually, trip/close, raise/lower, and pulse outputs require a duration. If none is
entered, and a default value is used in the point configuration, the default value is
used instead.
Pulses For pulse train output points, the number of pulses is required.
Offtime (ms) For pulse train output points, the offtime between on-pulses is required as well.
Force Value After entering Scaled Value/Percent Full Scale, Duration, Pulses, and
or Offtime, Force Value or Cancel must be selected. Cancel immediately
Cancel returns to the points list (Figure 199). Force Value displays a prompt to confirm
the selection on a separate screen before sending the entered output point value
to the field device.

Table 84: Force Output Point Parameters

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View Communications
The ability to view the real-time communications of all Orion ports facilitates identifying and resolving
communication and configuration issues.

To view communications, the port to be monitored must first be selected from the screen shown in Figure
202 by entering its number. Live communication sent and received on this port of the Orion will then be
displayed (Figure 203). If the Orion is a server, an exchange typically consists of a reception (RX) of a
poll/command, to which the Orion replies with the transmission of a reply (TX). The Orion displays limited
verbose explanation of the data exchanged. For a detailed explanation, refer to the standard manual of the
protocol that is being monitored. Typically, the protocol manuals are not supplied by NovaTech, but by the
supplier of the equipment that the Orion connects to.

OrionLX
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Communications Menu
--------------------------------------------

1. Port B - DNP Server

2. Port 20 - NTP Kernel
3. Port 21 - Sensor Client
4. Port 24 – IIO Client
5. Port 25 - AAR Server
6. Port 124 - Logic

Figure 202: Communications Menu

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 OrionMX

Viewing Communications for Port B – DNP Server Port

Press 'c' to change comm display options.
SYSTEM INFORMATION DUMP:
Uptime: 20 days, 19 hrs, 10 min
(Port B)(16:54:28:043):
(Port B)(16:54:28:043): Event/Individual Point Poll - DDIO Address 1
(Port B)(16:54:28:203)TX[33]: 05 64 18 C4 01 00 05 00 (99 F2)-CRC
C1 C1 01 3C 04 06 3C 03 06 3C 02 06 01 02 01 00 (55 82)-CRC
00 07 00 (9E 78)-CRC
(Port B)(16:54:28:281)RX[34]: 05 64 19 44 05 00 01 00 (EB CD)-CRC
C1 C1 81 10 00 01 02 01 00 00 07 00 01 01 01 01 (2C 0A)-CRC
01 01 01 01 (BF B9)-CRC
(Port B)(16:54:28:282): DDIO
(Port B)(16:54:28:282): IIN: Time Sync Request
(Port B)(16:54:28:284): Parse Binary Inputs - Range 0 to 7
(Port B)(16:54:29:087):
(Port B)(16:54:29:087): Event/Individual Point Poll - DDIO Address 1
(Port B)(16:54:29:246)TX[33]: 05 64 18 C4 01 00 05 00 (99 F2)-CRC
C2 C2 01 3C 04 06 3C 03 06 3C 02 06 01 02 01 00 (E9 E6)-CRC
00 07 00 (9E 78)-CRC
(Port B)(16:54:29:326)RX[34]: 05 64 19 44 05 00 01 00 (EB CD)-CRC
C2 C2 81 10 00 01 02 01 00 00 07 00 01 01 01 01 (90 6E)-CRC
01 01 01 01 (BF B9)-CRC

Figure 203: Viewing Communications

Additional communication information can be displayed by pressing <c> (lowercase) to change the
Communication Display Options (Figure 204). Any of the listed display options can be turned on or
off. For most communications issues, turning on the timestamps and the sequence numbers will be most
useful.

In order to effectively analyze protocol communication, familiarity with the monitored protocol and the
corresponding protocol documentation is required. The communication can also be logged to a file and
sent to NovaTech for analysis. This allows in-depth tracking of issues.

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COMM DISPLAY OPTIONS

0. Transmit Messages YES

1. Receive Messages YES
2. Transmit Errors YES
3. Receive Errors YES
4. Non Data Messages YES
5. Non Data Errors YES
6. Verbose Messages YES
7. Include Timestamp YES
8. Include Sequence Num.NO
9. Include Port Num. YES
A. Include Device Num. NO
B. Include Data Length. YES
C. Sys Info On 15min. NO

Figure 204: Communications Display Options

The following table (Table 86) provides an overview of the most common communication issues that can
be tracked with the View Communications feature of the Orion. Depending on the Orion’s configuration
and communication system architecture, there may be numerous additional scenarios that can only be
examined on a case-by-case basis.

