Web Mountain RUC (R300) — Remote Universal Controller Quick Start Guide

Quick Start Guide for the Web Mountain Technologies RUC (Remote Universal Controller) R300 — a UPB Ethernet PIM that lets installers set up, program, and remotely manage a UPB powerline home automation network over a LAN or the internet.

Overview

The RUC (Remote Universal Controller, model R300, firmware V57 or greater) allows the UPB programming tool Upstart to run over a network connection instead of requiring a directly-connected serial or USB PIM. This dramatically improves productivity for installers programming a large number of UPB devices, since the RUC can be permanently located at its final installation position while Upstart runs remotely from any networked PC.

Basic Setup

1. Remove the RUC from its shipping container.
2. Remove the SPIM from its shipping container and, using the supplied cord, connect the SPIM to the COM1 DB9 port on the RUC. Plug the SPIM into a power outlet.
3. Connect an Ethernet patch cord from the Ethernet RJ45 jack on the RUC to your local Ethernet switch/router. The RUC does not ship with an Ethernet cable — use a standard CAT5, CAT5E, or CAT6 patch cable with RJ45 connectors.
4. Plug the included power supply's cord into the power jack on the RUC, then plug the power supply into a power outlet.
5. On the end of the RUC where the Ethernet patch cord connects, the LED closest to SW2 will start blinking on a ~1 second interval. The Ethernet LEDs on the RUC and on the switch/router will show connection and activity.

Preparing for an Installation Site

1. Download the Microsoft Ethernet Discoverer application from the Web Mountain website (webmtn.com/RUC/RUC-information.php) and burn it to a CD or USB thumb drive.
2. If the customer wants tablet/smartphone access to the RUC internally, get the wireless network credentials (passphrase/password) from the homeowner in advance.
3. If the customer wants remote (outside the house) access, you'll need to open a port in the router/firewall — port 9761 must be forwarded to the RUC's IP address. For web browser access, open port 80 (or reassign the RUC's web port to 9760, which Web Mountain recommends, and open that instead).
4. Connect the SPIM (for UPB automation) to the RUC's COM1 port using the supplied serial cable, and plug the SPIM into an available power outlet.

Warning: Do not plug the SPIM into a UPS or other backup power system, or into outlets shared with significant other equipment such as audio/video gear.

Initial Network Configuration

1. On a PC on the same network as the router, load the Ethernet Discoverer (ED) application from the CD/USB drive and run it — it will show the IP address of the RUC.
2. Double-click the RUC's line in the ED app, or type the IP address directly into a browser (something like 192.168.1.5 or 10.0.0.5).
3. At the login challenge, enter username admin and password broncos (default — can be changed later).
4. On the RUC's home page, click the Network Configuration tab. Uncheck "enable DHCP" and note the IP address shown below it — you may want to change this to an address outside your router's normal DHCP range. Click Save Config.
5. Refresh the browser and check the FW Version line on the Home Page. If it doesn't match the latest firmware version, consider updating (see Updating Firmware below).
6. If using the iPhone app, follow its separate setup instructions. If using the Android app, set up buttons using the Triggers page.

Accessing the RUC's Webserver

The RUC ships as a DHCP client by default. To access its webserver, enter http://wmtruc into your browser (allow up to 5 minutes after power-up for the hostname to be recognized on the network). If that doesn't resolve, use the Ethernet Discoverer application to find the IP address and use that instead.

Two logins are available:

• Normal user: username wmtruc, password password — cannot access the Admin webpage.
• Administrative user: username admin, password broncos.

To switch from normal user to Admin login, close and reopen your browser. Available pages once logged in: Home, Networking Configuration, Device Configuration, Admin, UPB Transmission (manually send a UPB signal), Dynamic DNS, Receive, Triggers, Control Panel, and Backup/Restore.

Upstart Over the LAN / Internet

The RUC's main purpose is to act as an Ethernet PIM for a UPB network — the PIM can be located anywhere on the LAN, or even accessed over the internet, allowing Upstart to run without being tied to the PIM's physical location.

Caution: UPStart operation over a network may not be quite as robust as with a hard-wired PIM. If you encounter issues, retry the test. It's recommended to configure Upstart to "Ask if verify should be performed" or "Never perform verify at startup" (rather than "Always perform verify at startup") in the UPStart File options tab. Perform individual device verifies rather than network verifies where possible — smaller test chunks perform better on congested networks.

