CTS Comm Fail Analyzer

⚙Robotic Process Automation

A C# WinForms desktop application backed by a PowerShell engine that analyzes device communication failures on a Swisslog CTS (Conveyor Transport System). Given a specific device, it copies DBF transaction data and TCPComm network logs from the CTS server, identifies communication failure events, maps the network topology (subnets and segments), classifies events by severity, and determines whether the issue is isolated to one device or a network-wide problem. Outputs color-coded results and optional HTML email reports.

Technology Stack

C#.NET Framework 4.0Windows FormsPowerShellGmail SMTPDBF ParsingRegex

System Architecture

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Specifications

▸Device Selection: Dropdown populated from equip.cfg.old with 300+ devices across Stations, TUs, Blowers, and TCUs
▸Network Topology Analysis: Maps device to subnet and segment, then checks if neighboring devices are also failing
▸TCPComm Log Scanning: Parses LONG POLL TIME and DISCONNECTED events within a configurable time window
▸Severity Classification: Color-coded severity: Severe (>500ms, RED), Moderate (300-500ms, YELLOW), Mild (<300ms, GREEN)
▸Root Cause Determination: Classifies as ISOLATED ISSUE (single device) or NETWORK-WIDE ISSUE (multiple devices/segments)
▸HTML Email Reports: Formatted email reports sent via Gmail SMTP with full analysis details
▸Skip Copy Mode: Use cached local files to re-analyze without copying from Z: drive again

Design Decisions

Challenge	Solution
Data lives on remote Z: drive	Copy DBF and TCPComm logs locally before analysis, with skip-copy option for re-runs
Determining isolated vs. network-wide failure	Map device topology and check if other devices on the same subnet/segment have concurrent failures
Varying event severity	Three-tier classification based on poll time thresholds with color-coded output
Building GUI without Visual Studio	Compile with .NET Framework 4.0 csc.exe directly via build.bat
Running without visible console window	VBS launcher script hides the console, BAT launcher for debug mode

Process Flow

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