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Client Port Troubleshooting

The Orion communicates as a client to one or more end devices via a serial or Ethernet connection.

Observation Issue
There are no polls for an expected ▪ The device has not been configured at all.
device. ▪ The device has been configured, but with another device node
address. (If multidrop, another end device may respond in its
place.)
▪ The poll time (in Polls Groups) has been set to an excessive time,
so the polls could be much farther apart than anticipated.
There are no responses to polls ▪ The baud rate/parity bits/data bits/stop bits are not set up correctly
sent out by the Orion. in the device or the Orion.
▪ The cable/connection between the Orion and the device is not
plugged in.
▪ The connection between the Orion and the device is not set up
correctly (for example, a straight serial cable is used instead of a
null-modem cable, etc.).
There are error responses to polls ▪ The poll/command going to the end device is asking for points that
sent out by the Orion. are not configured in the end device. Check the point types and
addresses in the end device and verify against the points
configured in the Orion. This could be either an address specified
in the command, or the length/number of points specified.
▪ If an error is returned for an output command, the value specified
in the command could be out of range.

Table 85: Client Port Troubleshooting

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Server Port Troubleshooting

The Orion communicates as a server to a front end/SCADA master. The Orion can be part of a multi-
dropped network, and/or host multiple devices with different addresses. This way, the Orion responds to
the client for each device that it hosts, and the client cannot tell that it is communicating with a single Orion
in place of multiple RTUs.

Observation Issue
There are no polls for the device ▪ The front end/SCADA master is not set up (yet) to poll for the new
hosted by the Orion. device.
▪ The baud rate/parity bits/data bits/stop bits are not set up correctly
in the device or in the Orion.
▪ The cable/connection between the Orion and the device is not
plugged in.
▪ The connection between the Orion and the device is not set up
correctly (for example, a straight serial cable is used instead of
null-modem cable, etc.).
There are no responses from the ▪ There is a device address mismatch between the client and the
Orion. device(s) in the Orion, so the Orion does not see any of “its”
devices addressed.
There are multiple responses/ ▪ There is another device on the shared line with the same address
noise when the response is as a device in the Orion. Thus, both devices respond to the same
returned, and the client reports command, which results in overlaid simultaneous responses to
communication/CRC/BCH errors. the client, which in turn logs a communication error.

Table 86: Server Port Troubleshooting

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Device Statistics
The following screen shows the statistics for each server device connected to the Orion. Server devices
are devices being polled by the Orion.

<C> resets the poll/response counters for all devices to 0. The counters roll over at 232 (= 4,294,967,296).

The  (Cursor Up) and  (Cursor Down) keys allow scrolling through all the points on the selected port.

These options allow verifying connectivity and communication quality with server devices.

Device Statistics (C to Clear)

Port Device Status Polls Responses Percent Successful
1 SEL 501 Relay Online 392442 392442 100.000000

Figure 205: Device Statistics

System Menu
The System Menu provides the Clock Configuration, Event Log, System, and Version
Information, etc. for the Orion as shown in the following menu.

All menu items in Figure 206 are hyperlinks to the respective sections.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

System Menu
--------------------------------------------

1. Clock Configuration
2. View System Info
3. View Event Log
4. Clear Event Log
5. View Version Info
6. Pass-Through Menu
7. Thread Info
8. Restart

Figure 206: System Menu

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Clock Configuration

The hardware clock of the Orion can be set with the following menu. To change time or date, select the
respective item by entering the associated menu number as shown below.

For the new time to take effect, option 7. Save Time must be selected after the correct time and date
have been entered with options 1. through 6.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Clock Configuration
--------------------------------------------

Current Date/Time: 04/02/2020 16:28:10

New Date/Time: 04/02/2020 16:27:21

1. Set Seconds
2. Set Minutes
3. Set Hours
4. Set Day
5. Set Month
6. Set Year
7. Save Time

Figure 207: Clock Configuration

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 OrionMX
View System Info

The System Information screen displays the following information.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

System Information
--------------------------------------------

Process Uptime: 14 days, 02 hrs, 56 min

System Uptime: 14 days, 23 hrs, 27 min
Keynum: 9000

Figure 208: System Information

Function Description
Process Uptime Shows the time since the last configuration change or software reboot of the Orion.
System Uptime Shows the time since the last power-cycle or hardware reboot of the Orion.
Keynum Serial number of the Orion. The same number is also displayed on the label on
the Orion enclosure.

