Lonworks in Brief PDF
Lonworks in Brief PDF
Introduction
Every automatic control system, whatever the industry or application, is comprised of the same
basic components: sensors, such as thermocouples, switches, and keyboards; actuators, such as
motors, relays, switches, displays, and valves; application programs executing the control logic,
running on microprocessors; communication networks for getting data values and commands
where they are needed; human-machine interfaces (HMI) for monitoring and supervisory control;
and network management tools for installation, configuration, and maintenance. The difference in
automatic control systems comes in the way in which product manufacturers and system integrators
design and use these components. It is this unique and effective combination which makes all the
difference in whether the final control system meets the requirements of the customer for
functionality, cost, and maintainability.
Technology advancement is driving rapid changes in all types of system architectures, including
control systems. In the last 20 years, centralized mainframe computers connected to dumb terminals
were displaced by the distributed processing capabilities of mini-computers connected by local area
networks, and those in turn were replaced by distributed peer-to peer networks of powerful personal
computers. The key to the huge success of each new wave of information systems products is the
widespread acceptance of industry standards for microprocessors, communication protocols,
operating systems, and other hardware and software building blocks. These standards allow many
manufacturers to produce high volume hardware and software products that are interoperable –
they can be combined into information systems fitting any application without development of
custom hardware, software, or tools. The LONWORKS technology, developed by Echelon and
available as an open standard to all manufacturers, is the platform that is driving the same sweeping
changes in control system architectures, displacing proprietary centralized systems with open, highly
distributed, interoperable systems.
Figure 2 shows the highly distributed, peer-to-peer architecture made possible by LONWORKS
technology. There are no centralized controllers or home-run wiring panels. LONWORKS devices,
(also called nodes), communicate with any other nodes in the system using a standard
communications protocol on whatever physical medium is best (twisted pair, AC power line, radio
frequency, fiberoptic cable, infrared). Each node has its own simple application program so that the
control logic is distributed throughout the system; the node application is customized by setting
configuration parameters rather than by custom programming. In principle, every sensor or actuator
in the system can be a LONWORKS node; in practice, it is often more cost effective to group small
clusters of I/O points, which are physically close and part of a single control loop, into a single node.
HMI and network management tools are available from multiple vendors and can have access to all
points in the system through the common communication protocol.
The LONWORKS technology makes possible information-based control systems, rather than
old-style command-based control systems. This means that in a LONWORKS system, each node
application program makes its own control decisions, based on information it collects from other
devices about what is going on in the system. In a command-based system, nodes issue control
commands to other nodes, so a command-issuing node - typically a centralized controller - must be
custom programmed to know a lot about the system function and topology. This makes it very
difficult for multiple vendors to design standard control nodes that can easily be integrated. A major
innovation of the LONWORKS technology is the concept of network variables, which makes it easy
for manufacturers to design devices that systems integrators can readily incorporate into
interoperable, information-based control systems.
The benefits to an end-user or system integrator of the LONWORKS enabled “flat” control
architecture are:
Ø A wide variety of compatible, cost-effective LONWORKS devices available from multiple
vendors,
Ø A variety of easy-to-use HMI and network-management tools from multiple vendors,
Ø Greatly reduced wiring costs,
Ø Short system design cycle – no custom hardware or programming,
Ø Greater system reliability – no single point of failure,
Ø Multi-vendor system maintenance options, and
Ø Ease of implementing new functions to meet end-user needs.
The sections that follow provide a technical overview of the key elements of the LONWORKS
technology and the components that comprise a LONWORKS system; a description of the main
features of the LonTalk communications protocol; and a discussion of the system configuration
process.
Of particular importance is the flexible-topology twisted pair channel, TP/FT-10, which allows
devices to be connected by single-twisted-pair wire segments in any configuration – no constraints
on stub length, device separation, branching, etc; just a maximum distance between any pair of
nodes. For complete information on LONMARK approved channels and transceivers, see reference
[1].
Network tools are software programs for network installation, configuration, monitoring,
supervisory control, and maintenance. They may reside in a Neuron Chip or any other platform, such
as hand-held computers or PCs.
Figure 3 shows the components of a LONWORKS system and illustrates the anatomy of several
categories of LONWORKS devices with specific product examples. In the figure, Neuron Chips and
transceivers are labeled “N” and “T” respectively.
The job of most of the devices in a LONWORKS network is to sense and control the state of the
components that comprise the physical system being controlled. These are called LONWORKS
control devices and they may have any combination of embedded sensors and actuators or input-
output interfaces to external legacy sensors and actuators. The application program in the device may
not only send and receive values over the network but may also perform data processing (e.g.
LonMaker
LNS
LPR-10
PCLTA-10
I/F N T T N N T
PC or laptop
Gate-
H-Moss AI-10 XL-10 SCH-10 way
T T T T T
N N N N N
O H T a/d a/d P M C
Multiple
Sensor F Foreign system
Legacy sensors
Router devices, such as the Echelon LPR-10, allow a single peer-to-peer network to span many
types of transport media and support thousands of devices. A router has two interconnected
neurons, each with a transceiver appropriate to the two channels to which the router is connected.
Routers are completely transparent to the logical operation of the network, but they do not
necessarily transmit all packets; intelligent routers know enough about the system configuration to
block packets that have no addressees on the far side. Using another type of router called a tunneling
router, LONWORKS systems can span great distances over wide-area networks such as the Internet.
Network interface devices do not connect to control sensors and actuators, but rather have
physical interfaces to external host computers such as PCs or hand-held maintenance tools. The
device application program provides communication protocols and an API (application program
interface) to allow the host-based programs such as network tools to access the LONWORKS
network. The Echelon PCLTA-10 LonTalk Adapter is a network interface device packaged on a
Introduction
The LONWORKS technology, developed by Echelon, enables the development of truly
interoperable devices and systems. However, since the technology is communication-media-
independent and does not prescribe how device application programs are to be structured, simply
using the LONWORKS technology does not guarantee that LONWORKS devices from different
manufacturers can interoperate in the same system. Indeed, the LONWORKS technology is widely
used in proprietary systems such as vehicle control systems, conveyor systems, and telephone central
office monitoring systems.
Because there are vast opportunities in many industries for truly interoperable systems, the
LONMARK Interoperability Association was formed in 1994 by Echelon and a group of LONWORKS
users dedicated to building truly interoperable systems products. Interoperability means that
multiple devices (also called nodes), from the same or different manufacturers, can be integrated into
a single control network without requiring custom node or network tool development. The
LONMARK Association is dedicated to developing standards for interoperability, certifying products
to those standards, and promoting the benefits of interoperable systems. Only LONWORKS devices
that have been certified by the LONMARK Association – called LONMARK devices - can carry the
distinctive LONMARK logo. Membership in the LONMARK Association is open to all interested
companies; different dues structures exist for manufacturers, system integrators and end users.
Complete information about members, current activities, and published standards may be obtained
from the Association’s website, www.lonmark.org.
In its standard-setting activities, the LONMARK Association focuses in two areas:
Ø specification of standard transceivers and the associated physical channels, and
Ø definition of standards for structuring and documenting node application programs.
Reference Documents
The documents listed below are available from the LONMARK website, www.lonmark.org, or the
Authorized Network Integrator website, www.ni.echelon.com. They may also be ordered from
Echelon or the LONMARK Association.
1. LONWORKS Technology Overview
2. LONMARK Layer 1-6 Interoperability Guidelines (078-0014-01)
3. LONMARK Application Layer Interoperability Guidelines (078-0120-01)
4. The SCPT Master List (005-0028-01)
5. The SNVT Master List and Programmer’s Guide (005-0027-01)
Introduction
The Echelon LonPoint System is a family of products designed to enable system integrators to
realize the benefits of the LONWORKS technology in highly distributed, peer-to-peer control
networks for building and industrial applications. The family consists of:
Ø LonPoint control devices and routers – LONMARK-certified devices with application
programs providing many distributed control functions such as scheduling, signal conditioning,
and PID loop algorithms, as well as standard I/O interfaces that permit easy incorporation of
non-LONWORKS sensors and actuators into any system, and the
Ø LonMaker for Windows Integration Tool – a powerful network tool based on the Visio
graphical user interface used to design, commission, and maintain distributed control networks
comprised of both LONMARK and other LONWORKS devices.
Figure 1 shows the components of a distributed control system using the LonPoint System and
other LONMARK devices in a distributed, peer-to-peer control network.
HMI
LONMAKER
LNS Network I/F
LP Router LP Router
M
LONMARK TERMINAL LONMARK ACTUATORS LonPoint
LONMARK SENSORS LonPoint Interface
UNIT CONTROLLERS Scheduler
Modules
(to legacy I/O pts)
In addition to the LonPoint devices and LONMAKER Integration Tool, systems will usually
include LONMARK sensors and actuators, LONMARK terminal unit controllers (packaged controllers
- such as VAV and rooftop units - which incorporate several sensors and actuators with single-loop
control algorithms into a single node), human-machine interface (HMI) software tools, and network
interface devices that connect PCs or laptops to the network.
