---
manual: IM 36K10L40-01EN
title: EQUIPMENT Service Engineering - Utilities
edition: 3rd Edition, Sep. 2023
version: R1.03
status: from docs; installed programs, setup file and start scripts checked, eqpdbg "Get main info" run read-only on the test system (2026-09-30)
---

# EQUIPMENT Service Engineering - Utilities (R1.03)

Three utilities of the EQUIPMENT Service (the equipment managers `eqp<type>` that talk to
stations). Section numbers refer to the manual.

## 1. Forced scan: `eqpfrcscn` (§1)

Temporarily scans a group of points faster when a **trigger item** changes, e.g. a tuning tag
normally read hourly.

1. Create `%TLS_ROOT_PATH%\tls\com\eqpfrcscn_start.cmd` that starts
   `%TLS_ROOT_PATH%\tls\exe\eqpfrcscn -n EQPFRCSCN`, and `eqpfrcscn_stop.cmd` that stops it
   with `durstp.exe -msk -t 10 -p EQPFRCSCN`. (The manual's example start line uses
   `-n eqpfrcsrn`, a typo.) On the test system `equipment_start.cmd` calls **every
   `eqp*start.cmd`** in `tls\com`, so the start file makes it start with CI Server.
2. Define the trigger item; any value change starts a forced scan.
3. Give the points to be forced a scan type (e.g. 60000 ms) and link them to items.
4. In `eqpfrcscn.sup` (Setup File Editor; description "Force scanning equipment"):
   - Tab *General*, keyword `FORCE = <trigger item>, <EQP node>, <EQP process name>,
     <slave number>, <I/O type number>, <scan rate number>, <scan period s>, <scan duration s>`
     (repeatable), plus `queue_size` (KB, default 20).
   - Tab *Special events*, keyword `FCX_EVENT = <trigger item>, <node>, <process>, <slave>,
     <period>, <duration>` for STARDOM, DNP3 and IEC101 events.
   - EQP process name = *Equipment process name* of the line; slave number = *Internal
     station id* (or `eqpdbg` "Get slave info").
   - I/O type numbers include 100/101/103/104/106 Modbus (Modicon) reads, 293 Siemens 3964R,
     580 BK8100, 644 STARDOM FCX (-1 slow, -2 fast, -3 medium), 772/774 ProSafe-COM,
     836 FA-M3, 996 AB PLC5, 1028 DNP3, 1092 Siemens S7, 1156 DAQSTATION, 1188 AB CIP,
     1220 Fisher ROC, 1316 HexRepeater, 1636 IEC 61850.
   - Scan rate number: the points' scan interval in ms, or the driver's internal rate number.
5. Restart CI Server (or the `EQPFRCSCN` process).
Example: a change of the trigger item makes 60 s points scan every 10 s for 600 s.
Long scan intervals can let an RTU close its TCP socket; keep at least one faster item or
lengthen the RTU's socket timeout.

## 2. Hourly I/O statistics: `eqpiostat` (§2)

Stores the I/O statistics per station line every hour (no record when nothing was sent).
No setup file, no parameters. On the test system `equipment_start.cmd` starts it
automatically on the host node, and it was running. The manual calls the target a history
group; it is the dataset **`STATION_STAT`** (fields: time stamp, station, line, time span,
sends, good answers, bad return code, timeouts, frame errors, bad CRC, retries, line bad).
An export returned no records on the test system (ISS-021).

## 3. Debugger: `eqpdbg` (§3)

`eqpdbg [<node> <process>]` then an action number; node 0 = this node, process default `EQP`
(use the line's equipment process name, e.g. `EQPMDC` for Modbus). Answers can be piped in,
e.g. read-only main info:

```
printf '1\n-1\n' | eqpdbg 0 EQPMDC
```

| No. | Action | Changes anything? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Get main info: lines attached, scan interval (tick), scan status, slave count, scans done, line load % | no |
| 3 | Get slave info: type, name, wanted path, scan status, recover count, scan preset, output method, address gap / max size, per-line status items and message statistics | no |
| 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17, 18, 23 | I/O type, scan rate, item pointer, timing statistics, item, item by id, slave-specific, item ids | no |
| 4, 5 | Update slave scan status / address gap and max size | **yes**, makes EQP differ from the database |
| 6, 12 | Delete slave / item signal (EQP only; repair with `dsschk`) | **yes** |
| 7 | Reset statistics (optionally enable I/O timing) | yes (counters) |
| 14 | Save all info on disk (optionally stop the EQP process) | yes |
| 15, 16, 20, 21 | Total scan, force item update, force re-init, general request | triggers I/O |
| 19 | Logging file size (MB, 0 = off): `<process>.xml` / `_old.xml` in the list folder | yes |
| -2 | Dump memory (a wrong address crashes EQP) | risky |
| -1 | Exit | — |

Test system: `eqpdbg 0 EQPMDC` main info showed line type 107, both lines attached, 100 ms
scan interval, 2 slaves, 2 % line load.

## Installed on the test system

Many drivers `tls\exe\eqp<type>.exe` (e.g. `eqpmdc` Modbus, `eqpfcx` STARDOM, `eqpfam3` FA-M3,
`eqp850` IEC 61850, `eqpdnp` DNP3); setup files `eqp*.sup` (e.g. `eqpmdc.sup`, `eqpmqtt.sup`,
`eqpfrcscn.sup`); start scripts `eqpmdc_start.cmd`, `eqpmqtt_start.cmd`. Running managers:
`eqpmdc`, `eqpmqtt`, `eqpiostat`.