Introduction to Upstart

Upstart is a Windows-based program used to set up an initial UPB network and then program/add devices to it. To use Upstart normally, you connect a serial or USB PIM (PC Interface Module) to the PC. UPB is a powerline home automation protocol — signals are sent over household powerline wiring to control lights and appliances, but devices must first be programmed via Upstart to behave as desired. Upstart also provides some of the best diagnostic tools among home automation technologies.

Normally, a local PC with a directly-connected serial/USB PIM plugged into a house outlet is used — but that location might not be optimal for signal strength, and moving a laptop while programming many devices reduces productivity. Using the RUC as an Ethernet PIM with Upstart solves this.

Acquiring Upstart

Upstart is a free download from the Web Mountain website (webmtn.com) — click Support, then Downloads, register with your email, then download and unzip the file. You should be running at least version 5.1 Build 45.

Using a Virtual Serial Port

Because there's no local PIM connection when using the RUC, a virtual serial port must be created. The recommended free software is HW-VSP from The Hardware Group (hw-group.com/products/hw_vsp/index_en.html). During installation, choose "Standalone" (not client-server), decline adding it to your firewall exceptions if asked, and place an icon on your Desktop.

Connecting the PIM

Connect the WMT SPIM-01's supplied serial cable to the DB9 connector on the bottom of the SPIM, and the other end to the DB9 connector on the RUC labeled COM1.

Running Remote Upstart

1. Double-click the HW-VSP desktop icon to open its settings window. Click the Settings tab and configure it as directed (make sure "NVT Enabled" is not checked). Click "Save Settings to INI file."
2. Go to the "Virtual Serial Port" tab. Select an unused COM port number high enough not to conflict with your PC's hardware COM ports (e.g. COM10).
3. If on the local LAN, enter the RUC's LAN IP address (found on the Networking Configuration page). If connecting remotely over the internet, enter the WAN IP address instead (find it via a site like ipchicken.com).
4. Enter the port number the RUC uses to convert serial traffic to TCP/IP — default is 9761 (changeable on the RUC's Device Config page; some ISPs restrict higher-numbered ports).
5. Click "CREATE COM."
6. Open Upstart (it may show a "can't communicate with the PIM" error initially — dismiss it). Go to Tools > UPB Interface Device > Select. Set the interface type to "Powerline Interface Module," choose the COM port created above, and click CONNECT.
7. If successful, Upstart will show blue checkmarks and the message "Selected Powerline Interface is Operational."

For internet-based access: enter the remote location's WAN IP address in the VSP screen, then forward port 9761 (and port 80, if browser access is desired) to the RUC via port forwarding on the router at that location.

Using Trigger Events

The Triggers page lets the RUC monitor for a specific command on a COM port and take a programmed action when it matches. Example: recognizing "Activate Link 21" could trigger a 5-second delay followed by "Deactivate Link 21," or recognizing "Deactivate Link 32" could trigger an email notifying that a garage door has closed.

The top half of the Trigger Event screen defines the trigger signal; the bottom half defines the resulting action (send another UPB signal, send an email, or send a command in a different protocol) — a delay can be added between trigger and action. The "Sched" selection allows the RUC to send a command based on time of day. Note: trigger signals cannot originate from the RUC itself — they must come from another source.

Updating Firmware

Web Mountain periodically releases new firmware via their website, email, or CD.

1. Before upgrading, record all your current settings so you can re-enter them after the update (later firmware versions with Backup/Restore let you back up settings automatically — recommended if your RUC is at v2.00.28 or later).
2. Download the RUC_Updater zip file and extract it to a local PC on the same LAN as the RUC.
3. Double-click Updater_Starter.exe. Accept the defaults unless you've changed connection parameters (if you don't know the RUC's IP, run the included Microchip Ethernet Discoverer program first).
4. Click OK — the application connects to the RUC and begins programming (progress is shown, e.g. "Sending part 26").
5. When complete, a confirmation message appears — click the "X" to close the updater.

Important: Do not let the update process get interrupted — disable laptop sleep/hibernate or keep the mouse active during the update.

Depending on the version change, a factory reset may be required after updating: hold both S1 and S2, release S1 after a few seconds (one LED flashes quickly), wait for both LEDs to flash 3 times, then 6 times, then release S2. Restore any saved settings afterward. Units previously at V57 or higher typically do not need a factory reset and will retain settings through the update.

Support

For more details, see the full User's Manual at webmtn.com/RUC/RUC-information.php. For technical support, contact Web Mountain at info@webmtn.com or 303-627-1856.