Echelon i.LON SmartServer 2.0 - Manual (Page 258)

244 Appendix D – i.LON SmartServer Software License Agreement
If you use Static FBs for the figure above then you would have to create two XIF files because the
number of FBs is not the same for both devices. If you were using multiple identical internal devices
then you only need to create one XIF file.
7. What is the relationship between FPM applications and the functional blocks (FBs) in an
internal device?
The relationship is similar to the built-in SmartServer applications and the functional. The
SmartServer’s built-in applications (also called modules) perform a specific task such as alarm
notification, scheduling, or data logging. A functional block is an instance of a specific application.
For example, to use the SmartServer’s Alarm Notifier application, you first need to add an Alarm
Notifier functional block to the SmartServer’s i.LON App device.
Your FPM application performs a specific task, and to instantiate an FPM application, a functional
block representing an instance of the FPM application must be added to the internal FPM device.
• If the internal device uses static FBs then you specify the XIF file to be used by the internal FPM
device when you add the device. All the functional blocks (FPM application instances) and data
points specified by the XIF file will automatically appear under the internal FPM device in the
navigation tree on the left side of the SmartServer Web interface
• If the internal device has dynamic FBs then you manually add functional blocks to the internal
FPM device for the FPM applications to be instantiated.
8. Does an internal device need to use FPM static or dynamic Functional Blocks?
The type of FB that you need to use depends on how you are going to use the FB and the type of
connection (LonWorks connections vs. Web connections) use for the FB NVs/CPs.
For static FBs you need to use an XIF file when creating and internal device. Static FB can be used
with LonWorks connections or web bindings and need to be added to the LON channel.
For dynamic FBs, you manually add the FB to an internal device. Dynamic FB can only be used with
web bindings and should be added to the SmartServer virtual channel.
For Standalone mode you can use either static or dynamic FBs and the internal device can be added to
either the SmartServer virtual channel or LON channel.
For LonMaker (or other LNS Application), the location or type of FB depends on your application. To
use LonWorks binding with LonMaker or an LNS Application then you will need to use static FBs. If
you are only using web bindings then it may make more sense to use dynamic FBs.