Echelon Neuron C - Manual (Page 22)

10 Overview
configuration data. Like network variables, configuration properties also provide
a well-defined interface. Each configuration property type is defined in a
resource file that specifies the data encoding, scaling, units, default value, invalid
value, range, and behavior for configuration properties based on the type. A rich
variety of standard configuration property types (SCPTs) are available. You can
also create your own user configuration property types (UCPTs) that are defined
in resource files that you create with the NodeBuilder Resource Editor.
Functional Blocks and Functional Profiles
The device interface for a L ON W ORKS device consists of its functional blocks,
network variables, and configuration properties. A functional block is a collection
of network variables and configuration properties that are used together to
perform one task. These network variables and configuration properties are
called the functional block members .
Functional blocks are defined by functional profiles . A functional profile is used
to describe common units of functional behavior. Each functional profile defines
mandatory and optional network variables and mandatory and optional
configuration properties. Each functional block implements an instance of a
functional profile. A functional block must implement all of the mandatory
network variables and configuration properties that are defined by the functional
profile, and can also implement any of the optional network variables and
configuration properties that are defined by the functional profile. In addition, a
functional block can implement network variables and configuration properties
that are not defined by the functional profile – these are called implementation-
specific network variables and configuration properties.
Functional profiles are defined in resource files . You can use standard functional
profiles or you can define your own functional profiles in your own resource files
by using the NodeBuilder Resource Editor. A functional profile defined in a
resource file is also called a functional profile template (FPT).
L ON M ARK International provides a procedure for developers to certify devices.
L ON M ARK interoperable devices conform to all LonTalk ® protocol layer 1 – 6
requirements as specified by the LonMark Layer 1 – 6 Interoperability
Guidelines , and conform to all aspects of application design, as described in the
LonMark Application Layer Interoperability Guidelines .
Contact L ON M ARK International at www.lonmark.org for more details about
becoming a member and certifying your devices.
You can automatically embed data within your device that identifies its device
interface to network tools that are used to install the device. This data is called
self-identification (SI) data and self-documentation (SD) data. The Neuron C
compiler generates this data based on the functional blocks, network variables,
and configuration properties that you declare, as well as the resource files that
you provide. You can add your own documentation to the SD data to further
document your device and its interface.
You can include network variable names in the SD data using the #pragma
enable_sd_nv_names directive. You can also include a rate estimate in tenths-of-
messages/second and a maximum rate estimate in tenths-of-messages/second in
the SD data for each network variable. The rate estimate and maximum rate
estimate values are provided through the bind_info feature. (See the discussion