Frequently asked questions

The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Sedona Framework TXS-1.2 offline engineering features are covered in this section:

1. Sedona offline engineering FAQs
Q: What is meant by the term, “offline engineering”?
Q: Is there any difference between the Offline Engineering tools available using Sedona TXS and Sedona Workbench?
2. Sedona New App wizard FAQs
Q: Which files do I need to have installed on my Workbench PC in order to engineer an offline application file for my target platform?
Q: If I don't have all of the required kits where can I obtain them?
Q: Why can't I create an app for platform xyz?
Q: Is there any difference between the offline Sedona-New App Wizard that is available in Sedona Framework TXS-enabled Niagara Workbench and the offline Sedona-New App Wizard that is available in Sedona Workbench?
3. Sedona Device Simulator FAQs
Q: Is there any difference between the Sedona Device Simulator that is available in Sedona Framework TXS-enabled Niagara Workbench and Sedona Device Simulator available in Sedona Workbench?
Q: What is a device simulator PAR file?
Q: What is the difference between a PAR file and a “device simulator PAR” file?
Q: How can I obtain a device simulator PAR file?
Q: How do I install a device simulator PAR file and use it with my app?
Q: Once the app is running in the device simulator, which Sedona Tools are available?
Q: Can I re-provision a simulator SVM with the Sedona tools?
Q: Can I simulate the I/O that the actual device would have?
Q: What is the effect of “kill” versus “stop” on the saved version of the app?
Q: Can the app running in the device simulator adversely affect my Niagara installation?
4. Sedona offline point discovery FAQs
Q: When creating proxy points, can I drag points from the palette and use the “Matching” feature in the Point Manager?
Q: What file types can point discovery use?
Q: What does “offline” mean and can I do “offline” point discovery without running the station on my laptop?

1. Sedona offline engineering FAQs

Q: What is meant by the term, “offline engineering”?
Q: Is there any difference between the Offline Engineering tools available using Sedona TXS and Sedona Workbench?
Q:

What is meant by the term, “offline engineering”?

A:

Offline Engineering is a term given to the engineering of Sedona Framework-enabled device applications and Niagara Framework station point discovery without the need for a live connection to the respective Sedona or Niagara device.

Q:

Is there any difference between the Offline Engineering tools available using Sedona TXS and Sedona Workbench?

A:

Yes, Sedona Workbench doesn't support the development of Niagara stations. This means that a Sedona Workbench user cannot discover Niagara station points from an offline Sedona application file using Sedona Workbench.

2. Sedona New App wizard FAQs

Q: Which files do I need to have installed on my Workbench PC in order to engineer an offline application file for my target platform?
Q: If I don't have all of the required kits where can I obtain them?
Q: Why can't I create an app for platform xyz?
Q: Is there any difference between the offline Sedona-New App Wizard that is available in Sedona Framework TXS-enabled Niagara Workbench and the offline Sedona-New App Wizard that is available in Sedona Workbench?
Q:

Which files do I need to have installed on my Workbench PC in order to engineer an offline application file for my target platform?

A:

You need to install the kit files for any components you want to add into the Sedona app, including whatever platform you wanted to create it for (there is a platform service required in every app, which is a component that is contained in a kit file). You also need to install the sedona, sedonac, and nsedona modules to create and manipulate the app in Workbench.

Q:

If I don't have all of the required kits where can I obtain them?

A:

Core sedona kits can be obtained from http://sedonadev.org. Vendor-specific kits may be obtained from the device manufacturer.

Q:

Why can't I create an app for platform xyz?

A:

If you are having a problem creating an app for a specific platform, check to be sure that you have the necessary kits that define that platform in your Sedona installation.

Q:

Is there any difference between the offline Sedona-New App Wizard that is available in Sedona Framework TXS-enabled Niagara Workbench and the offline Sedona-New App Wizard that is available in Sedona Workbench?

A:

No, there is no difference.

3. Sedona Device Simulator FAQs

Q: Is there any difference between the Sedona Device Simulator that is available in Sedona Framework TXS-enabled Niagara Workbench and Sedona Device Simulator available in Sedona Workbench?
Q: What is a device simulator PAR file?
Q: What is the difference between a PAR file and a “device simulator PAR” file?
Q: How can I obtain a device simulator PAR file?
Q: How do I install a device simulator PAR file and use it with my app?
Q: Once the app is running in the device simulator, which Sedona Tools are available?
Q: Can I re-provision a simulator SVM with the Sedona tools?
Q: Can I simulate the I/O that the actual device would have?
Q: What is the effect of “kill” versus “stop” on the saved version of the app?
Q: Can the app running in the device simulator adversely affect my Niagara installation?
Q:

Is there any difference between the Sedona Device Simulator that is available in Sedona Framework TXS-enabled Niagara Workbench and Sedona Device Simulator available in Sedona Workbench?