Table 87: System Information

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View Event Log

An Orion event log is displayed below. It includes all Orion process events since the last warm boot or
configuration change. If needed, the log can be captured to a file as well (see section Communications
Menu). When testing a new configuration, it is recommended to always check the event log for messages
regarding the system status.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

View Event Log

--------------------------------------------

09/30/2009 18:31:56.500 notice: Orion Started!

09/30/2009 18:31:57.289 prtcl err: No function body found for
LogicOut1Change.
09/30/2009 18:31:57.289 prtcl err: No function body found for
OrionOut4Change.
09/30/2009 18:31:58.329 notice: LoadLibrary(mmi)
09/30/2009 18:31:59.858 notice: LoadLibrary(/usr/lib/orion/salar001.so)
09/30/2009 18:32:00.625 notice: LoadLibrary(/usr/lib/orion/mnki100.so)
09/30/2009 18:32:00.738 notice: LoadLibrary(/usr/lib/orion/msens101.so)
09/30/2009 18:32:00.853 notice: LoadLibrary(/usr/lib/orion/sled100.so)
09/30/2009 18:32:00.968 notice: LoadLibrary(/usr/lib/orion/shttp106.so)
09/30/2009 18:32:05.285 notice: Logic started.
10/13/2009 21:00:02.340 prtcl err: Archive Monitor: Connect failed.
Error: could not connect to server: No such file or directory
Is the server running locally and accepting connections on Unix domain
socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432"?
10/13/2009 21:00:04.344 prtcl err: Archive Monitor: Connect failed.
Error: could not connect to server: No such file or directory
Is the server running locally and accepting connections on Unix domain
socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432"?
10/13/2009 21:00:06.352 prtcl err: Archive Monitor: Connect failed.
Error: could not connect to server: No such file or directory
Is the server running locally and accepting connections on Unix domain
socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432"?

Figure 209: View Event Log

Clear Event Log

The event log described in the previous section can be cleared by selecting this option. Note that when
selecting this option, the event log is cleared without requiring further confirmation.

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View Version Info

This option lists the version and date of the protocol drivers and software as configured for each port. If
needed, the version information can be captured to a file (see section Communications Menu).

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Version Information
--------------------------------------------

Orion Core Module - main.exe Version 2.2.21 08/14/2020 15:47:01

Port 1. none
Port 2. none
Port 3. none
Port 4. none
Port 5. none
Port 6. none
Port 7. none
Port 8. none
Port 9. none
Port 10. none
Port 11. none
Port 12. none
Port 13. none
Port 14. none
Port 15. none
Port 16. none
Port A. Man Machine Interface - Version 2.2.4 06/24/2020 09:00:01
Port B. DNP Client – mdnp.so Version 1.30.2 02/06/2020 08:02:01
Port C. Modbus Client – mnbus.so Version 1.29.0 12/18/2019 13:59:24
Port D. none
Port 20. ntp interface – mnki.so Version 2.1.0 05/07/2015 09:25:01
Port 21. Sensors - msens.so Version 1.4.0 12/18/2019 16:25:01
Port 22. LEDs - sled.so Version 1.0.3 12/30/2010 09:31:01
Port 23. http server - shttp.so Version 1.6.2 10/24/2012 14:38:01
Port 24. MIIO – miio.so Version 0.5.0 08/22/2017 09:32:01
Port 25. AlarmArchiver – salar.so Version 0.2.12 04/12/2017 08:13:01
Port 26. Modbus TCP Server – smtcp.so Version 1.18.0 12/18/2019 15:39:01

Figure 210: Version Information

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 OrionMX
Pass-Through Menu

Many manufacturers of IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices) such as relays and meters provide special
software for device configuration, event and log extraction, etc. If the end device has two ports, the second
port can be directly connected to the PC running that software, bypassing the control network with the
Orion. However, the second port may not be available, or it may be impractical to use it. With the Pass-
through option, the IED manufacturer software installed on the PC can connect through the Orion to the
IED. This requires the following steps.

