Lon Utilities Manager

This view one of four views of a Lon network. It provides access to Lonworks diagnostic utilities to apply to selected Lonworks nodes, such as those included in the former NODEUTIL (command line) program. This collection of utilities allow you to query the status of a Lonworks node, find nodes on the network, identify nodes, display a node’s file structures and data structures, discover more about communications errors, verify binding information, and more. The queries require a command. Some queries also include a sub-command. The results provide information about the current state of the Lon network.

Figure 62. Lon Utilities Manager view of a LonNetwork

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

The Execute button is the run button, which performs the search.

The Device drop-down list depends upon the current list of devices.

When to use Lon utilities

Reason Command and sub-command

To identify a device from a service pin message: Main command: Identify, sub-command: Service Pin.

To determine the working domain of an existing managed network: Select <a Lon device>, main command: Reports, sub-command: Domain Table.

Reason	Command and sub-command
To identify a device from a service pin message:	Main command: `Identify`, sub-command: `Service Pin`.
To determine the working domain of an existing managed network:	Select <a Lon device>, main command: `Reports`, sub-command: `Domain Table`.
To verify that binds issued from the Lon Link Manager executed correctly, meaning that the actual devices and the station database are both synchronized:	If selective binds made to just one Lon device: Select <that device>, main command: `Reports`, sub-command: `Verify`. If binds were made to multiple Lon devices: Select `Local Lon Device`, main command: `Reports`, sub-command: `Verify`. If the report shows discrepancies, take the appropriate actions from the Lon Device Manager: For any device shown in error, select it, then do a Replace. If the database shows errors, select the affected device(s), then do a Quik Learn. Following either action, you perform another `Bind` from the Lon Link Manager, then re-run the verify report from the Lon Utilities Manager.

To verify that binds issued from the Lon Link Manager executed correctly, meaning that the actual devices and the station database are both synchronized:

If selective binds made to just one Lon device: Select <that device>, main command: Reports, sub-command: Verify.

If binds were made to multiple Lon devices: Select Local Lon Device, main command: Reports, sub-command: Verify.

If the report shows discrepancies, take the appropriate actions from the Lon Device Manager: For any device shown in error, select it, then do a Replace. If the database shows errors, select the affected device(s), then do a Quik Learn.

Following either action, you perform another Bind from the Lon Link Manager, then re-run the verify report from the Lon Utilities Manager.

Command

This drop-down list selects from among utilities that you can run:

Status displays real-time status for a node, or performs some other network management operation that affects device status.

Display issues a query status message to the node. This retrieves the network error statistic accumulators, which identify the cause of the last reset, the current state of node, and the last runtime error logged.

Clear sends a message to the node to delete its error flag and error counts. After this is processed, the status display for the node updates. Following a clear, you can use the display sub-command to gauge the effects of network traffic on the node.

Set Unconfigured sets a node to an online state, and is provided as a convenience for a device not represented in the station database. From a Lon device’s property sheet, under the Device Data slot, you can directly access and write to a device’s Node State.

Reset issues a software reset to the node, and displays new status.

Data Structs displays various internal device tables and structures.

File displays the internal files of any selected Lonworks device, providing that the device supports such files.

Identify defines a node in the property. Basically, commands are either wink (send to node) or service pin (send from node).

Reports displays various information for networked nodes, including network management data, transmit errors data, and verifies against what is actually stored inside nodes that are online any inconsistencies in the station database.

Read Mem displays the contents of memory.

Find discovers nodes on the network, which are not already represented in the station by a Lon device. It is equivalent to the Discover command in the Lon Device Manager. There are no Find sub-commands, and selected device is not important.

Status sub-commands

These commands are available when you select Status for Command.

