Lon Netmgmt is the base component for all Lonworks network management functions provided by the station. You perform most network management functions by using LonNetwork views. However, the LonNetmgmt component provides access to network management parameters, some of which you may need to modify in its property sheet. Figure 10 shows default Lon Netmgmt values.
Typically, you leave Lon Netmgmt properties at defaults, except for perhaps “Use Lon Objects.” The following sections provide more details:
The default working domain for a Niagara LonNetwork (Domain Id in Lon Netmgmt) is the “zero-length” domain. Without further Niagara configuration, you can discover all Lon nodes that also belong to the zero-length domain. However, if you cannot discover nodes, they are likely configured on a different domain.
In this case, especially for a previously managed network where you wish to maintain current network management configuration (addresses, bindings) using , you must change the working domain of the Niagara LonNetwork to match. See the quick start procedures, To identify a device using its service pin message and To change the working domain.
In NiagaraAX, you do not have to expressly listen for a service pin message. In the Lon Device Manager, any unsolicited service pin message is handled as follows:
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If the node is not represented in the database, it is added to the Discovery table (learn mode).
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If the node is already in the database, it becomes selected (highlighted) in the Database table.
By default, when expressly listening for a service pin message from the Lon Utilities Manager view, you have 300 seconds of listen time for a service pin before the utilities manager cancels the wait period. This is configurable under the LonNetwork’s Lon Netmgmt container.
Starting in AX-3.3, the LonNetwork’s Lon Netmgmt container includes a “Use Lon Objects” property, which by default is “false.” See LonObjects for more details.
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While “false,” any “Quik Learn” or “Add” device operates as in pre-AX-3.3 releases—where all of the learned LonComponents in the Lon device are placed directly under its device object.
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If set to “true,” a Quik Learn or Add device results in an extra “LonObject”
container grouping of the device’s LonComponents. Each LonMark container represents a LonMark object.
Note that adding Lon devices with the LonObjects option affects the default Nv Manager view on a Lon device. For more details, see About the Nv Manager.
Under Lon Netmgmt is a “Link Descriptors” container with four sub-containers, each associated with a bind service type (Standard, Reliable, Critical, Authenticate). Figure 10 shows the most commonly used bind service type (Standard), expanded with default link descriptor values.
Descriptors specify timers and a retry count applied to the address table of nodes during the bind process, and are used for all implicit addressing. Usually, you do not need to adjust link descriptor parameters from defaults.
Note that under each of the four types, the default values are the same:
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Repeat Timer: mSec48
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Retries: 3
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Receive Timer: mSec384
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Transmit Timer: mSec48
In cases of a Lon network that has “slow-responding” devices, you may need to adjust these parameters upwards, often in combination of adjusting Lon Comm Config parameters (see Lon Comm Config notes).
By default, when commissioning or replacing a Lon device that has two domain entries (domain indexes 0 and 1), its second domain (domain index 1) is set to “not in use”. In the case where the LonNetwork’s working domain is not the zero-length domain, the device will not be a zero-length domain member.
A property “Always In Zero Length Domain” is in Lon Netmgmt, with a default value of false. If left at default, a device’s second domain entry is set to “not in use” as before. However, if set to true, a device with
two domain entries will always be commissioned to be a member of the “zero-length” domain.
For related details, see Domain Id notes and Commission process.