Echelon LonMaker - Manual (Page 180)

164 Monitoring and Controlling Networks
Monitoring and Controlling Overview
You can monitor and control the physical devices in a network by reading and writing the network
variables on the devices. You can also read configuration property values. You can use any of the
following three methods to read and/or write network variables and configuration properties:
• Monitored connections. Monitored connections provide a simple means to view network variable
values within your network. Using monitored connections, you can view the values of network
variables on your LonMaker drawing. This capability is useful for monitoring and debugging
your installation, as monitored connections provide an easy way to visualize the flow of data
through your functional blocks. You can also display a network variable value without monitoring
a connection.
• LonMaker Browser. The LonMaker Browser is an LNS plug-in that can be used to read and write
network variables and configuration properties on any functional block on any device. This is
useful for getting a detailed view of the operation of any functional block, and for setting
configuration properties on functional blocks that do not have plug-ins.
• Data Point shape. The Data Point shape is a LonMaker shape that you can use to monitor and
control the value of any network variable, configuration property, or functional block state
(enabled or in override) in your network. You can also create simple human-machine interfaces
(HMIs) within your LonMaker drawing using the Data Point shape.
The LonMaker tool is also compatible with other LNS monitoring and control applications, such as the
LNS DDE Server.
Using Monitored Connections
You can use a monitored connection to monitor the value of a network variable that is attached to a
connector or reference connection shape. You can monitor one end of a connection or both ends at the
same time.
To monitor a connection, follow these steps:
1. Right-click an empty space in the drawing page and set Enable Monitoring on the shortcut menu.
2. To enable monitoring for a connector shape, use one of the following two methods:
• Double-click the connector shape. The input network variable value appears on the connector
shape in black text. Double-click the connector shape again to display both the output and
input network variable values. Double-click again to display just the output network variable.
Double-click again to cycle through the same choices.
• Right-click the connector shape and select either Monitor Input Value or Monitor Output
Value. The network variable value on the side of the connection you selected appears on the
connector shape. To monitor both ends of the connection, right-click the connector shape
again and set monitoring on the other end of the connection.
3. To enable monitoring for a reference connection shape, use one of the following two methods:
• Double-click the reference connection shape. The network variable value on the side of the
connection you selected appears. To monitor both ends of the connection, double-click the
reference connection shape on the other end of the connection.
• Right-click the reference connector shape and then click Monitor Value on the shortcut
menu. The network variable value appears on the reference connector shape. To monitor
both ends of the connection, right-click the reference connection shape on the other end of the
connection and click Monitor Value.
The following figure illustrates monitored connections on a PID controller. The values shown on the
connection shapes represent the actual network variable values within the operational system.