Echelon NodeBuilder FX - Manual (Page 154)

140 Defining Device Interfaces and Creating their Neuron C Framework
A network variable defines an operational input or output for the device. The structure, range, units,
and format of the network variable are defined by a network variable type.
A configuration property specifies a configuration option for a network variable, a functional block, or
the entire device. The structure, range, units, and format of a configuration property are defined by a
configuration property type.
A functional block groups network variables and configuration properties that are related to a
particular function for the device. Each functional block is defined by a functional profile that
specifies the mandatory network variables and configuration properties that the functional block must
implement, and the optional network variables and configuration properties that the functional block
may implement. The functional profile also defines the behavior that the functional block must
implement.
Functional profiles, network variable types, and configuration property types are defined in resource
files. Resource files are grouped into resource file sets, where each set defines functional profiles,
network variable types, and configuration properties for a particular scope and program ID mask. The
NodeBuilder tool includes a Standard resource file set, which defines many standard functional profile
templates (SFPTs), standard network variable types (SNVTs), and standard configuration property
types (SCPTs) that you can use for your device interface.
If you need additional functional profiles or types that are not defined in the standard resource file set,
you can create your own user-defined functional profiles (UFPTs), user-defined network variable types
(UNVTs), and user-defined configuration property types (UCPTs). For more information on resource
files, including how to create user-defined functional profiles and types, see the NodeBuilder Resource
Editor User’s Guide.
To define your device interface, you first determine the functional profiles to be implemented by your
device. To select the functional profiles to be implemented by your device, you first browse the SFPTs
in the standard resource file set in the Resource pane. L
ON M ARK International publishes
documentation for some standard functional profiles, which details the behavior expected from each
functional block that implements a given functional profile. You can view these functional profile
documents on the L
ON M ARK Web site at
http://www.lonmark.org/technical_resources/guidelines/functional_profiles .
Note: The following graphic shows the functional profiles sorted by index; by default, they are sorted
by name. To change how the functional profiles are sorted, right-click the resource catalog in the
Resource Pane, click Options on the shortcut menu, select By Index in the Sort By box, and then
click OK.