Echelon LonMaker - Manual (Page 130)

114 Designing Networks
Creating a Connection with the Connector Shape
You can create a connection with the Connector shape in the LonMaker Basic Shapes stencil.
You can only use this method to connect functional blocks or supernodes that are in the same
subsystem. You can connect network variables or message tags on functional blocks or supernodes
whether they have network variable or message tag shapes or not.
To connect functional blocks or supernodes with network variable or message tag shapes, drag a
Connector shape from the LonMaker Basic Shapes stencil to your LonMaker drawing, placing one end
of the Connector shape on the connection point on the end of the network variable or message tag you
want to connect (a red square will appear around the ‘x’ connection point). Then drag the unconnected
end of the Connector shape to the connection point of the other network variable or message tag.
Connector shapes that have been properly connected on both ends will be black; otherwise, they will
be red. To create a fan-out or fan-in connection, repeat the process with additional Connector shapes.
To attach a Connector shape to a functional block that does not have a network variable or message tag
shape, place the end of the connector shape directly onto one of the four connection points around the
functional block. Once a functional block is connected via one of its connection points, the Network
Variable Connection dialog box opens. Follow the steps in Creating a Connection with the Network
Variable Connection Dialog Box to finish creating the connection.
If you create a connection with multiple message tags, connect the output message tags together
(instead of using the msg_in tag). Select one of the output message tags as the hub and connect it to
all the other output message tags (do not daisy chain the connection). The resulting connection will be
the same regardless of which message tag you select as the hub.
See Connection Master Shapes in Chapter 12, Creating and Using Custom LonMaker Shapes and
Stencils, for information on creating multiple connections in a single operation.
Creating a Connection with the Connector Tool
You can create a connection using the Connector tool. This is the quickest way to create unicast
connections. To create a connection with the Connector tool, follow these steps:
1. Select the
Connector tool
on the Visio Standard toolbar.
2. Point to the network variable or message tag shape of the first functional block or supernode to be
connected until a red square appears around the shape.
3. Hold down the mouse button and then point to the network variable or message tag shape of the
second functional block or supernode to be connected.
4. Release the mouse button.
5. Select a different tool on the Visio toolbar if you will not be making additional connections or
re-assignments. If you continue to use the Connector tool to add new devices, routers, or
functional blocks shapes to your drawing, Visio will attempt to connect the shapes, which may not
be desired or could generate errors.
Creating a Connection with the Network Variable Connection
Dialog Box
You can create a connection using the Network Variable Connection dialog box. This dialog box
provides a powerful and flexible method for creating connections. It provides a hierarchal view of the
devices, functional blocks, and network variables in your LonMaker network. You use this view to
select the network variable hub and one or more targets to connect. It is the quickest method for
creating fan-in or fan-out connections because you can select multiple network variable targets to