Niagara AX Framework Overview - Stations

A Niagara AX station is a program that runs on a Niagara AX platform. The station program usually starts running immediately after the Niagara AX platform boots. The station program continues to run forever or until somebody or something causes the platform computer to be turned off or rebooted.

Within a Niagara AX station you will find logic, services, and drivers. Niagara installation professionals create a Niagara AX station by using the Niagara AX Workbench application. To do this they click the Tools menu on the main menu and then they click the New Station item on the Tools menu. This presents a wizard that generates a station on the Workstation computer.

This is an illustration of the 'Tools' menu in the Niagara AX Workbench. The 'New Station' item is highlighted.

This is the Tools menu in the Niagara AX Workbench. The New Station item is highlighted.

This is an illustration of the New Station Wizard from the Niagara AX Workbench.

This is a screen-shot of the New Station Wizard from the Niagara AX Workbench.

The station, as generated by the wizard, is not a running station. Instead, it is an offline station. The installation professional will then define the behavior of the station (by using the Niagara AX Workbench) before copying it to the platform computer (using Niagara AX Workbench for this too) that will forever be dedicated to running the station. To test his or her station's behavior, the installation professional may decide to run the station in his or her own Workstation PC, before ultimately deploying the station in a platform computer that is dedicated to running the station.

An online station is one that is currently running on a Niagara AX platform computer. Once again, a Niagara AX platform computer can be a Jace, Web Supervisor, or Workstation. Installation professionals can use the Niagara AX Workbench to configure stations that are online or offline.