Client side Chopan procedures for a Jennic-based device

The following procedures apply when setting up a Jennic-based device as a Chopan client:

Add core Chopan client components to App

If the Jennic-based device has the chopan kit installed, you can configure it with the necessary core Chopan client components.

  1. Using NiagaraAX Workbench, open a tunneled Sox connection to the device, if not already open.

  2. From the device’s Nav Container View, double-click the App node, for its Sedona Property Sheet view, and expand its service container (folder).

  3. Open the Sedona Palette in the Workbench sidebar, and choose the chopan palette.

    Figure 2. Chopan components required for client operation


    Chopan components required for client operation

    From the chopan palette:

    1. Add the ChopanService to the service folder of the app (if the ChopanService is not already present in the app). By default, the component’s name is trimmed to “ChopanS”.

    2. Add the ChopanNetwork to the service folder of the app (if the ChopanNetwork is not already present in the app). By default, the component’s name is trimmed to “ChopanN”.

    NoteThis component hierarchy (App > service > ChopanS, and App > service > ChopanN is the recommended convention.

  4. Save the app (right-click the App node and select Actions->Save).

    The device will now support Chopan client configuration from the NiagaraAX station running on the JACE, via the “Chopan Virtual gateway” under its corresponding SedonaJen6lpDevice component.

  5. Under the ChopanNetwork, add one or more ChopanDevices with child Chopan points to configure data reads and writes.

    • The recommended method is to use the views under the “Chopan Virtual gateway” of the SedonaJen6lpDevice in the JACE’s station, meaning the Chopan Device Manager and then Chopan Point Manager. Both views provide “Discovery” to simplify the selection of items. This creates the appropriate Sedona components in the app of the represented device, under its ChopanNetwork component. See Chopan Device Manager quick start and Chopan Point Manager quick start.

    • Alternatively, it is possible to add ChopanDevice and Chopan points (ChoBoolPt, ChoBoolWr, ChoFltPt, ChoFltWr) directly in the device’s Sedona Framework app, copying them from the chopan Sedona Palette, and locating them under the ChopanNetwork. However, proper slot addressing (device and URI) is typically difficult.

Chopan Device Manager quick start

Providing the Jennic-based device’s app has core Chopan client components (see Add core Chopan client components to App), you can use the Chopan Device Manager in the device’s “Chopan Virtual gateway” to add device-level Chopan client components. This method employs a Sox connection to the device.

With the JACE station open in NiagaraAX Workbench:

  1. In the Nav tree, expand the SedonaJen6lpNetwork to reveal the child SedonaJen6lpDevices.

  2. In the Nav tree, expand a device to see its extensions like Points and Chopan Virtual.

  3. Note(Possible future support) If a hibernating device, first invoke the right-click action on the device: Maintenance Mode, and wait for the “mode active” popup in Workbench before doing the rest of this procedure. Be aware that after accessing the Chopan Virtual gateway for a hibernating device, that the device will remain in Maintenance Mode as long as the Nav tree for the Chopan Virtual gateway is open.

  4. Double-click the Chopan Virtual gateway.

    Its property sheet shows a ChopanN (Virtual Chopan Network).

  5. Click the ChopanN component.

    NoteYou must click or double-click components under a Virtual Chopan Network, as opposed to using the expand () control beside components. This is a “virtual component” characteristic.

    Figure 3. Chopan Device Manager view on the ChopanNetwork virtual component


    Chopan Device Manager view on the ChopanNetwork virtual component

    The view changes to the Chopan Device Manager, which will initially be blank. Any devices previously added will be listed.

  6. Click the Discover button.

    A “Learn Chopan Servers” job runs, and the view splits in learn mode (top pane lists discovered devices).

    Figure 4. Example Chopan Device Manager view after discovery


    Example Chopan Device Manager view after discovery

    Discovered Chopan Devices appear as follows:

    • Sedona devices are listed by the name of the corresponding SedonaJen6lpDevice in the station, and show their unique 64-bit IPv6 address.

    • The JACE (if enabled as a Chopan server) is listed by its station name, and shows its IPv4 address.

  7. Double-click a discovered device for an Add dialog popup (Figure 6).

    Figure 5. Example Add dialog when adding a Chopan server


    Example Add dialog when adding a Chopan server

    Add dialog fields described as follows:

    • Name

      The name of the ChopanDevice component that will be created in the device’s Sedona app.

      Because Sedona components have a 7-character maximum name, the default name is usually truncated from the original NiagaraAX name. Often, you change this to a more meaningful name.

    • Address

      IP address of the Chopan server, either IPv6 (Jennic-based device) or IPv4 (JACE). Do not edit.

    • Chopan Port

      The software port on which this Chopan server listens—typically, the default 1810 is used. However, if the Chopan server is configured to use another port, set this to match.

  8. Click OK to add it, where it is listed in the “Chopan Devices” lower pane (Figure 6).

    Figure 6. Example added Chopan server (JACE)


    Example added Chopan server (JACE)

    In this example, the name of the device was changed to “JACE_6” before adding.

    In the Chopan Virtual gateway device’s Sedona app, the corresponding ChopanDevice component is now under its ChopanNetwork.

  9. Now to access the Chopan Point Manager for any device, simply double-click the device in the lower pane. See Chopan Point Manager quick start.

    NoteAt the time of this document, there is no “Edit” for a device added in the Chopan Device Manager, although if necessary you can delete a device by selecting it and clicking the Delete () tool on the toolbar above. Otherwise, to edit the component (including its name), open a Sox connection to the device and make changes to it in the device’s app.

