Point discovery

As with other objects, driver networks provide online “point learns”—online point discovery. This is true, for example with the NiagaraNetwork, BacnetNetwork, LonNetwork, and NrioNetwork. Whenever available, this method is the easiest way to accurately add proxy points to the station database.

Point actions

Proxy points are always read-only points: BooleanPoint, EnumPoint, NumericPoint, and StringPoint. No other types are available. However, if the source component is a writable point, the framework supports any actions (commands) for that component.

Figure 15.   Actions on a writable BACnet proxy point

Writable proxy points include actions, such as in the example above.

Proxy of a proxy, other candidates

Often the remote source component of a proxy point is itself a proxy point. This is common under the Points extension of a device in a field bus driver network (Lonworks, BACnet, and so on) or if the remote station has its own I/O, in which case, the source component may be an Ndio proxy point.

Another possibility is for the remote source component to be a specific slot of a point extension under a point. For example, the Total property is such a slot under a NumericTotalizerExt component. In other cases, the remote source component may be a kitControl slot, such as one of the math or logic slots, or one of the other more complicated slots (objects): LoopPoint and DegreeDays.

Regardless of the source component, you model all remote data with proxy points by selecting one of the four, read-only point types.