Echelon LNS DDE Server - Manual (Page 11)

single network interface, or through multiple network interfaces. To open
multiple remote networks, you must configure the LNS DDE Server as a
lightweight client. See Remote Settings in Chapter 3, Using the LNS DDE
Server.
• Updated Network Drivers - New drivers are included for the PCC-10, PCLTA-10,
and PCLTA-20 cards. These new drivers include new firmware for the network
interface cards that reconfigures the cards as LNS fast network interfaces,
providing significant performance improvements for LNS DDE Server
applications.
• Service Mode Operation - It is now easier to run the LNS DDE Server as a
Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows NT system service. This allows the
LNS DDE Server to continue operating even as operators log out of and log onto a
Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows NT computer. When running as a
system service, the LNS DDE Server may be configured to interact with the user
desktop, providing an easy-to-use interface for operators to view all points
available to the LNS DDE Server. Alternatively, the LNS DDE Server may be
configured to run hidden, preventing access by operators.
Overview of L
ON
W
ORKS
Networks
A L
ON
W
ORKS
network consists of intelligent devices, also called nodes, connected by
one or more communications channels that communicate with one another using the
L
ON W ORKS protocol. L ON W ORKS devices are programmed to send messages to one
another in response to external events or messages that they receive. Two devices do
not have to be attached to the same physical communications channel to
communicate; however, they must be part of the same network. A network consists of
all of the devices that can exchange L ON W ORKS messages, and the communications
channels and routers that allow the devices to communicate.
Installing a L
ON
W
ORKS
Network
Before the LNS DDE Server can monitor and control a network, the network must be
installed using an LNS installation tool such as the LonMaker™ Integration Tool.
Installation of a control network is the process of loading the unique network
personality of each device into its internal tables. This process enables each device
to communicate with other devices in the same system. Maintenance involves tasks
such as adding new devices, replacing failed devices, and re-configuring the devices
that share data with one another.
As the installation tool configures the devices on the network, it stores a copy of this
information in the LNS Server. When installation is complete, the LNS Server
contains a picture of the configuration of the entire network along with the names of
all the devices and the network variables, configuration properties, and L ON M ARK
objects (also called functional blocks) on the devices. The LNS DDE Server uses the
information in the LNS Server to accomplish its tasks.
LNS DDE Server User's Guide 1-3