Online Support FAQ
Product support is provided exclusively via email correspondence. Response is normally provided within three working days.
- The application(s) were installed on the PC by the System Administrator, and I am trying access the application(s) logged on under my User name and the application will not run. What is the problem?
- Can I run other applications concurrently on the machine?
- I am running DIS Link Monitor on a laptop and under very high PDU transmission rates it appears to be "losing" PDUs. What can I do?
- I am running the DIS Link Monitor application, and some PDU is causing problems for the application. What do I do?
- I have been monitoring a DIS exercise for several hours. The PDU Statistics graph only displays the last 5 minutes of PDU/sec and Mbit/sec. Is there anyway I can access all of the statistical data?
- I have Exported some data from the PDU Statistics. How do I import the file into Excel?
- Can I run the DIS Link Monitor on a laptop?
- Why do the applications need such a high screen resolution?
- Why does the DIS Radio Receiver not support other compressions than u-Law and PCM?
- I am running the F/A-18 simulator and I am trying to shoot down another entity. When I click on the Target Button, no targets are provided. How do I get a list of targets to shoot at?
- I am using DIS Link Monitor to monitor PDUs from my GeeWhiz Simulator, and it is rejecting most PDUs with the Error Message "Invalid Length Indicator'. Yet I am sure the PDUs are the correct length. What is going on?
- I am running on Windows 2000, and I cannot receive any of the PDUs that the DIS Link Monitor should be transmitting. Do I need a Loop Back Cable?
- I am running Windows-XP and there is no IP address displayed in the IP pick list. I am sure my PC has a valid IP address set up. What is going on?
- I am trying to use the PDU Generator to send PDU XXXX, but there is no template for PDU Type XXXX.
- How do I construct fire and detonation PDUs with Build PDU to send feature?
- Does the DIS Link Monitor include PDU logging/playback? If so, how is that different from the separate applications?
- What are the benefits of the PDU Statistics option for the DIS Link Monitor?
- What are the benefits of the F-18 Simulator option for the DIS Link Monitor?
- On the Evaluation DIS Link Monitor, how can I tell which options are bundled as part of the basic DIS Link Monitor and which are add on options?
- How can I reduce the number of updates from the F18 Simulator? I need to look at logged data and the log files are huge.
The application(s) were installed on the PC by the System Administrator, and I am trying access the application(s) logged on under my User name and the application will not run. What is the problem?
As the license for the products is on a User basis, it must be installed under each User's account. If the application(s) are installed under the Administrator's account, only the administrator will be able to run the application(s).
Can I run other applications concurrently on the machine?
Yes. Within the limitation of the performance capability of the PC, any number of applications may be run concurrently with the Redsim applications. It is recommended that each application be provided with its own unique IP address, but the latest versions of the DIS Tools provide a user-selectable option to allow multiple applications to share the same IP/port combination.
I am running DIS Link Monitor on a laptop and under very high PDU transmission rates it appears to be "losing" PDUs. What can I do?
It has been observed that some laptops have 10/100 Mbit Ethernet drivers that do not report buffer overflow on transmission of UDP packets. If you suspect that this is happening, open the Socket Dialog Box by clicking on the Socket Info button. On this dialog box, you will see a user-selectable spin button for Tx KB/Cycle. This is normally set to somewhere between 50 and 100 KB/cycle. Change this option to 10KB/cycle and the problem should go away.
I am running the DIS Link Monitor application, and some PDU is causing problems for the application. What do I do?
This situation is normally an indication that a simulator is generating a non-standard version of some PDU. The built-in filtering facility may be used to isolate the PDU causing the problem, and then the Custom PDU facility may be used to capture the PDU in question. If this sort of information can be provided, any problems can usually be quickly resolved.
I have been monitoring a DIS exercise for several hours. The PDU Statistics graph only displays the last 5 minutes of PDU/sec and Mbit/sec. Is there anyway I can access all of the statistical data?
Yes. Even though only the last 5 minutes of data is displayed the application keeps the statistical data internally for a maximum of 24hrs. The extra data may be accessed by means of the Export function. This facility will generate a Comma Separated Values file that may be imported into most Database/spreadsheet applications.
I have Exported some data from the PDU Statistics. How do I import the file into Excel?
You can either associate .csv files with Excel and then just simply double click on the file name, or you can start Excel, go to the Open File option, select the directory containing the csv file, select file type "csv" from the file type drop down list and select the file.
Can I run the DIS Link Monitor on a laptop?
Yes. As long as the laptop supports a resolution of 1280 by 1024 (most modern laptops will support up 1600 by 1400).
Why do the applications need such a high screen resolution?
The high resolution is required to display all of the necessary information and controls.
Why does the DIS Radio Receiver not support other compressions than u-Law and PCM?
Because we have not been able to find a "standard" definition of the other DIS compression algorithms.
I am running the F/A-18 simulator and I am trying to shoot down another entity. When I click on the Target Button, no targets are provided. How do I get a list of targets to shoot at?
To be able to target an entity for the F/A-18 missile, the radar must be attached, and turned on; only those entities that are within the radar sweep (horizontal, vertical and range) will be offered as targets. Also, only entities suitable for an air-to-air missile will be offered.
I am using DIS Link Monitor to monitor PDUs from my GeeWhiz Simulator, and it is rejecting most PDUs with the Error Message "Invalid Length Indicator'. Yet I am sure the PDUs are the correct length. What is going on?
