Echelon i.LON SmartServer 2.0 Power Line - Manual (Page 124)

110 Connecting Devices on a Power Line Repeating Network
Connecting Devices Overview
You can connect the devices on a power line repeating network though the SmartServer gateway using
type translators, Web connections, and freely programmable modules (FPMs). These types of
connections provide an alternative to L
ON W ORKS connections, which are not supported on a power
line repeating network (devices on a power line repeating network cannot initiate network messages
and communicate in a peer-to-peer manner). The polling mechanism of the SmartServer’s internal
data server enables the data points on a power line repeating network to be updated.
You can use type translators to connect the devices on a power line repeating network to other devices
on the same network. With a type translator, you can specify the conditions (the rule) in which the
values of one data point are translated to another data point. For example, you could select the
SNVT_switch data point of a switch device as the input point and the SNVT_switch data points of
multiple luminaires as the output points. You could then create a rule that specifies that the state and
values of the luminaires are to equal that of the switch. As a result, when the SNVT_switch data point
of the switch device changes or the SmartServer polls it, the SmartServer will transmit the updated
switch value to the luminaries, which will be turned on and illuminated, or turned off based on the
current state and value of the switch.
You can use Web connections to connect the devices on a power line repeating network to other
devices on the same network and to devices on other networks. With a Web connection, you select a
source data point on a local SmartServer, and then select a compatible target data point on the local
SmartServer or on a remote SmartServer, which are collectively referred to as Webbinder Destinations.
After you create the Web connection, changes made to the value of the source data point on the local
SmartServer are transmitted to the target data points on the local or remote SmartServer, and the target
data points are updated accordingly. For example, you could select the SNVT_switch data point of a
switch device on a local SmartServer network as the source data point. You could then connect this
source data point to the SNVT_switch data points of multiple luminaires on the power line repeating
network, which function as the target data points.
You can use FPMs to connect the devices on a power line repeating network to other devices on the
same network. An FPM is a custom C/C++ application that you can write and deploy on your
SmartServer. With an FPM, you can specify that when a data point declared in the FPM application is
updated, the SmartServer is to perform some user-defined algorithm. This algorithm can perform a
number of functions, including writing updated values to one or more data points on the devices
attached to the power line repeating network. To write FPMs and deploy them on your SmartServer,
you need the full version of the i.LON FPM Development tool, which is included on the i.LON
Programming Tools DVD. For information on ordering the i.LON Programming Tools DVD, contact
your Echelon Sales Representative. For more information on using FPMs, see the i.LON SmartServer
2.0 Programming Tools User’s Guide.
Using Type Translators to Connect Devices within a Network
You can use a type translator to connect devices on a power line network to other devices on the same
network. To connect devices on the same power line repeating network with a type translator, follow
these steps:
1. Create a type translator.
2. Select input points and output points.
3. Select or create a type translation.
Creating a Type Translator
To open a Type Translator application, you must first create a Type Translator functional block.
After you create the Type Translator functional block, the functional block appears on the
SmartServer tree below the i.LON App (Internal) device. You can then click the functional block
and begin configuring the Type Translator application.
To create a Type Translator functional block and open the application, follow these steps: