AMX NETLINX PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE, Manual

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Reserved Identifiers
108 NetLinx Programming Language Reference Guide
Keywords & Run-Time Library Functions (Cont.)
COMBINE_DEVICES
This keyword defines the combination of functionally identical devices, such as
identically programmed touch panels. When the program references one of
these devices, all other combined devices in the array are also referenced. The
devices in a given array must be enclosed in parentheses.
A virtual device is one that does not actually exist but merely represents one or
more physical devices.
The first device in the list (the primary device) must be a virtual device. By spec-
ifying a virtual device as the primary device, NetLinx code can target the virtual
device but have the effect of operating on each physical device. Furthermore,
since a virtual device is not an actual physical device, the primary device cannot
be taken off-line or removed from the system. An example of virtual devices is
shown below:
COMBINE_DEVICES (VIRTUAL1, TP1, TP2, TP3)
The example above combines the three touch panel devices:
TP1
,
TP2
and
TP3
. Whenever an input change occurs on any of the three devices, NetLinx
detects the input as coming only from
VIRTUAL1
. For example, if button
[TP3,
5]
is pressed, NetLinx sees input coming from
[VIRTUAL1, 5]
as a result of
the combination.
Output changes (including level changes) sent to any device in the list will auto-
matically be sent to all devices in the list. For instance,
ON[VIRTUAL1, 50]
will turn on channel 50 on all three panels and
OFF[VIRTUAL1, 10]
will turn
off channel 10 on all three panels.
The example below is equivalent to the first except that it uses a device array
(
Dev[ ]
) instead of specifying the individual devices (
TP1
,
TP2
, and
TP3
). Any
input events for any device in the array will appear to the program as coming
from the virtual device. Output changes directed to the virtual device or any
device in the array are sent to all devices in the array.
COMBINE_DEVICES
( VIRTUAL1, Dev[ ])
When using a device array, the array can be manipulated at run-time to add or
remove devices. A device that is added to the array is combined with the others
and a device that is removed is uncombined. The process of adding or remov-
ing devices does not require the system to be powered down and restarted.
COMBINE_LEVELS
This keyword connects a single device-level array (
DEVLEV[ ]
) to a
DEVLEV
array. Any element in a
DEVLEV
array appears to come from the virtual device-
level representing the group, and output to any element in a
DEVLEV
array is
directed to all elements in the group.
COMBINE_LEVELS (DEVLEV VDLSET, DEVLEV[ ] DLSETS)
Parameters:
•
VDLSET
: Virtual device-level sets; each element represents one device-level
combine group.
•
DLSETS
: Device-level sets containing the device-level pairs to combine.
Corresponding elements in each set are combined with the corresponding
element in the virtual device-level array.
COMMAND
This keyword defines a section in a
DATA
event handler for processing
SEND_COMMAND
instructions.