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Lon Link Manager

This view is one of four views on the LonNetwork. You use it to review and manage the bindings of network variables. When the station serves as the network manager of the Lonworks network, you often use this view.

NetworkVariableLinks tab

This is the default tab. It displays links and bindings between network variables. Often, this is the only tab you use in this view.

Figure 60.   NetworkVariableLinks tab in Lon Link Manager
Image

You access this view by right-clicking the LonNetwork node in the Nav tree followed by clicking Views > Lon Link Manager.

Each row in this tab represents either a connection between the station (LocalDev) and a specific network variable (nvi or nvo) in a Lon device, or a Lon network variable binding directly between two other Lon devices.

  • For local device connections, each row corresponds to a particular Lon proxy point. Proxy points for ncis, cps, and read-only nvi proxy points are not included.
  • For a binding directly between two Lon devices, the software models the binding as a graphical connection (link) that is visible on each device’s glyph (shape) as it appears on the station’s wire sheet.

Columns

Data columns provide the current information about each link and binding. By default, this table is sorted by selector, ascending (1, 2, 3, so on). You can click on any table column header to resort the table, and click and drag to resize column widths.

Column Description
Selector This number references an individual network variable, which is stored in a table within the local Neuron chip.
linkStatus Reports the current health of each link:
  • NewLink indicates an added proxy point or link between nodes that is not yet bound. Until bound, entries do not exist in the address tables of the nodes, and the system uses polling exclusively.
  • Bound indicates that a binding has been established between two network variables or nodes. If you used Quik Learn to learn links in an existing (managed) network, learned links appear as bound. In addition, following a bind command, all entries for Lon proxy points list as bound.
  • Poll Only indicates that Set Service Type is configured for Poll Only. Upon the next bind command, the system sets network variables to the unbound state.
  • Obsolete indicates that a formerly bound proxy point was deleted, or that a bound link between two nodes was deleted. In either case, the address tables in both nodes have not yet been updated—entries still exist. 
Use the Bind command to change these obsolete entries to Unbound.
  • Unbound indicates an obsolete link following a a Bind command, just to verify that the link has been deleted. To remove these entries (rows) entirely, click the Refresh button.

In some cases, a link/binding may appear in the Lon Link Manager showing an error-type linkStatus, as one of the following types:

  • AliasError—One or more connections have been made which require the use of alias nvs when none or insufficient aliases are available. Delete links and bind to remove error.
  • AutheicateError—Authentication error. Check the messaging service type for the network variable linkage.
  • ComError—Communications error occurred during the bind operation (for example, timeouts). Try binding the network variables again. If errors persist, check communications.
  • DeviceError—Device error. The state of the node will not support a network variable binding.
  • DirtyGroup— Means an address table problem. Usually, a second pass at a bind will clear things up.
  • DirtyPoll—An existing group has been disrupted by commissioning or removal of one of its member devices. Bind to reassign groups.
  • Error—An error apart from one of the other specified error types.
  • GroupError—Unable to assign the node to a group. A node can belong to 15 different groups (up to 15 address table entries) when acknowledged messaging service is used. To correct, either reduce the number of address table entries, or adopt unacknowledged/repeated messaging service.
  • GroupExcludeError— A set of connections has been created for which no set of groups can be assigned that meet all group assignment rules. Delete links and bind to remove error.
  • NvTypeError—SNVT types do not match. Either the Lon xml (lnml) file is not appropriate for the node, or (if Learn Nv was used) the node’s self-documentation does not properly represent the actual data stored in that device. Obtain an up-to-date lnml file for the device, or use Learn Nv.
  • MaxCritError—Too many targets (bindings or linkages) are made to use the critical messaging service. Reduce the number of bindings or adopt a non-critical messaging service.
  • PriorityError—The priority setting of the link cannot be legally accommodated (that is, priority is selected but nv is not priority, and priority is not configurable).
  • ServiceTypeError—Message service type mismatch. The assigned message service type (linkType) does not match the actual service type found in the node.
srcDevice Identifies the source device.
srcNv Identifies the source network variable.
targetDevice Identifies the target device.
targetNv Identifies the target network variable.
linkType Identifies the type of link.

Check boxes

The two check boxes in the lower left of the view filter (hide) links from the view as follows:

  • Hide Proxy Links filters out links from or to proxy points (LocalDev) from the view.
  • Hide Net Links filters out links between other Lon devices/controllers from the view.

The hide filters only affect the display of links. A bind operation still binds all links, even though they might not be visible.

Buttons

The buttons serve these functions:

  • Refresh globally polls the status of the bindings on the network and displays that information in the table. If unbound (deleted) links were previously listed, Refresh removes them from the table.
  • Bind globally establishes nv bindings for all entries per the linkType (Service Type) specified for each entry. This button remains available regardless of any selected items. When you click it, the driver performs a global Lon-bind job with standard station job visibility. To bind only selected items, use Selective Bind instead.
  • Selective Bind globally establishes nv bindings for only the selected entries per the linkType (Service Type) specified in each entry. When you click it, the driver performs a Lon-bind job with standard station job visibility. To globally bind all entries, use the Bind button instead.

    If a link is already bound and you change it to another message Service Type, its linkStatus changes to NewLink until you bind (or selective bind) it again.

  • Set Service Type sets the LonTalk message Service Type that controls the properties for the next bind. When you click it, a popup window provides a drop-down selection of message service types to use. Or, you can select Poll Only, which sets nvs to an unbound state.

MessageTagLinks tab

This tab manages the bindings between messages in and message-out tags of Lon devices (if any devices are used this way).

In some cases, applications require a different data interpretation model than that provided by network variables. In these cases, nodes construct individual messages and assign them an address. These are referred to as explicit messages, and nodes can use logical input and output ports (message tags) to send and receive these messages. While the driver provides this feature, it is not used. Generally, Lonworks nodes use network variables to exchange data.

Figure 61.   MessageTagLinks tab in Lon Link Manager
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All LonMark-certified nodes contain a message-in tag, which can be used to receive messages. In addition, nodes can declare bi-directional message tags that can be used to both send and receive messages. If message tags bindings are used, the Lon Link Manager opens their status in a fashion similar to that used to display network variable bindings.

Each row represents a link between devices for the purpose of exchanging messages.

Columns

Data columns in message tag links table provide the current information about each message tag link.

Column Description
linkStatus Reports the health of the link.
outputDevice Identifies the sending device.
outputTag Identifies the type of sending binding.
inputDevice Identifies the receiving device.
inputTag Identifies the type of receiving binding.

Buttons

  • Refresh globally polls the status of the bindings on the network and displays that information in the table. If unbound (deleted) links were previously listed, Refresh removes them from the table.
  • Bind globally establishes nv bindings for all entries per the linkType (Service Type) specified for each entry. This button remains available regardless of any selected items. When you click it, the driver performs a global Lon-bind job with standard station job visibility. To bind only selected items, use Selective Bind instead.
  • Selective Bind globally establishes nv bindings for only the selected entries per the linkType (Service Type) specified in each entry. When you click it, the driver performs a Lon-bind job with standard station job visibility. To globally bind all entries, use the Bind button instead.

    If a link is already bound and you change it to another message Service Type, its linkStatus changes to NewLink until you bind (or selective bind) it again.

  • Set Service Type sets the LonTalk message Service Type that controls the properties for the next bind. When you click it, a popup window provides a drop-down selection of message service types to use. Or, you can select Poll Only, which sets nvs to an unbound state.

Related Links

  • Plugins (views) (Parent Topic)

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