Pass-through to an IED

1. In the main menu, select 5. System Menu.

2. In this submenu, select 6. Pass-Through Menu.
3. In the Pass Through Menu (Figure 211), select a port number for pass-through.
4. At this point, NCD (or the terminal software) is directly connected to the IED, and a screen similar
to Figure 212 will be displayed.
4a. At this point, manual commands can be entered. These commands are sent directly to the IED
and executed, and the IED response is displayed in this screen.
4b. Alternatively, the IED manufacturer software can be started and connected to the IED after exiting
NCD. The IED software must use the same communication parameters that NCD used (since
the software will first connect with the Orion, and the Orion in turn will connect with the IED).
Once the IED operations are completed, the manufacturer’s software must be closed and NCD
restarted. In the NCD communication window, entering <Ctrl>-<X> five times terminates the
pass-through of the Orion.

OrionLX
Communication Processor
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Pass Through Menu

--------------------------------------------

1. Pass Through to Port 1 - SEL Client 1

2. Pass Through to Port 2 - SEL Client 2
3. Pass Through to Port 10 - SEL Client 10

Figure 211: Pass Through Menu

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 OrionMX

Entering Pass Through Mode

Press CTRL-X five times to exit
2

3I2X IRX 3I2Y IRY

I (A,pri) 4 3 8 7

=>>QUI

HP-233 Date: 10/26/09 Time: 22:17:09.603

HP-232

Figure 212: Pass Through Window to Relay

Thread Info

This option lists the running threads in the Orion, with port number and system/user time. If needed, the
thread information can be captured to a file (see section Communications Menu).

ORION Thread Dump

0x40377490: Logging System Monitor Thread (port=0 level=1) Priority=0
tid: 4889
System Time: 0
User Time: 0

0x403E6490: MMI Port_17_Thread (port=17 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4890
System Time: 0
User Time: 1

0x40625490: Alarm_Archive Main Thread 30 (port=30 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4891
System Time: 0
User Time: 1

0x40718490: SEL Client Task_p1_Thread (port=1 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4893
System Time: 1813
User Time: 788

0x40758490: SEL Client Start_p1_Thread (port=1 level=1) Priority=0

tid: 4894
System Time: 110796
User Time: 17260

0x407BC490: DNP Client Task_p18_Thread (port=18 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4895
System Time: 98398
User Time: 41088

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0x40808490: mnki_24_Thread (port=24 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4896
System Time: 5701
User Time: 697

0x40856490: msens_25_Thread (port=25 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4897
System Time: 13023
User Time: 1144

0x408A1490: sled_26_Thread (port=26 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4898
System Time: 11
User Time: 3

0x408FC490: HTTP_main_27 (port=27 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4899
System Time: 158
User Time: 101

0x409E6490: AAR Monitoring Thread 30 (port=30 level=1) Priority=0

tid: 4902
System Time: 26
User Time: 23

0x40A26490: Archive Monitoring Thread 30 (port=30 level=1) Priority=0

tid: 4903
System Time: 815
User Time: 874

0x40A66490: LogicThread (port=0 level=0) Priority=0

tid: 4904
System Time: 802
User Time: 46314

0x40AA6490: LOGICEventThread (port=128 level=1) Priority=0

tid: 4905
System Time: 0
User Time: 0

0x40AE6490: RPC Call tid 1085170832 (port=0 level=1) Priority=0

tid: 4906
System Time: 37
User Time: 10

0x40D40490: MMI UDS on /var/run/orion/mmi (port=0 level=1) Priority=0

tid: 9687
System Time: 15
User Time: 9

0x40DC1490: MMI TCP RX to (port=0 level=1) Priority=0

tid: 9688
System Time: 2
User Time: 0

0x40E01490: MMI TCP TX to (port=0 level=1) Priority=0

tid: 9689
System Time: 17
User Time: 13

Figure 213: Thread Info

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Restart

A Full restart resets all hardware and restarts all software and drivers, including the operating system.
However, it can take up to several minutes for the Orion to boot up, depending on the Orion’s configuration.

A Quick restart reloads only the protocol drivers which usually takes under 30 seconds to complete.

Do you wish to perform a full restart, quick restart or no restart?

1. Full restart.
2. Quick restart.
3. Do not restart.

Figure 214: Restart Menu

Disconnect
From the Main Menu, this option closes the current session and disconnects NCD from the Orion.

The response is a brief display of Goodbye, and then the following message is displayed:

Disconnected ** Press any key to reconnect

Session Timeouts
The session times out, i.e. disconnects, automatically after a specified time (default is 5 minutes). Timeout
is adjustable from 5 to 99 minutes. As shown below, the timeout is based on user/equipment behavior and
the timeout clock:

▪ Whether any user keystrokes were sent to the Orion within the specified time
▪ Whether any user keystrokes were sent to the Orion, or any information – such as screen updates,
communication updates, etc. – was sent from the Orion to the PC within the specified time

The second behavior option is useful when logging information from the Orion for long periods of time.

