Echelon NodeBuilder FX - Manual (Page 46)

32 NodeBuilder Quick-Start Exercise
NodeBuilder Quick-Start Exercise
The following quick-start exercise demonstrates how to create a L ON W ORKS device with the
NodeBuilder tool. It introduces NodeBuilder FX features and provides some familiarity with the
NodeBuilder interface. You can use either the FT 5000 EVB Evaluation Board or the LTM-10A
Platform with the Gizmo 4 I/O Board as the hardware platform for this exercise.
The first step required to develop a device is to define the requirements for the device. For this
quick-start exercise, you will develop a device with one sensor and one actuator. The sensor is a
simple sensor that monitors a push button and toggles a network variable output each time the button is
pressed. The actuator drives the state of an LED based on the state of a network variable input.
To develop a L ON W ORKS device with the NodeBuilder tool, you perform the following steps:
1. Create a NodeBuilder project.
2. Create a NodeBuilder device template.
3. Define the device interface and generate Neuron C source code that implements it.
4. Develop the device application by editing your Neuron C source code.
5. Compile, build, and download your application.
6. Test your device interface.
7. Debug your device’s application.
8. Connect and test your device in a network.
Additional steps in the device development process include creating a LonMaker stencil, an LNS
device plug-in, a human-machine interface (HMI), and an installation application for your device;
submitting your OEM license so that you can purchase Neuron Chips or Echelon Smart Transceivers;
and applying for L
ON M ARK certification for your device. These steps are summarized in the
Additional Device Development Steps section that follows this quick-start exercise.
After you complete this exercise, you can load and run the Neuron C example applications that are
included with the NodeBuilder tool. The NodeBuilder software includes three Neuron C example
applications that you can load into your FT 5000 EVBs (included with the NodeBuilder FX/FT Tool,
and available separately), and one Neuron C example application that you can load into your
LTM-10A platform with Gizmo 4 I/O Board (included with the NodeBuilder FX/PL Tool, and
available separately). You can use these examples to test the I/O devices on the FT 5000 EVB or
Gizmo 4 I/O board, and create simple L
ON W ORKS networks. You can browse the Neuron C code used
by these examples to further learn how to develop your own device applications.
For more information on using the FT example applications, see the FT 5000 EVB Examples Guide.
For more information on using the PL example application, see the NodeBuilder FX/PL Examples
Guide.
Step 1: Creating a NodeBuilder Project
A NodeBuilder project collects all the information about a set of devices that you are developing. You
will create, manage, and use NodeBuilder projects from the NodeBuilder Project Manager. The
project manager provides an integrated view of your entire project and provides the tools you will use
to define and build your project.
To create a NodeBuilder project, start the NodeBuilder Project Manager from the LonMaker tool
(recommended) or directly from the NodeBuilder program folder. You will typically start the project
manager from the LonMaker tool because it simplifies the
association of a NodeBuilder project with
a LonMaker network.
You can use the same NodeBuilder project with multiple LonMaker networks, and you can use a
LonMaker network with multiple NodeBuilder projects. However, a LonMaker network can only be
used with one NodeBuilder project at a time.
To create a NodeBuilder project by starting the NodeBuilder Project Manager from the LonMaker tool,
follow these steps: