Rockwell Automation 2708-NNM Network Manager Software - Manual (Page 39)

Chapter 5
Advanced Topic
5–3
Files In Workstations
Files in workstations are either data or CHAIN modules. Data can be pretty
much anything, but CHAIN modules are A-B VBASIC programs in their
LXE format.
In either case, files can be downloaded by selecting the File Services /
File/chain download command. NM will ask for the name of the file to
download and the station number of the workstation to download.
Workstations must abort their programs to be able to receive –files. A special
program is downloaded to a workstation to facilitate file downloading. Since
the original program has been replaced by this new program, re–loading of
the original program will be necessary if you want that program back in the
workstation’s program memory.
File Downloading
File Services / File / chain download
In order to get a file into the file memory portion of the workstation NM
utilizes a set of network directives that instruct the workstation to place this
data in a file and not to execute it as a program ‘.LXE’. However, a file
placed into the workstation in this manner can be either data for a program to
use or can actually be a program that has been compiled using LXB (the A-B
VBASIC compiler).
To send a file to the workstation you choose the File Services option from the
Main Menu
<F5>/‘F’ . Then choose the File/chain download option from the
File Services menu <F3>/‘F’ . You will now be prompted for the name of the
file you want to send, simply type in the filename and press <ENTER>.
Next you will be prompted for the workstation to download to, either type in
the station you want to send to or press <ENTER> to send to all
workstations. NM will then create a very simple program called Loader.Bas,
which will be compiled using LXB and downloaded to the workstation(s).
This program WILL replace any existing program that may be running at the
time of download. When NM has finished loading the file you will have to
re–load the program that was running in the workstation at the time of
download if you wish to continue running the same program.
Customizing NM (cont’d)