Debug messages in TwinCAT->Error List

Debugging messages written to the application log facilitate troubleshooting of the system. In order to view the activated debug messages start the TwinCAT XAE and select the View->Other Windows->Error List menue command. A debug output is shown below. The different message types are identified with the respective numbers.

Debug messages in TwinCAT->Error List 1:

The messages are activated in different ways (with different parameters) depending on whether you use the "Low-Level" or "High-Level" interface. Below the list of the different parameters.

1. Debugging messages that are logged when the TCP/IP connection is established or released:

Name	ON	OFF	Controlled station		Control station
Name	ON	OFF	Low-Level	High-Level	Low-Level	High-Level
F_CreateServerHnd	CONNECT_MODE_ENABLEDBG	0	Yes	Yes	-	-
FB_ClientServerConnection	CONNECT_MODE_ENABLEDBG	0	-	-	Yes	-
FB_IEC870_5_104Master.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_LINKERROR	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	-	-	Yes

2. Hexadecimal output of the ASDUs (without link layer control header). 32 ASDU data bytes per row are output as hexadecimal numbers. Bigger frames are split into multiple lines:

Name	ON	OFF	Controlled station		Control station
Name	ON	OFF	Low-Level	High-Level	Low-Level	High-Level
ST_IEC870_5_101TBuffer.eDbg	eIEC870_FIFO_DBG_ALL	eIEC870_FIFO_DBG_OFF	Yes	-	Yes	-
FB_IEC870_5_104Slave.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_ASDU	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	Yes	-	-
FB_IEC870_5_104Master.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_ASDU	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	-	-	Yes

3. Hexadecimal output of the APDUs (TCP/IP frames). 32 APDU data bytes per row are output as hexadecimal numbers. Bigger frames are split into multiple lines:

Name	ON	OFF	Controlled station		Control station
Name	ON	OFF	Low-Level	High-Level	Low-Level	High-Level
FB_IEC870_5_104TProtocol.bOutDbg	TRUE	FALSE	Yes	-	Yes	-
FB_IEC870_5_104Slave.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_LINKLAYER	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	Yes	-	-
FB_IEC870_5_104Master.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_LINKLAYER	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	-	-	Yes-

4. State change messages:

Name	ON	OFF	Controlled station		Control station
Name	ON	OFF	Low-Level	High-Level	Low-Level	High-Level
FB_IEC870_5_104Slave.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DEVSTATE	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	Yes	-	-
FB_IEC870_5_104Master.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DEVSTATE	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	-	-	Yes

5: Link layer error messages:

Name	ON	OFF	Controlled station		Control station
Name	ON	OFF	Low-Level	High-Level	Low-Level	High-Level
FB_IEC870_5_104Slave.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_LINKERROR	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	Yes	-	-
FB_IEC870_5_104Master.sysPara.dbgMode	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_LINKERROR	IEC870_DEBUGMODE_DISABLED	-	-	-	Yes

6. Messages logged from the PLC application (sample).

Further diagnostic tools:

TwinCAT ADS monitor;
Network monitor;
Wireshark;
Ethereal;
Diverse protocol test suite products;