AERCO XPC GATEWAY Communications - Manual (Page 92)

GATEWAY COMMUNICATIONS MANUAL
92
When a new device is first commissioned onto the LonWorks network, the system integrator must upload
the device’s External Interface File (XIF) information. LonWorks uses the XIF to determine the points
(network variables) that are available from a device. A typical LonWorks device has a set of predefined
network variables. These are the variables bound or accessed by the network management tool.
NOTE
The network variables defined on the XPC Network Variables Property
pages determine its XIF information. If any information is changed, added,
or deleted on the Network Variable Property pages, the XPC must be
removed from the network management tool’s database and
recommissioned, including uploading the XIF information again.
There are some issues with LonWorks that should be considered when using the XPC:
Device Configuration Information (XIF)
 When members of the object cache are modified, you must modify the device configuration
information (XIF) from that originally imported into the LonWorks network management tool.
The new information will not be recognized by the network management tool until it is
imported again from the XPC.
 The user must first undefine all of the network variable bindings and the device,
recommission the device, and establish the network variable bindings again.
 Modifications to the object cache should be avoided once the device is fully commissioned
and operational. Any modifications to the addressing schemes should also be avoided once
the XPC is commissioned.
Address parameters
 If the address parameters are modified, the LonWorks Option Card will be set to Node Offline,
and Unconfigured, which means it no longer communicates with the LonWorks network.
 This does not require deletion or importing the device configuration information again but
does require the device to be recommissioned by the network management tool.
Point configuration
 When the XPC is first commissioned onto the LonWorks network, the system integrator
should use the Browse features of the network management tool to check the data that is
available from the module.
 Any changes in point count and point configuration should be made prior to performing any
further system integration.
 XPC may be deleted and re-imported as many times as necessary to ensure that the points
are correct.
NOTE
For these reasons, all parameters on the module driver parameter page
should be configured prior to connecting this device to a LonWorks
network.
The Browse feature
 The Browse features of the network management tool allow you to read real-time values from the
XPC. This provides all of the tools necessary to test an integration prior to binding network
variables to other LonWorks nodes.
14.8 COMMUNICATION LED'S