Echelon OpenLNS Commissioning Tool - Manual (Page 133)

OpenLNS CT User’s Guide 117
7. In the New Connections box, select a connection description to assign to all the new connections
listed in the Connections box. You can click Properties to view and modify the properties of the
connection description displayed in the New Connections box. See Using Connection
Descriptions in this chapter for more information on using and creating connection descriptions.
8. Click OK. The connections listed in the Connections box will be added to your OpenLNS CT
drawing.
9. If OpenLNS CT is attached to the network and OnNet, and the devices participating in the
connection have been commissioned, the connection information in the physical devices is also
updated.
Using Reference Connection SmartShapes
You can use reference connection SmartShapes to simplify an OpenLNS CT drawing and connect
functional blocks and supernodes in different subsystems. A reference connection replaces the single
connector SmartShape between a set of connected functional blocks or supernodes with a pair of
identically named reference connection SmartShapes that are attached to both ends of the connection.
The reference connection functions in the same manner as a normal connection— the only difference is
the graphics used to represent the connection.
Reference connection SmartShapes by default are numbered, starting at 1. The numbering for each
subsequent set of reference connector SmartShapes used is incremented by one. You can rename the
reference connector SmartShapes to something meaningful; however, the name must be unique within
the network. If a name is not unique, OpenLNS CT will suggest an alternative name that is unique (it
will suggest a name with an index [starting at 1] appended to the name, or a name with the index
incremented). If you change the name on one end of the connection, the name on the other end will
automatically be updated. You cannot renumber reference connection SmartShapes.
Reference connections are automatically used for connections between functional blocks or supernodes
in different subsystems. You can also use reference connections to simplify your OpenLNS CT
drawing by reducing the number of crisscrossing connector SmartShapes that can clutter an OpenLNS
CT drawing.
Note: Moving a reference connection in a remote lightweight client does not move it on the local
client.
To use reference connection SmartShapes, you can create new connections that are represented by
reference connection SmartShapes (see
4
Creating a Connection with the Network Variable Connection
Dialog Box), or you can right-click an existing connection represented by a connector SmartShape and
then click Use Reference on the shortcut menu to change the connector SmartShape to a reference
connection SmartShape.
Aligning Reference Connection SmartShapes
You can automatically align and keep aligned all the reference connection SmartShapes in a subsystem
or the reference connection SmartShapes attached to a specific functional block. This feature