LON DDE Server

The Klinkmann Automation LON DDE Server is a Microsoft Windows application program that acts as a communication protocol Server and allows other Windows application programs to access to data from the LONWorks network nodes. The LON DDE Server runs on the IBM PC or compatible computer used as a host processor connected to a LONWorks Serial LonTalk Adapter (SLTA). The EIA-232(RS-232) serial interface is used for data exchange between the Server and SLTA.

Any Microsoft Windows program that is capable of acting as a DDE or FastDDE Client may use the LON DDE Server.

There are following LON DDE Server versions available:

- LON DDE Server (32-bit), can be used on MS Windows NT, W2K, XP and 95 (98).

FEATURES

The Server can be used only to access the data from the nodes installed in the LONWorks network. The Server cannot be used for LONWorks network installation and configuration. The special network management tools (e.g. Echelon™ LonManager or LonBuilder) must be used for the installation and configuration of LONWorks network.

The Server supports communications through the RS-232 port

The addressing system used in the LON DDE Server allows to access the LONWorks network variables as a polled or unsolicited data.

The update commands for group of nodes are supported.

The index addressing is used for polled and unsolicited data. The selector addressing is used for broadcast and group commands.

The special configuration file (ASCII format) used to convert from/to network raw data to/from DDE discrete, integer, real or text data is supported.

The Server minimizes system message traffic by dynamically calculating and optimizing poll lists to read only, client-requested items/points.

The Server supports multiple topics, allowing different data update rates for same LONWorks network node.

The Server provides a communication status flag for each topic.

The Server supports standard DDE among multiple applications.

SPECIFICATIONS

Hardware: IBM or compatible 386/486/Pentium equipped with a minimum of 4 MB RAM (16 MB RAM for Windows NT). May require more memory to run other Windows programs simultaneously.

Software: Microsoft Windows 95 (98), Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, W2K and XP.

Maximum Connections: One SLTA can be connected to one serial port. Up to 9 serial ports are supported for the 16-bit version and up to 32 serial ports for the 32-bit version of LON DDE Server.

Units Supported: LONWorks network nodes.

Accessible DDE Points:

The LON DDE Server supports the following DDE item/point naming system for accessing to the LONWorks network variables: [F]A[.b][S] for single nodes and B[S] for groups of nodes and for broadcasting, where F - optionally used character which indicates the necessity to convert raw values to non-raw values or vice versa; A - index address, possible values are from 0 to 15; B - selector address, possible values are from 0 to 3FFF (hex); .b - optionally used bit address, possible values are from 0 to 15; S - optionally used character to indicate the signed interpretation of data; by default data are interpreted as unsigned.