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OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Session Timeouts
--------------------------------------------

Current session behavior:

End session if the Orion hasn't received in the specified time.

Press 1 to change behavior to:

End session if the Orion has neither sent or received in the specified
time.

Timeout: 5 minutes
Press 2 to specify a timeout in minutes.

Figure 215: Session Timeouts

With the following setting, communication can be logged to file indefinitely as long as drive space is
available, and communications are either sent or received.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Session Timeouts
--------------------------------------------

Current session behavior:

End session if the Orion has neither sent or received in the specified
time.

Press 1 to change behavior to:

End session if the Orion hasn't received in the specified time.

Timeout: 99 minutes
Press 2 to specify a timeout in minutes.

Figure 216: Session Timeouts

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Network Menu
On the Network Menu, the Orion network parameters such as IP address, gateway, and firewall can be set
up. All menu items in Figure 217 are hyperlinks to the respective sections.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Network Menu
--------------------------------------------

1. Basic Network Configuration

2. Start/Stop Firewall

Figure 217: Network Menu

Basic Network Configuration

This menu selection displays the current configuration of the network ports Eth0-0, Eth0-1, and Eth1, and
provides for configuration of an enabled port or the enabling of a disabled port.

If any changes are made to a port, option 4. Save Settings must be executed before pressing <Esc>
to return to the previous menu.

Basic Network Configuration

--------------------------------------------

Eth0-0( lan0) IP Address: 172.16.16.20 Subnet: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: Media: auto negotiate

Eth0-1( lan1) IP Address: Subnet:

Gateway: Media: auto negotiate

Eth1( eth1) IP Address: Subnet:

Gateway: Media: auto negotiate

1. Edit Eth0-0( lan0)

2. Edit Eth0-1( lan1)
3. Edit Eth1( eth1)
4. Save Settings
5. Reset to defaults

Figure 218: Basic Network Configuration

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The following parameters are set up individually for Eth0-0, Eth0-1 and Eth1. Since each port can be
connected to a different network, the parameters Figure 219 are entered separately for each port.

As per factory default, all ports are initially disabled. Select the menu option for the port that is to be
configured. Then select 1. Enable Interface which will open the menu to set the interface parameters
(Figure 219).

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Basic Network Configuration

--------------------------------------------

Eth0-1 ( lan1) IP Address: 172.16.16.20

Subnet: 255.255.0.0
Gateway: 172.16.0.1
Media Settings: auto

1. Disable Interface
2. Enable DHCP
3. Edit IP Address
4. Edit Subnet
5. Edit Gateway
6. Edit Media Settings

Figure 219: Configure Interface

Function Description
Disable Disable the selected Ethernet interface.
Interface
Enable DHCP If DHCP is enabled, the IP Address, Subnet, and Gateway are assigned by a
DHCP server on the network. In most cases, DHCP will be disabled and these
parameters are entered manually as permanent values as described below.
Generally, these parameters are determined as part of the system architecture, or
by the IT department.
IP Address The IP address has the format n.n.n.n where n = 0..255, e.g. 172.16.16.20.
Subnet The Subnet mask has the format n.n.n.n where n = 0..255, e.g. 255.255.0.0.
Gateway The Gateway address is required for outbound traffic that is located on another
network. It has the format n.n.n.n where n = 0..255, e.g. 172.16.16.1.
Media Settings Defines the speed at which the Orion communicates over the network. auto
negotiate allows the OrionMX to connect at the optimal available speed.
Selecting 10/half or 100/half restricts this port to the selected speed and half
duplex mode.

Table 88: Port-Specific Parameters

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Note: Each port must belong to a different network and set up with corresponding IP addresses.
If network ports are set up with IP addresses belonging to the same IP network, IP
communication errors may occur.

Example 1: 192.168.x.x and 172.16.x.x are different networks.

Example 2: With subnet mask 255.255.255.128, the ranges 192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.127 and
192.168.1.129 - 192.168.1.255 are different networks.

Verify the port parameters and press <Esc> to return to the previous menu (Figure 218) and select
4. Save settings.