Chopan Point Manager quick start

Use the Chopan Point Manager to select data items to initiate (client) Chopan read or write requests. There must already be at least one Chopan Device under the “Virtual Chopan Network”, added using the Chopan Device Manager. See Chopan Device Manager quick start for related details.

With the JACE station open in NiagaraAX Workbench:

  1. If you are not already there, go to the Chopan Device Manager under the Chopan Virtual gateway of a SedonaJen6lpDevice under the SedonaJen6lpNetwork.

    To do this, expand the SedonaJen6lpNetwork to reveal child SedonaJen6lpDevices, expand a device and double-click its Chopan Virtual gateway, and click the ChopanN (Virtual Chopan Network) for its Chopan Device Manager view.

    NoteIf a hibernating device, first invoke the right-click action on the device: Maintenance Mode, and wait for the “mode active” popup in Workbench. Otherwise, you will not see the “ChopanN” node mentioned above, and the Chopan Virtual gateway will remain in fault.

  2. Double-click a device listed under “Chopan Devices”.

    The view changes to the Chopan Point Manager for that device, which may initially be blank. Any previously defined Chopan points will be listed.

  3. Click the Discover button.

    Depending if you selected a Sedona device or the JACE Chopan server, one of two results occurs:

    • If a Sedona device, a “Sedona Discover Points” job runs, and the view splits in learn mode (top pane has an expandable app node). See Figure 7 below.

      Figure 7. Example discovered app node of a Sedona device (shown expanded)


      Example discovered app node of a Sedona device (shown expanded)

      In this case, skip ahead to Step 5.

    • If the JACE Chopan server, a “Choose Root of Discovery” popup dialog appears, showing an expandable tree of containers. See the following Figure 8.

      Figure 8. Example “Choose Root of Discovery” showing station’s Config containers


      Example “Choose Root of Discovery” showing station’s Config containers

      This tree reflects containers in the root of the station’s Config node. See Step 4.

  4. In the “Choose Root of Discovery” dialog for the JACE station, expand it as needed to find the container holding the component of interest, and select it. Click OK.

    NoteIf using “best practices”, this would be a folder created under the SedonaJen6lpDevice being configured, which holds “ChopanTargetPoints” especially made for selection. See Recommended “Best Practices” for NiagaraAX Chopan client integration.

    After clicking OK, a “Niagara Discover Points” job runs, and the view is in learn mode.

    Figure 9. Selecting example root of discovery, and resulting discovered node


    Selecting example root of discovery, and resulting discovered node

    The top pane contains the selected folder or container, expandable as shown in Figure 9 above.

  5. In the top discovered pane (Chopan Server Points), click to expand the top folder or app node until the property (slot) of interest appears.

    Double-click a single row to add one point, or select multiple rows and click Add to add multiple points. A popup Add dialog appears (Figure 10).

    Figure 10. Double-click single property for Add dialog


    Double-click single property for Add dialog

    In the Add dialog, note two of the three fields are editable. The three fields are described as follows:

    • Name

      The default reflects the name (or some portion) of the source property—for example “out” or “nextVal”. As Sedona components have a 7-character name limit, the default name may be truncated from the original property name. Typically, you change this to a more meaningful name, working within the 7-character limitation. Figure 11 shows a Name after editing in the Add dialog.

      Figure 11. Add dialog for Chopan point, where Name has been edited


      Add dialog for Chopan point, where Name has been edited

    • Type

      Chopan supports two data types: Boolean and Float (numeric), pre-selected according to source property. Each type lets you create a read-only point: “Boolean Point” or “Float Point” (the default), or a writable point “Boolean Writable” or “Float Writable”. (Note in the target Sedona app, this creates either a ChoBoolPt, ChoFltPt, ChoBoolWr, or ChoFltWr component).

      Often, the default read-only point is appropriate—such as when the remote value only needs to be read within a Sedona app. For example, the output of a Schedule component in the JACE’s station.

      In other cases, where the Sedona device’s app needs to write the value, a writable point is needed. For example, the device’s Sedona app needs to write a locally-sourced value to some remote device, say a local temperature value from an I/O component, to be used in the remote device. In this case, you would select a writable Chopan point (Float Writable), so you could link the out of the Sedona temperature component to the writable Chopan point (ChoFltWr). If the JACE station is the remote device, ideally the selected target would be one of the “ChopanTargetPoints” that has already been added to the station (see Recommended “Best Practices” for NiagaraAX Chopan client integration).

    • Uri

      Not editable. Shows the Universal Resource Identifier or “handle” to the target component.slot in either the JACE station or Sedona device’s app.

    NoteAt the time of this document, there is no “Edit” for a point added in the Chopan Point Manager, although if necessary you can delete a point by selecting it and clicking the Delete () tool on the toolbar above. Otherwise, to edit the component (including its name), open a Sox connection to the device and make changes to it in the device’s app.

  6. Click OK to add the point, where it appears listed in the lower “Chopan Points” pane.

    In the device’s Sedona app, a corresponding Chopan client point component (ChoBoolPt, ChoFltPt, ChoBoolWr, or ChoFltWr) is now under the ChopanDevice that represents the server.

  7. When finished adding Chopan points, make a Sox tunnel connection to the device and link these client points (found under App > service > ChopanN > ChopanDeviceName ) into other components in its Sedona app, as needed.

    For additional Chopan Point Manager details, see Chopan Point Manager notes.