Tasks performed by a lonbridge application, Defining device classes, Discovering and communicating with devices – Echelon LonBridg Server User Manual
Page 26: Tasks performed by the lonbridge server
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Using the LonBridge API
Tasks Performed by a LonBridge Application
Using the LonBridge API, a LonBridge application can discover manage
L
ON
W
ORKS
interoperable self-installation (ISI) devices on a L
ON
W
ORKS
network,
communicate with the devices, and communicate with the LonBridge Server
about the devices.
Defining Device Classes
The Classes directory contains device class files that describe classes of devices
that the LonBridge Server supports. A specific LonBridge application can add
support for additional classes of devices by creating additional files in the Classes
directory.
See Chapter 5,
, on page 34, for information about
the LonBridge device class file format.
Discovering and Communicating with Devices
The LonBridge API defines a set of XML elements for sending commands to the
LonBridge Server and receiving responses from the LonBridge Server. It also
includes commands for discovering devices and for communicating with devices.
The API provides commands that allow an application to perform the following
tasks:
• Request that LonBridge perform device discovery
• Retrieve information about a device
• Read data from a device
• Write data to a device
In addition, the API provides commands that allow an application to define
tracers to identify and filter messages.
See Chapter 4,
, on page 23, for information about the API.
Tasks Performed by the LonBridge Server
When the LonBridge Server starts, it initializes a network interface. The
network interface can be any network interface running a layer-5 MIP or the
layer-6 ShortStack Micro Server.
By default, a LonBridge Server built for the Windows platform communicates
with a network interface with a layer-5 MIP through the OpenLDV network
driver. For example, the Echelon U20 USB Network Interface includes a layer-5
MIP and is supported by the OpenLDV network driver.
By default, a LonBridge Server built for the Linux platform communicates with a
network interface running a ShortStack Micro Server through an LDV
compatible network driver. For example, the LonBridge Server can be built for
the Altera Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit (NEEK) attached to an Echelon PL
3120 or 3150 EVB Evaluation Board running the ShortStack Micro Server.