Note that the MMI is intended primarily for setting up one Ethernet port to enable configuration via the Orion
webpage. If more than one Ethernet port are set up with a gateway, then the MMI changes as shown in
Figure 220. The Gateway IP addresses are no longer displayed. Instead, “Advanced” is displayed and only
option 5 is available for resetting the network settings to the factory defaults. Any other settings must be
made on the Orion webpage in Settings -> Networking.

Basic Network Configuration

--------------------------------------------

Eth0-0( lan0) IP Address: 172.16.123.100 Subnet: 255.255.0.0

Gateway: Advanced Media: auto negotiate

Eth0-0( lan0) IP Address: 172.16.16.20 Subnet: 255.255.0.0

Gateway: Advanced Media: auto negotiate

Eth1( eth1) IP Address: Subnet:

Gateway: Media: auto negotiate

5. Reset to defaults

Figure 220: Network Port Configuration – Multiple Gateways Configured

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Start/Stop Firewall

The following menu provides the options for starting or stopping the Orion’s firewall. Additional firewall
options and settings are described in section Firewall.

OrionLX
Automation Platform
Version 2.2.21 Date: 08/14/2020
Copyright 2000-2020 NovaTech LLC

Start/Stop Firewall
--------------------------------------------

1. Start firewall
2. Stop firewall

Figure 221: Start/Stop Firewall

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Appendix A – Glossary

Term Description
HMI Human Machine Interface
Input Point An input point is generally a point whose value originates at an end device
(server device), such as a PLC, RTU, IED, relay, or meter, and is transferred
to one or more client devices, such as a SCADA master, or an HMI. During
the transfer, the information may travel over different media (such as Ethernet,
radio, etc.) as well as different protocols as dictated by the client’s and end
device’s capabilities and locations.
IED Intelligent Electronic Device. This general term includes relays, meters, and
other devices equipped with a microprocessor.
Client Device A client device issues polls or commands to server devices in order to obtain
values from the server device, or to cause specific behavior or actions by the
server device. Typical client devices are SCADA masters and HMIs. If a port
on the Orion is set up as a client port, the OrionMX will initiate communication
with the server device(s) connected to that client port.
NTP Network Time Protocol
Output Point An output point is generally a point whose value originates at a client device
(such as HMI or SCADA master, etc.) and is then transferred to the end device
to control some type of action or behavior of the end device (such as opening
or closing connected switches, control computations, retrieve specific logs,
etc.). During the transfer, the information may travel over different media (such
as Ethernet, radio, etc.) as well as different protocols as dictated by the client’s
and end device’s capabilities and locations.
PLC Programmable Logic Controller
RTU Remote Terminal Unit
SCADA Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition
Server Device A server device responds to a poll or command from a client device, but
generally does not initiate communications with another device or the client on
its own. Typical server devices are PLCs, RTUs, IEDs, meters, and relays. If
a port on the OrionMX is set up as a server port, an external client must issue
a poll or command to that port of the OrionMX for that port to issue
communication.

Table 89: Glossary

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Appendix B – Inputs / Outputs Tools and Buttons

For easy configuration, numerous tools and buttons are available as shown in Figure 222 and described in
the sections below. The tools and buttons described in this appendix are available for both the Inputs menu
and the Outputs menu. The Inputs menu and the Outputs menu are very similar, so the screenshots of
either menu are nearly identical.

Figure 222: Input/Output Menu Tools

1. Display/Hide Tag Name

Clicking the button to the left of the Inputs – Default Tagnames or Outputs – Default
Tagnames heading hides the Tag Name list, thus providing more usable screen space. Clicking the
button displays the Tag Name list again.

2. Search Point List

The Tag Name list and the Orion Point Name list can be searched using free text. Enter a free text
word such as Reset in the search field. In this case, all point names containing Reset will be filtered and
displayed.
The search field can be cleared by clicking on the Clear Search button, to the right of the search
field. Then the complete points list will be displayed again.

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 OrionMX
3. Toggle Show Point Detail
To view configuration details of one or more points, highlight the point(s) in the Tag Name list (left column)
or the Orion Point Name list (right column) and click the Toggle Show Details for Selected
Rows button . To close the point details display, click the Toggle Show Details for Selected
Rows button.

4. Display/Hide Alias Names

If the Add Ons option Alias Module has been configured, the Toggle Alias Column Visibility
button is displayed above the Orion Point Name list in the right pane. Clicking this button will
toggle the display of the Alias points name column.

5. View Report

The View Report button generates a printable report for the points which are currently displayed
in the Orion Point Name list. This report can be printed, previewed, or saved as a file on the PC.

