Visual BACnet Capture Tool (MS/TP): Quick Start Guide

This quick start guide will help get you up and running with your Visual BACnet MS/TP Capture Tool (CT-BAC-MSTP).

1. Configure your computer's network as settings

• Recommended IP: 192.168.10.101
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
• Gateway: 192.168.10.1
  
  

2. Plug in Ethernet and power cables

Connect the computer's Ethernet port directly to the Capture Tool's built-in Ethernet port with an Ethernet cable.



Connect the included USB power cable to the Capture Tool's micro USB power connector and make sure the cable's power button is up (ON), not in (OFF).



Wait 60 seconds for it to boot up.

3. Log into the BACnet Capture Tool

Open a Google Chrome web browser on the computer connected to the Capture Tool.
Go to: 192.168.10.254

NOTE:
If you receive a privacy warning, don't worry, it's perfectly safe. Just ignore the warning, click 'Advanced', and then click on 'Proceed to 192.168.10.254 (unsafe)' at the bottom.

Log in to the Capture Tool using the factory defaults:

• username: admin
• password: _admin_

4. Change the Password

On the top right corner, click on My Account > Settings and change the password to one that is more secure. Click Save Changes.

5. Network Settings

On the left pane, click on Settings > Network and configure it to be compatible with your BMS network (i.e. the network that you will be using to upload capture files to Visual BACnet).

As you edit the settings, make sure to click the Save button in each section.

NOTE:
Although the BACnet capture tool is designed to always be connected to the Visual BACnet server, if you plan to run your capture tool 'offline' between capture uploads, please read this FAQ article first.

6. Connect to BMS and BACnet Networks

Close the browser, power down the Capture Tool, and connect its Ethernet cable to your BMS network.

Connect the included MS/TP adapter's USB connector to any of Capture Tool’s USB ports and it's terminal block to your MS/TP BACnet network.

7. Power up and Log in

With your USB-to-MS/TP adapter connected to one of its USB ports, apply power to the Capture Tool and wait 60 seconds for it to boot up.
Log in to it from your BMS computer using the new IP address you assigned in the previous steps. 

8. Capture BACnet Traffic

• Click on Settings > Capture and enter your Visual BACnet API key in the Cloudlink API section. 
  
  Click here to learn how to find your API key. 
  
  In the Capture Settings section, select MSTP for the Capture Protocol. Then configure the Baud Rate (i.e. 76800) and the Capture Interface (NOTE: '/dev/ttyUSB0' should be the only choice).
  
  Click the Submit button at the bottom of screen.
  
  NOTE:
  Selecting the wrong baud rate will likely result in a Visual BACnet score of 90%, with 100% checksum errors and no other problems. If you do see this, reconfigure your capture tool's baud rate settings correctly.
  
  
• To set up automated captures: Click on Schedule and then the Add New button. Configure the settings, as necessary. Click Submit.
  
  
• To perform a manual capture: Click on the Capture Console and the Capture tab. Select the capture duration and click Start.
  
  

9. Additional Support

If you need more help, please start an online chat session at optigo.net/support or email us at [e-mail].