Troubleshooting

Manually navigate to the new IP address in the browser address bar.

Ensure both the SM5000 and the operator's PC are on the same network segment before saving.

Connect the SM5000 directly (isolated) and use the LCD to read the current IP, then resolve the conflict.

The device falls back to the static IP stored in NVS. Check the LCD for the displayed IP address.

Verify the SyncFM service is active on the host machine.

Verify the broker address in §2.4.

Check switch ACLs and any firewall rules on the SyncFM host for port 1883.

Check the MQTT username and password fields in §2.4.

MQTT reconnect interval is 60 seconds. Wait and refresh the System Status page.

Check the physical connection. Both operational sensors share the same RS485 bus - either port (Port 1 or 2) is valid as long as the Modbus ID on the sensor matches.

The SM5000 polls Modbus ID 1 for Sensor Front and ID 2 for Sensor Rear. Verify the sensor’s configured address matches.

Swap with a known-good sensor to isolate the fault.

Check the calibration offsets in §2.2.2 and reset if necessary.

The chart library (Chart.js) is served by SyncFM at port 3000. If SyncFM is down or that port is blocked, the library cannot load. All other Data Logger functionality (CSV export, statistics) remains available regardless.

Check the Total Entries counter. If it reads 0, the device has not yet logged any data since the last factory reset or since time sync was first acquired.

The DataLogger only writes entries once a valid time is acquired. If the sync state is AWAITING_SYNC, logging is paused. Check the Time page (§3).

The OTA command is delivered via MQTT. If the device shows 🔴 Disconnected, it will never receive the command. Resolve the MQTT connection first - see T2.

OTA security verification requires the device to have a valid, accurate current time. If the Time page shows AWAITING_SYNC or UNSYNCED_NEVER, OTA commands cannot be processed. Ensure SyncFM's time broadcast is reaching the device - this is the recommended resolution since MQTT is already connected. If SyncFM cannot reach the device for time sync, set the device's Default Time to the current time manually via the Time page (§3.3) as a temporary workaround. If MQTT is connected but time is not syncing, check that the MQTT topic hierarchy is correctly configured - a mismatch can prevent time broadcasts from being received.

The OTA security check is bound to the device's configured MQTT hierarchy path. If the hierarchy on the device does not exactly match what SyncFM has on record, the command is silently discarded. Verify the full topic in §2.4.

The passkey entered in SyncFM when uploading the firmware binary must match the passkey compiled into the target device’s firmware. Re-upload the firmware to SyncFM with the correct passkey.

Each device waits up to 150 seconds before beginning its download. Allow at least 3 minutes from when SyncFM broadcast the command before concluding the device has not received it.

Up to 3 total attempts are made automatically (3-minute intervals). If failures persist, check the switch port for link drops. After all 3 attempts fail, the device reports the failure to SyncFM and resumes normal operation - it does not require manual intervention.

Verify the firmware binary for the target version was uploaded to SyncFM before triggering the update.

The web interface is suspended during OTA. Wait 2-3 minutes and retry. The LCD will show the OTA progress states.

Check the physical cable and PoE switch port. The LCD will show Connecting... / Waiting for IP if there is no active link.

Try a different browser or clear cookies, then log in fresh.

In rare cases, the web server can become unresponsive under a memory exhaustion condition. A power cycle will recover the device.

Factory reset restores the defaults embedded in the currently installed firmware, which may differ from the originally shipped firmware. This is expected behaviour. Reconfigure the IP address and device name manually via the web interface after the reset. See §5.4 for details.