6. Edit Common Attributes

Attributes which are shared by multiple points can be configured to the same setting using the Edit
Common Attributes window. First, select a point type filter tab at the bottom of the pane such as
Binary. Second, highlight all points for which the attributes shall be set up identically. Then click on the
Edit Common Attributes button . The Edit Common Attributes window opens displaying
the common attributes that can be set (Figure 223).

Figure 223: Edit Common Attributes

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 OrionMX
Clicking Details in the Edit Common Attributes window lists the points to be changed with this
action (Figure 224).

Figure 224: Edit Common Attributes - Details

Click the check box for the attribute to be changed, edit the attributes setting and click Apply .

7. Font Size
The font size of the Orion Point Name grid can be adjusted by moving the slider. Range is from 10 to
40 point.

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 OrionMX
8. Slider Bar

To enlarge either the left or the right points list, move the mouse pointer over the vertical Slider Bar (Figure
225), click and hold the left mouse button, and drag the slider left or right.

Figure 225: Slider Bar

9. Point Type Filter Tabs

Selection of a point type filter tab will filter both the Default Tag Name list and the configured Orion Point
Name list. The filter that is being applied to the name lists is displayed in both panes (Figure 226).

Figure 226: Filter By Point Type

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Appendix C – Backup and Restore User Configuration

This appendix covers the backup and restore process using the Orion Web Interface. The User
Configuration – Backup is initiated from the Web UI Systems tab and the restore will be accomplished from
the Web UI Files tab.

Backup User Configuration

From the Orion webpage, select Diagnostics -> System. Click the Backup button in the User
Configuration box. The Select Items to Backup window allows the selection of Database and/or
User Files to be added to the System Files in the compressed .zip file.

Figure 227: Backup File Selections

Click Backup and in the dialog box in Figure 228, select the desired action and click OK .

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Figure 228: Backup File Action

If “Open with Windows Explorer” is selected, the sysfiles.zip backup file is placed in the temp file of
the computer which is usually C:/Users/<user_name>/AppData/Local/Temp).

If “Save File” is selected, the sysfiles.zip backup file is downloaded to either the PC’s default download
directory or a user-specified download directory.

Restore Backup User Configuration

To restore a backup user configuration file to the Orion, select the Files tab in the Orion Web UI. Click
the + Select files… button which opens File Explorer to browse and select the backup file
sysfiles.zip (Figure 229) that will be downloaded to the Orion.

Note: The file name must be sysfiles.zip for the restore process to succeed. If the file name
differs, such as sysfiles(x).zip or sysfiles_x_.zip, the file will not be sent to the
Orion and restored.

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Figure 229: Select File – Restore Backup

After selecting the backup file, click Open and the Select Items to Restore window, Figure 230,
opens for selecting which set of files from the system backup is to be restored.

Figure 230: Restore Items Selection

After selecting what files are to be restored, click the Restore button. The Files tab window, (Figure
231), is displayed showing that the backup file is ready to be downloaded to the Orion by clicking Send .

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 OrionMX

Figure 231: Send File to Orion

Click OK to acknowledge the restore process. Then the Orion will automatically restart. When the restart
has completed, the Home page login will be displayed.

Figure 232: Restore Confirmation

Figure 233: Restarting Orion

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 OrionMX

Appendix D – Maintenance
OrionMX Storage and Unpowered Standby
Like any device, the OrionMX experiences shelf aging when not used regularly. Some of the effects of shelf
aging can be reduced or reversed by powering the device periodically.

In the event that an Orion product or Orion product spare components will either not be in use or remain in
storage for longer than a year, we strongly recommend applying power to the unit(s) on a yearly schedule.

The OrionMX uses a super capacitor which does not need replacement, instead of a battery, to power its
realtime clock.

Please contact NovaTech for recommendations regarding your specific application.

Cleaning
Cleaning the exterior of the instrument shall be limited to the wiping of the instrument using a soft damp
cloth applicator with cleaning agents that are not alcohol based and are non-flammable and non-explosive.

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Appendix E – OrionMX Dual Rack Mount Assembly Guide

This appendix describes the assembly of the mounting kits for two OrionMX side by side for 19” racks. The
Dual-Rack-MX-2RU kit is for mounting two OrionMX with standard case or OrionMX with 2S expansion
case. The Dual-Rack-MX-3RU kit is for mounting two OrionMX with 4S expansion case. The following
procedure applies to both mounting kits.