The simulator is most probably generating "Bundled PDUs" (i.e., more than one PDU per Ethernet packet) and the DIS Link Monitor Bundled PDU Rx option has not been turned on. Simply set the Bundled PDU Rx option "on".
I am running on Windows 2000, and I cannot receive any of the PDUs that the DIS Link Monitor should be transmitting. Do I need a Loop Back Cable?
A Loop Back Cable is not required, but it is required to have the NIC connected to a hub. Connection to a network is not required, but the PC NIC will not transmit unless it is connected to a hub or a network.
I am running Windows-XP and there is no IP address displayed in the IP pick list. I am sure my PC has a valid IP address set up. What is going on?
Windows-XP will not make IP addresses available to applications unless the NIC is actually connected to a hub or to a network.
I am trying to use the PDU Generator to send PDU XXXX, but there is no template for PDU Type XXXX.
The PDU Generator uses the Custom PDU Definitions from the DIS Link Monitor. To support non-standard PDU definitions, facilities are provided for users to define their own custom PDU definitions (which may in fact be one of the standard PDUs). The PDU templates supplied with the applications are meant only to demonstrate how the PDU definitions are entered. If a user is interested in a PDU Type where no template exists, the user must define his own.
How do I construct fire and detonation PDUs with Build PDU to send feature?
In the DIS Link Monitor, under the Custom PDU option there are definitions for the Fire and Detonate PDUs. If there were not, the user can always define them for themselves as the facility was designed to cater to non-standard PDUs but some standard PDU examples are provided so users can see how to define particular PDUs. The significance of the PDUs defined under the Custom PDU option, is that those templates can be used by the DIS PDU Generator application to populate those PDU templates and to transmit them.
Thus the user can use the DIS PDU Generator to send Fire and Detonate PDUs. The Tx Manual PDU option in the DLM may also be used, but it is much more difficult as the user basically has to enter the PDU data in binary form. That facility is provided as a last resort if a PDU is so complex that it is not possible to use the Custom PDU definition. The Tx Manual PDU option is also handy for sending deliberately “bad” PDUs to test the application's ability to cope with badly formatted PDUs.
There is one facility to generate Detonate PDUs which is the easiest of all. Simply display the Entity List tabulation of current entities, select one entity by clicking on the row and on the bottom left hand area of the window there is a button called “Detonation” click that button and easily send a detonation PDU for that entity.
Does the DIS Link Monitor include PDU logging/playback? If so, how is that different from the separate applications?
The DIS Link Monitor provides facilities for PDU recording and playback. The other two applications, i.e. the PDU Logger and DIS PDU Recorder provide additional capabilities.
The DIS PDU Recorder is useful for customers who are involved with very large exercises with very high levels of PDU traffic. In large exercises, the DIS Link Monitor will not be able to “keep up”. With all the other processing that is going on in the DIS Link Monitor, some PDUs will be lost.
As DIS uses UDP with it's non-guaranteed packet delivery, Windows does not even advise the DIS Link Monitor application as some packets have been discarded. To overcome this problem, the DIS PDU Recorder is the recording/playback facilities only from the DIS Link Monitor, so as long as it is the only application running in the PC, it will be capable of recording the highest possible PDU rate without loss of any packets.
The PDU Logger is an application that is capable of analysis, logging and playback of PDU recordings made either with the DIS Link Monitor or the DIS PDU Recorder. It also provides facilities to select groups of PDUs from the recording for playback either as a one shot, or repeatedly.
What are the benefits of the PDU Statistics option for the DIS Link Monitor?
The PDU Statistics option is very useful for analyzing the DIS traffic in terms of bits per second on the LAN and specific PDU types. In particular, when simulators face overload conditions due to high PDU rates in an exercise, it is helpful to be able to see which type of PDUs are responsible for the bulk of the traffic. When faced with the requirement to operate the DIS exercise over a WAN, the Statistics function provides an easy mechanism for estimating the bandwidth requirements.
What are the benefits of the F-18 Simulator option for the DIS Link Monitor?
The F-18 simulator provides facilities not only for generating a DIS entity that can easily be configured and maneuvered, but also provides easy generation of IFF, Emitter and Jammer PDUs. It also allows generation of Chaff/Flare PDUs and provides facilities for realistic missile launches against other DIS entities. For customers using the Simulated Radio option on the DIS Link Monitor, the F18 provides facilities to attach the simulated radio to an entity with realistic motion. Finally, the F18 simulator provides a DIS entity with verified orientation parameters for the testing of visual systems associated with DIS exercises.
On the Evaluation DIS Link Monitor, how can I tell which options are bundled as part of the basic DIS Link Monitor and which are add on options?
If you run the evaluation version of the DIS Link Monitor, it will provide facilities to enable/disable each of the available options.
Start by disabling all the options, and you will see which of the function buttons on the left hand side are enabled. That is the basic version. As you then enable each of the options in turn, you will see which function buttons are enabled. See DIS Link Monitor options and descriptions.
How can I reduce the number of updates from the F18 Simulator? I need to look at logged data and the log files are huge.
In the F18 control window, on the right hand side about half way down, there is see a group labeled ‘Tx HB’s’. Click on the ‘Set’ button in this group and that will allow you to select the Heartbeat frequency for the F18 Entity State, Emitter and IFF PDU's.