Echelon Mini FX - Manual (Page 35)

22 Introduction
Mini kit will upgrade this device template as necessary, but it will not delete or manage
it.
If you build the application with the NodeBuilder tool, the NodeBuilder tool
automatically produces an LNS device template and passes it to the LonMaker tool and
other network tools. The LNS device template defines the external device interface, and
it is used by the LonMaker tool and other network tools to configure and bind the device.
The Mini kit does not generate LNS device templates, but it generates device interface
files (with .XIF and .XFB extensions). These interface files can be used with the
LonMaker tool to generate LNS device templates.
Device Interface Files
A device interface file (also known as an XIF file or an external interface file) is a file that
specifies the interface of a device. It includes a list of all the functional blocks, network
variables, configuration properties, and configuration property default values defined by
the device’s application. LNS tools such as the LonMaker tool use device interface files
to create an LNS device template. This enables the network tool to be used to create
network designs without being connected to the physical devices, and it speeds up some
configuration steps when the network tool is connected to the physical device. A text
device interface file with a .XIF extension is required by the LonMark Application Layer
Interoperability Guidelines.
The Mini kit automatically creates a .XIF file when you build a device application. The
Mini kit also automatically creates a binary (.XFB extension) version of the device
interface file that speed the import process for LNS tools such as the LonMaker tool.
Resource Files
Resource files define network variable types, configuration property types, and functional
profiles. Resource files for standard types and profiles are distributed by L
ON M ARK
International. The standard resource files define standard network variable types
(SNVTs), standard configuration property types (SCPTs), and standard functional
profiles. For example, SCPTlocation is a standard configuration property type for
configuration properties containing location information as a text string, and
SNVT_temp_f is a network variable type for network variables containing temperature
as a floating-point number. The standard network variable and configuration property
types are defined at types.lonmark.org .
As new SNVTs and SCPTs are defined, updated resource files and documentation are
posted to the L ON M ARK Web site. Standard functional profiles are included with the
Mini kit, and their documentation is also available on the L
ON
M
ARK
Web site. To view
and download the latest resource files and documentation, go to the L ON M ARK Web site
at www.lonmark.org .
Device manufacturers may also create user resource files that contain
manufacturer-defined types and profiles called user network variable types (UNVTs),
user configuration property types (UCPTs), and user functional profiles (UFPTs).
You can create applications that only use the standard types and profiles. In this case,
you do not need to create user-defined resource files. If you need to define any new user
types or profiles, you will use the NodeBuilder Resource Editor included with the Mini kit
to create them.