The sections that follow provide descriptions of the LonPoint control devices, LonPoint routers,
LonMaker tool, and Echelon network interface devices.
There are multiple copies of several types of highly flexible function blocks built into each of the
LonPoint interface modules, as shown in Table 1:
Ø Analog Function Block – performs mathematical, logical, or enthalpy calculations using up
to two analog network variables and one discrete network variable. The calculated output
network variable may be analog or digital (true/false).
Ø Digital Encoder Function Block – performs any Boolean logic function on up to four digital
network variables to create a digital (true/false) output network variable as well as a mode
output variable.
Ø PID Controller Function Block – implements a standard proportional-differential-integral
(PID) dynamic control loop using two analog input network variables (setpoint and process
variables) and generating an analog output variable (control variable).
Ø Type Translator Function Block - converts data, with scaling and mapping, from one SNVT
(Standard Network Variable Type) to another. Useful for connections to other LonWorks
devices that use different SNVT types.
Every type of function block in the LonPoint devices is highly flexible and can be configured for
adaptation to many applications. Each type of function block (except those in the scheduler module)
has an LNS-compatible plug-in, which is an easy-to-use, graphical configuration program launched
directly from LonMaker. Figure 2 shows the user interface for the Digital Sensor plug-in.
Configuration options such as debounce time, inversion, pulse width, delay, and override values are
easily set. (LonMaker allows configured FBs to be saved as a special object that can be used over and
over, eliminating the need to separately configure each instance). The scheduler module has a
separate LNS-compatible, graphical application program that also contains a simulator, allowing the
system designer to test the scheduling algorithms in accelerated time to verify correct operation.
The physical packaging of the LonPoint control devices incorporates a number of innovations for
easy, low-cost installation and maintainability. A unique, two-piece design allows pre-wiring and cable
testing by an electrician prior to installation of the electronics; technician time can be reserved for
tasks such as node configuration. The modules mount to a Base Plate (Type 1), (see Figure 3) which
is in turn mounted to a 4x4 electrical box or Echelon’s EuroBox, for wall or DIN rail mounting.
Power and network wiring are looped through the base plate, providing the ability to replace modules
by hot-plugging without disrupting network operation. Modules operate on any supply voltage from
16 to 30 volts, AC or DC. Color-coded screw terminals and polarity-insensitive power and network
connections minimize the chance of miswiring, and the free-topology transceiver design allows
wiring to be run via the most convenient route. A front panel jack accesses the twisted-pair network
without any disassembly, saving time when the network must be accessed for configuration or
maintenance.
LonPoint Routers
The LonPoint router devices, called LPR Modules, can interface two different twisted-pair
channels, for example a TP/FT-10 free-topology channel, running at 78kbps bit rate, to a TP/FX-
1250 backbone channel running at 1.25Mbps bit rate. There are six models, which differ only by
channel pair types, as shown below:
Name Model Channel Types
LPR-10 42100 TP/FT-10 to TP/ FT-10
LPR-11 42101 TP/FT-10 to TP/XF-78
LPR-12 42102 TP/FT-10 to TP/XF-1250
LPR-13 42103 TP/XF-78 to TP/XF-78
LPR-14 42104 TP/XF-78 to TP/XF-1250
LPR-15 42105 TP/XF-1250 to TP/XF-1250
Like the LonPoint control modules, LPR modules are configured with a graphical LNS plug-in
launched from LonMaker and have the same physical packaging, with two exceptions: a different
base plate (Type 2 Base Plate) is used, which accommodates two channel connections; and the front
plate has two front panel jacks so either channel can be accessed.
References
The documents listed below are available from Authorized Network Integrator website,
www.ni.echelon.com, or the Echelon website, www.echelon.com. They may also be purchased from
Echelon.
1. LONWORKS Technology Overview
2. LONMARK Interoperability Overview
3. LONMARK Layer 1-6 Interoperability Guidelines (078-0014-01)
4. LONMARK Application Layer Interoperability Guidelines (078-0120-01)
5. The SCPT Master List (005-0028-01)
6. The SNVT Master List and Programmer’s Guide (005-0027-01)
7. LonMaker for Windows User’s Guide (078-0168-01)
8. LonPoint Application and Plug-in Guide (078-0168-01)
9. LonPoint System Data Sheets
10. PCLTA-10 PC LonTalk Adapter User’s Guide (078-0159-01)
11. P CC-10 PC Card User’s Guide (078-0155-01)
12. SLTA-10 Adapter User’s Guide (078-0160-01)