A:

There is no difference. The tool functions the same in both versions of Workbench.

Q:

What is a device simulator PAR file?

A:

A “device simulator PAR” file is a vendor-supplied platform archive file, that contains all of the files needed to get started with the Sedona Device Simulator. Specifically, the zip file contains a simulator SVM with a default scode image and default app file.

Q:

What is the difference between a PAR file and a “device simulator PAR” file?

A:

A standard PAR (Platform Archive) is a zip file with a .par extension which provides a way of organizing various files and metadata about a platform into a single entity. By comparison, a “device simulator PAR” includes a simulator SVM (Sedona Virtual Machine) which provides a stubbed implementation of any native methods that the Sedona kits require. For more information, see documentation on “Platform Archive” at http://sedonadev.org.

Q:

How can I obtain a device simulator PAR file?

A:

If you do not have the device simulator PAR (a standard PAR that also contains a simulator SVM, default scode image, and default app file) for a particular platform, contact the vendor of that Sedona platform. Otherwise, a sample device simulator platform is included in the Sedona Framework TXS-1.2 Bundle. The sample device simulator file is an example, it is not a complete alternative to a vendor supplied PAR file. For more information, see Sample device simulator platform included in TXS bundle.

Q:

How do I install a device simulator PAR file and use it with my app?

A:

First, you must have Sedona Framework TXS-1.2 installed. Then, use the Sedona Installer Workbench tool to “Import Sedona environment files”. This option allows you to import individual kit, manifest, or platform archive files, as well as zip files which are imported and extracted. For more information, see Installing a device simulator PAR .

Q:

Once the app is running in the device simulator, which Sedona Tools are available?

A:

All of the provisioning tools are available for use.

Q:

Can I re-provision a simulator SVM with the Sedona tools?

A:

Yes, you can interact with it as with any other SVM running on a real device.

Q:

Can I simulate the I/O that the actual device would have?

A:

The behavior to simulate the actual hardware is implemented by the simulator SVM supplied by the vendor. So, you will not be able to change that behavior. The SVM provides a stubbed version of any methods implemented in native code, such as I/O servicing, hardware clocks, etc. You could check with the vendor to find out if they offer a simulator that provides additional behaviors, such as providing canned or calculated data.

Q:

What is the effect of “kill” versus “stop” on the saved version of the app?

A:

Both options stop running the SVM. Kill saves the app only in a “sandbox” location under your user folder. The app in the sandbox location is overwritten at the start of every Run process. Stopping the SVM with the kill command does not affect the app in the original location. Stop saves the app from the sandbox location, allowing you to choose where to save the file, and you can modify the file name. For more details, see About the Device Simulator view

Q:

Can the app running in the device simulator adversely affect my Niagara installation?

A:

No, the app functions will not affect your Niagara installation. The Simulator is run in a “sandbox” folder called “sedonaDeviceSim” which is created under your user folder: <niagara-release>/users/<username>/SedonaDeviceSim). The SVM, scode, and app files are copied to this folder and run from this location. Also, the provisioning process writes files to this location.

4. Sedona offline point discovery FAQs

Q: When creating proxy points, can I drag points from the palette and use the “Matching” feature in the Point Manager?
Q: What file types can point discovery use?
Q: What does “offline” mean and can I do “offline” point discovery without running the station on my laptop?
Q:

When creating proxy points, can I drag points from the palette and use the “Matching” feature in the Point Manager?

A:

No, currently points are not available in the palette. The recommended method for creating proxy points in the Point Manager is to right-click a point in the discovered pane and click Add. “Adding” configures the proxy point with the correct compId:slotId address value.

Q:

What file types can point discovery use?

A:

Acceptable file types are either SAX or SAB files.

Q:

What does “offline” mean and can I do “offline” point discovery without running the station on my laptop?

A:

The term “offline” typically means, without a live connection to the device. “Offline” point discovery can also be done with a running station connected to the Sedona device, however, it is actually file-based discovery because the discovery entries are generated from the associated app file.