Device network management

Lon device components are similar to most driver device components. Among the standard slots are device status properties (including a Health container) and a device Alarm Source Info container slot. Each Lon device includes a Points extension for Lon proxy points. However, unlike a few other drivers, other device extensions, such as Schedules, Histories, and Alarms are not used. Instead, other components unique to a Lon device appear.

The driver supports two device components: the required Local Lon Device, and a DynamicDevice component.

Figure 3.   Lon component (nvs, ncis, cps) access from LonDevice Property Sheet
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In addition to standard device properties, each Lon device includes a DeviceData container, with a number of properties for status and configuration of that particular device. You do not need to edit anything under this container.

Unique to a Lon device is its set of Lon components that represent specific network variables (nvis and nvos), ncis, and cps for the device.

Main access to Lon components is via the Property Sheet of the Lon device, where Lon components are listed in nv index order below the Xml file property.

Also unique to a Lon device is a special Workbench command, special manager views, and right-click actions.

Ways to populate devices

The driver supports multiple ways to populate a Lon network with devices. You may discover devices, learn devices, add them to the offline database and later match them, and you can add them one-by-one when online.

Each Lon vendor module contains a palette with a device for each Lon Xml (.lnml) file in that module. You can drag devices from an open palette to a Lon Network.

Alternatively, you can select a DynamicDevice from the lonworks palette and specify a Lon Xml file (extension .lnml) that identifies the particular device type. A device is associated with a particular Lon Xml file using its Lonworks program ID.

Later, when online with the Lon Network, you can use the Discover and Match features in the Lon Device Manager view to map each device object with a particular discovered Lon node. A match is possible only if the program IDs are the same. The match synchronizes the Lonworks Neuron Id and applies appropriate subnet-node addressing. The Lonworks match offers an address source toggle, which you select depending on whether the network is already managed or unmanaged.

Local Lon Device startup

Upon first execution (if Neuron Id is Zero), the following sequence occurs:

  1. Address is set to default: channel Id 1, subnet node 1/127.
  2. DeviceData is filled in from local neuron: Neuron Id, Address Count, Two Domains.

Upon station startup, the following occurs:

  1. Updates to domain table, address table, and device state per station database.
  2. Program Id is set.
  3. Executes ping.