Display issues a query status message to the node. This retrieves the network error statistic accumulators, cause of the last reset, current state of node, and the last runtime error logged.
Clear sends a message to the node to clear its error flag and error counts. After this is processed, the status display for the node updates. Following a clear, you can use the Display sub-command to gauge the effects of network traffic on the node.
Set Unconfigured sets the node’s internal and database state to unconfigured, and displays the new node status. In an unconfigured state, the driver loads a node’s application, but configuration data are either not loaded or deemed to be corrupted due to a configuration checksum error.
When unconfigured, a node responds to status query messages with its Neuron ID rather than subnet/node addressing. Network variables do not update, and its service LED blinks at a once-per-second rate.
Set Online sets a node to an online state, and is provided as a convenience for a device not represented in the station database. From a Lon device’s property sheet, under the Device Data slot, you can directly access and write to a device’s Node State.
Reset issues a software reset to the node and displays the new status.

Data Structs sub-commands

Within the general commands, these are the additional refinements you can configure. These commands are available when you select Data Structs for Command.

These sub-commands are available for local and remote devices:

Address Table defines the network addresses to which the node can send implicit messages and network variable updates, as well as the groups to which the node belongs. Up to 15 address entries are possible.
Domain Table defines the domain(s) to which the node belongs. Up to two domains can be assigned.
Read Only Structure defines the node’s identification as well as some of the application image properties of the node.
Config Structure resides in its EEPROM from where it defines the hardware and transceiver properties of the node. The manufacturer writes some portions of this structure, while the system writes other properties when you install the node.

These additional sub-commands are available when you select a remote device:

Nv Alias Table defines the attributes of the alias network variables in the node. Aliases allow a network variable in one controller to be linked to multiple network variables in another (single) controller.
Nv Config defines the attributes of the network variables that can be configured in the node. Up to 62 entries are possible.
Nv Value displays raw (hex data) values for network variables in the node without any conversion (as provided for the nv Lon components or nv proxy points). You can use this value to verify against values seen in the framework.
Self Documentation displays the self-documentation available in the node. You must provide this capability for a device to have the LonMark logo.
Read Mem provides a (starting) Address and Len(gth) properties in which you can enter values, using hexadecimal notation, to read raw memory contents from the selected device. The results display in hex bytes as well as ASCII characters, using 16–byte rows listed by address location.

For example, if you enter an Address of 01FC and a Len of FF, the system returns 16 rows of data beginning from 01FC through 02EC.

File sub-commands

File Directory shows list of available files, including type and size.

Config Template File shows template file entries.

Config Value File shows config value file entries, and bytes.

Other shows files other than template and value files.

Identify sub-commands

Wink sends a wink message to a selected node, whereby, depending on the device, it visually (or audibly) indicates receiving the message—for example, flashing an LED in a pattern.

NOTE: Before executing this command, select the specific device from the drop-down list.

Service Pin causes the Lon Utilities Manager to listen on the network for a node to identify itself. In this mode, the utilities manager displays Waiting on a service pin. This command does not require you to select a device.

When you push the service pin of a Lonworks device, the node sends its domain table to the utilities manager, where it displays in the view.

Clear Service Pin cancels a pending Service Pin command.

Reports sub-commands

The following sub-commands are available:

Netmgmt Summary summarizes network links, address table entries, and group assignments.

Program Ids lists the current Program Ids with associated module and .lnml file or class.

Transmit Errors creates and displays a table of various transmission error counts for all nodes on the network. This command results in a status clear sent to all nodes, such that error counts are reset—the next report shows counts since this report was created.

Transmit Errors No Clear creates and displays a table of various transmission error counts for all nodes on the network. Does not clear device status in nodes (unlike Transmit Errors command).

Verify compares the networked devices’ nv configuration and address table entries against the station’s database (Lon device’s properties) and reports discrepancies. If the Local Lon Device is selected, the report verifies all networked Lon devices. If any other device is selected, the report verifies only that device.

Verify Channels confirms channels.

Network Summary creates a table of devices showing Channel Id, subnet/node address, and Neuron Id as well as routers (if any).

Read Mem

This command provides two properties:

address specifies a specific address in memory.

len specifies the length to display.

Find

This command provides a search capability. The SubCommand is the search argument.