FS-8700-21 – LonWorks

Description

The LonWorks driver allows the FieldServer to transfer data to and from devices using LonWorks protocol. The FS-B30 Series and FS-B4011 can handle up to 4096 Network Variables and the FS-B2011 up to 1000 which can be of the Standard Network Variable Types (SNVT) and/or User-defined Network Variable Types (UNVT). The FieldServer LonWorks device can be used with explicit and/or implicit addressing and can be bound to a maximum of 15 other LonWorks nodes. The FS-B30 Series and FS-B4011 can handle a maximum of 4096 explicitly addressed nodes and the FS-B2011 up to 1000. The FieldServer currently supports a default of 63 network variable aliases to avoid network variable connection constraints.

The FieldServer can transfer data (Network Variables) in two ways.

• It can poll (request data from) other devices at a regular interval.
• It can send Network Variable Updates
  • At a regular interval
  • When the data has changed
  • In throttled mode using minimum and maximum send time and change on delta parameters.

The FieldServer is capable of being configured by Network Management Tools such as LonMaker. For binding (implicit mode), a Network Management Tool is necessary to create the bindings. It is possible to place a FieldServer into a Network for explicit communications without using a Network Management Tool, but this requires intimate knowledge of the network in question.

The external interface file (.XIF) for the FieldServer can be uploaded from the FieldServer for the particular application. The FieldServer differs from most other LonWorks devices in that its XIF file is not fixed due to varying applications. The list of points available to the network will vary depending on the other networks connected to the FieldServer, and the requirements of the particular application. The recommended procedure for obtaining the XIF file for the FieldServer is to upload it.

The FieldServer provides the capability of defining multiple functional blocks, but only a single LonMark object. The user can create multiple functional blocks or a LonMark object by filling out the Node Self-Documentation String and the respective Network Variable Self-documentation String fields in the FieldServer configuration file.

The following table summarizes the FieldServer LonWorks driver's capabilities:

1. The length of Network Variable names and complexity of the configuration may limit the actual number of usable Network Variables
   
2. One of the two domains is the zero domain used by Network Management Tools
3. SNVT Master List Version 11 is supported
4. Implemented with Configuration Network Variables
5. Only selected SCPTs are supported, extra SCPTs can be added on a per configuration basis
6. Explicit Addressing Only
7. Only approved LonMark objects are supported, see www.lonmark.org

Formal Driver Type

FieldBus
Client or Server

Compatibility Matrix

Connection Information

Devices tested

Connection configurations

The connection diagram below shows how the FieldServer FS-X20, FS-X30 and FS-X40 are connected to a LonWorks network:

Connection Notes

The 2-wire twisted-pair connection to the network is polarity insensitive. The FTT-10 network is a free topology network which supports star, loop and / or bus wiring connections. Please refer to the FTT-10A Free Topology Transceiver User's Guide from Echelon Corporation for recommended wiring practices if necessary.

Communications functions – Supported functions at a glance:

Data Types Supported

Read Operations supported

Write (Control) Operations supported

Unsupported Functions and Data Types