Adding a driver network

Driver network setup in a remote controller station is basically the same for any driver. Examples include LonNetwork, BacnetNetwork, OpcUaNetwork and many more.

You are working in Workbench and are connected to the Supervisor or remote controller station that will host the driver network.

If you are engineering a Supervisor (PC) station, the NiagaraNetwork may be the only network you need. Optionally, you may add a database network (providing the PC host is licensed for it). And, if a PC host is licensed as a direct integration Supervisor (for example, a BACnet Supervisor), you may add a driver network (for example, BacnetNetwork) directly under the Supervisor station’s Drivers container.

Regardless of host platform, in most cases the network component is the only item you need to manually copy from a driver palette. After that, you use manager views to add child components: devices and proxy points This can be done even if the platform is offline.

  1. Open the driver palette that contains the network component.
  2. Expand ConfigDrivers in the Nav tree.
    By convention, you should keep all driver networks under the station’s Drivers container. It is a special component with a view that manages network devices.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Drag an instance of the network component from the palette to the Drivers container in the Nav tree.
    • Copy an instance of the network component from the palette and paste it into the Drivers container in the Nav tree.
    • Double-click the Drivers node, click the New button at the bottom of the Driver Manager view.
    If you dragged or copied the component from the palette, a Name window opens. If you used the New button, the first of two New windows opens.
  4. Supply the information requested by the windows or accept the defaults and click OK.
    The Network appears as a row in the Driver Manager view