Setting Device Properties
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VisualArchitect v1.1
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Communication Parameters - TCP/IP Connections
The following parameters are required for TCP/IP connections, and are set via fields in the Device
Properties window:
Host Name
- Enter a Host Name for this Central Controller in this field (example = "
NetLinx").
Port Number
- By default, the Port Number is
1319
. In most situations, the Port Number
should not be changed.
Ping For Availability
- Click inside this field to access the drop-down menu and specify
whether to ping the Controller before attempting a TCP/IP connection (select True or False).
By default, this option is enabled (
True
).
Pinging a device is relatively fast and will determine if the device is off-line, or if the IP
address that was entered was incorrect.
If you decide NOT to ping for availability and the controller is off-line, or you have an
incorrect IP address, the program will try for 30-45 seconds to establish a connection.
If you are trying to connect to a Master that is behind a firewall, you may have to disable
this option (set to False). Most firewalls will not allow ping requests to pass through for
security reasons.
Ethernet Connection Types
When you add a DDDP device to the System diagram, the Connection Type is always set to Ethernet 10/
100T. There are several types of Ethernet 10/100T connections supported by VA, as indicated in the
drop-down menu that is accessible by clicking on the Connection Type (Ethernet 10/100T) field in the
Device Properties:
Ethernet 10/100T
- This is the default Ethernet connection type used by DDDP devices. This
connection type supports both "Standard" Ethernet" and "Fast" Ethernet.
Uses a bus or star topology and supports data transfer rates of 100 Mbps.
Uses a bus or star topology and supports data transfer rates of 10 Mbps.
Ethernet 1000T
- This represents a "Gigabit" Ethernet connection, which supports data rates
of 1 gigabit (1,000 megabits) per second.
These fields are only displayed if TCP/IP is selected as the Connection Type for the
device.
In most applications, the default communications settings should suffice and should
only be changed by advanced users.
VisualArchitect does not provide support for login information on IP devices that
require a login. If you have an IP device that requires a login, the device must be
added to the Custom.AXI file after system file generation, but prior to file transfer.
This is a process that requires NetLinx programming experience and is not
recommended for the novice VA user.
DDDP devices can also support Serial (RS-232/422/485) connections, as indicated in
the drop-down menu.