Verifying Optical Connections to TDT Hardware

Tech Note: TN2502
Product: TDT Drivers, WS4, WS8, RZ, RZ2, RZ5, RZ5P, RZ5D, RZ6, RZ10
Version: All
Date Added: 2025-05-15

Issue

Optical interfaces on RZ processor or PO5e card may fail and prevent device communication

Solution

In the unlikely event that you have a sudden error in any TDT software packages saying that your PC cannot communicate with your devices connected via an Optical Gigabit interface, here are the steps to troubleshoot the system. These steps assume that you have already confirmed that all equipment is powered on and that you have already done a full system shut down and powered everything back up. If this is the case – please proceed with the troubleshooting below.

1 | Launch zBusMon. This is a desktop icon that was installed with the TDT Drivers. If the icon was deleted, you should still be able to find it as an application on your PC.

2 | When you open zBusMon you should see the header indicating an Optical Gigabit connection (see below circled in red on the left image)

If your zBusMon shows your TDT hardware (as shown on the left image above) stop here and follow up with TDT Tech Support, your problem is not related to an optical failure. If your image is as appears on the right above with “NO DEVICES FOUND” please proceed to isolate the failure. Before moving on, be sure to click ‘Done’ to close zBusMon.

3 | Your PC and the TDT hardware are connected by an orange fiber optic cable. The PC side is shown below on the left and the hardware side is shown below on the right. Remove and reseat all of these connections one at a time to confirm that you don’t reverse the orientation of any of the cables. Once you remove and reseat all of the connections, does zBusMon show correctly as discussed in step #2? If so, test your software, the issue should be resolved. If not, please proceed to step #4.

4 | Disconnect the orange cable attached to the PC and take a photo looking into the connectors as shown below. Do you see a red glow from one of the sockets as shown by the green arrow? Or does your interface card look like the image on the right (below)? If your card does not have a red glow, this may indicate your card has failed.

5 | Disconnect the orange cable attached to the RZ device and take a photo looking into the connectors as shown below. Do you see a red glow from one of the sockets as shown by the green arrow in the image below? Or does your device look like the image on the right? If your device does not have a red glow, your Opti IO board on your RZ device may have failed.

6 | While you are working with the RZ and taking photos, be sure to take a photo of the serial number of the device(s) you are working with. The serial number will be on a white or silver sticker on the back of the unit usually near the power connection. A sample is shown below.

7 | The final troubleshooting step will be to remove the orange cable from between the PC and the RZ. Once you have this loose, run your fingers down the length of the cable. You are feeling for any cuts, kinks, gouges, frayed fibers, or any other damage that you can see or feel. If you find anything suspicious take a picture of your findings then reseat the cable as it was originally.

8 | With the cable reseated, reopen zBusMon. Does your device show as it should (discussed in step #2)? If so, retest your software to see if the problem has been resolved. If problems persist, you can contact TDT Tech Support at +1.386.462.9622 or support@tdt.com. If contacting via email please include the photos mentioned above in this document to expedite troubleshooting.