Mounting Kit Materials

The mounting kit contains the following materials:
▪ MX mounting brackets - quantity of 4
o Dual-Rack-MX-2RU - mounting brackets for standard case and 2S expansion case
o Dual-Rack-MX-3RU - mounting brackets for the 4S expansion case
▪ 6-32 stainless steel, Phillips flat head screw – quantity of 16
▪ 10-32 stainless steel square neck carriage bolt – quantity of 2
▪ 10-32 stainless steel serrated flange nut – quantity of 2

Tools needed for the procedure:

▪ Phillips head screwdriver
▪ 3/8” socket or wrench

Assembly Procedure
The following steps for assembling the dual OrionMX rack mount kit are identical for the 2RU and 3RU kits.

1. Remove existing OrionMX mounting hardware from the two units.

2. Utilize the 4 captive nuts in the side of the OrionMX case and 4 flat head screws to attach each of
the new mounting brackets to the two units.

3. Position the two units next to each other and align the square carriage bolt holes of the inside
brackets.

4. Insert the carriage bolts into the two holes.

5. Install a serrated flanged nut to each bolt and fully tighten using the 3/8” socket or wrench.

6. To adjust the OrionMX off-set from the rack, loosen the 4 outer mounting ear screws ¾ turn, slide
the OrionMX to the desired position and retighten the mounting ear screws.

7. The procedure is complete. The assembly as shown in the following figure, with two OrionMX in
the most recessed position, can now be installed in a 19” rack.

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 OrionMX

Figure 234: OrionMX 2S and Standard OrionMX in Dual Rack Mount for 19” Rack

The following figure shows the OrionMX mounted in the most forward position.

Figure 235: Two Standard OrionMX Mounted in 19” Rack

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Appendix F – GPL License Information

Some of the software included in this product contains copyrighted software that is licensed under the
GPLv2 and GPLv3 licenses. You may obtain the complete Corresponding Source code from us by sending
a money order or check for $50 to:

NovaTech, LLC
GPL Compliance Division
13555 West 107th Street
Lenexa, KS 66215

Please write “GPL source for OrionMX” in the memo line of your payment.

This offer is valid to anyone in receipt of this information.

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Appendix G – Additional Documentation

The additional documentation listed below represent the main documents which may be required for setting
up and operating the Orion. In addition, for each protocol or software module, the respective manual is
included in the NCD installation .zip file or CD.
By default, the NCD installation stores the NovaTech documentation files in C:\Program Files
(x86)\NovaTech LLC\NCD3\Docs. Third-Party documentation is not included on the NovaTech
installation and cannot be verified as accurate by NovaTech.

Document Title File Name

Alarm/Archive/Retentive Software Manual Software_Alarm_Archive_Retentive.pdf
Analog/Accumulator Scaling Technical Note TechNote_Scaling.pdf
Average Archive Module Software Manual Software_Average_Archive.pdf
Cascaded Orion Software Manual Software_Cascaded.pdf
DA Logic Software Manual Software_DA_Logic.pdf
Data Logger Software Manual Software_Data_Logger.pdf
DNP3 Client Software Manual Protocol_DNP3_Client.pdf
Email Software Manual Software_Email.pdf
IEC 61131 Logic Software Manual Software_IEC61131-3.pdf
IEC 61850 Client Software Manual Protocol_IEC61850_Client.pdf
LogicPak Software Manual Software_LogicPak.pdf
Advanced Math & Logic Software Manual Software_AdvancedMath&Logic.pdf
Points Blocking Module Software Manual Software_Points_Blocking.pdf
Pseudo Client Software Manual Software_Pseudo_Client.pdf
Pusher Software Manual Software_Pusher.pdf
Redundancy Software Manual Software_Redundancy.pdf
System & Point Logger Software Manual Software_System&Points_Logger.pdf
Text Software Manual Software_Text_Generator.pdf

Table 90: NovaTech Documentation

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Revision Date Changes
A 04/13/2020 Initial Release for OrionMX. RM
B 01/25/2021 Updated Orion Web UI information, NCD information, client/server protocol
information. RM
Added new enclosure cases, enclosure cards, and mounting. BM
C 04/22/2022 Updated flash memory size. Added mounting instructions for dual OrionMX.
Updated trending. Added Windows 11. Updated address. Updated Settings
pages to 9.8.5. Added power supply keying.
D 01/24/2023 Updated GUI description for 10.0 distro. Added F1 card.

261