The frequently asked questions below provide information regarding SmartServer applications and references for more information:

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What is a SmartServer?

SmartServer IoT is an extensible, multi-protocol IoT edge server that is ideal for monitor and control, energy management and data analytics applications in smart buildings, cities, and factories.

The SmartServer has built-in support for BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks (LON), EnOcean, and LoRaWAN devices and can be customized for new protocols. It has a built-in web server, which can be used to access devices and to read/write to device datapoints. The SmartServer can be used a router and supports multi-port routing. With the built-in Node-RED editor, you can create web and data flows. You can also create internal devices or apps (e.g, node.js), which allow you to customize the SmartServer to your needs. Furthermore, you can make connections between datapoints on devices of the same protocol, or between devices on different protocols. The SmartServer has a built-in data logger, alarm generator, and scheduling capability. The SmartServer can be accessed through REST, WebSocket, and MQTT APIs. Device data can be pushed to the cloud by using one of the APIs, or by using an existing or creating a new Node-RED cloud connector flow.

See SmartServer IoT for more information and to download the product datasheet.

Do I need a license to use my SmartServer, and if so, how do I get one?

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How do I use the SmartServer as a self-installed IP-852 router?

The SmartServer can be used as a self-installed IP-852 router, which allows you to create an IP-852 network with two or more SmartServer IoTs (e.g., connecting two buildings together) without using a LNS network integration tool to add the SmartServers to the existing LNS network. This application is similar to the i.LON 600 self-installed router as repeater feature. In addition to the SmartServer, you will need to purchase a U60.  In this case, the SmartServers are used as repeaters and repeat all the traffic on any FT-10/XF-1250/Power Line SmartServer to all the other channels connected to other SmartServers. This method is useful when a network integration tool does not support IP-852 routers. In these cases, the SmartServers are physically connected to the existing network, but there are now two logical channels:

• IP-852 channel, which connects the building or floors with the SmartServers being together using only configured by the IP-852 configuration server. No other integration tools are required.
• LON channel (U60/U70), which has all the LON devicesdevices and is configured by a third party tool that doesn't know about IP-852 routers

See the Using the SmartServer as a Self-Installed IP-852 Router section in (Optional) Set up the IP-852 Configuration Server for more information.

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Yes, you can use the SmartServer to automatically discover BACnet, Modbus, and LON devices using the Discover button (Image Modified) on the Devices widget. Datapoint discovery is only supported for BACnet Devices. For LON and Modbus devices, you must import an XIF file prior to running device discovery. In most cases the device will show up in the SmartServer as unconfigured. To use the device you will in most case have to provision the discovered devices. Provisioning a LON devices will change the domain/subnet/node ids, change the datapoint values and remove any existing connection in the LON device.

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1. Create a BACnet XIF file that specifies the BACnet datapoints and how they are represented in the SmartServer. See (Optional) Creating a BACnet Device Interface (XIF) Definition for more information. The SmartServer BACnet discovery feature can be used to automatically discover BACnet datapoints and to automatically create the BACnet XIF file. The BACnet XIF file can also be manually created. See the Importing a Device Type section in Defining Device Types for more information.
2. Enable BACnet using the BACnet Configuration page. See (Optional) Setting up BACnet for more information.
3. Import the BACnet XIF file using the CMS Device Types widget. See the Importing a Device Type section in Defining Device Types for more information.
4. Add BACnet devices in one of the following ways:
   1. Use the CMS Devices widget to manually add the BACnet devices. See Discovering, Defining, or Importing Devices for more information. 

   2. Start device discovery using the CMS Devices widget. For each discovered BACnet device, the SmartServer will use the imported BACnet XIF file. If a BACnet XIF file is not found for a device, then one will be automatically created. See Discovering, Defining, or Importing Devices for more information. 

5. Provision the BACnet devices using the CMS Devices widget. See Provisioning Devices for more information.

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1. Create a Modbus XIF file that specifies the Modbus datapoints and how they are represented in the SmartServer. Modbus XIF files are manually created, but can then be used on one or more SmartServers. See (Optional) Creating a Modbus Device Interface (XIF) Definition for more information.

2. For Modbus RTU, configure the SmartServer RS-485 interface using the RS-485 Configuration page. See (Optional) Add a Modbus RTU Interface for more information. 
   

   Info
   The SmartServer IoT Pro EX Edition has two built-in RS-485 interfaces, and each IOX has its own RS-485 interface. For Modbus RTU, you can only use one of these RS-485 interfaces with a SmartServer. The other SmartServer, or IOX RS-485 interfaces, can be used for other protocols.

   
   

3. Import the Modbus XIF file using the CMS Device Types widget. See the Importing a Device Type section in Defining Device Types for more information.

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   Modbus datapoints cannot be accessed directly from IzoT CT or IzoT Net Server. To do so, you will need to use a SmartServer internal device to map the Modbus datapoints to LON datapoints so that you can use IzoT CT to monitor and control Modbus devices. Go to the How do I access BACnet or Modbus datapoints in IzoT CT / IzoT Net Server section for information on using an internal device to map Modbus-to-LON datapoints.

   
   

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1. Configure the SmartServer to use Independent Management Mode (IMM) for LON devices using the CMS Devices widget. Device Management Mode (DMM) is the default. See (Optional) Switch Off LON Management for more information.
2. Export the LON database that has been created, or a subset of the database, to the SmartServer using the IzoT Net Export utility in order to access the LON devices in the SmartServer CMS. See Importing LON Devices from an LNS Network with IzoT CT.

3. If you are using the IzoT Net Export utility, then you will need to add a SmartServer IoT device to the LON network. The SmartServer IoT should be added to an IP-70 channel. A separate IP-70 channel should be added for each SmartServer.
   

   Info
   title Use-case considerations
   If you are only using the SmartServer for IP-852 routing, then the IzoT Net Export utility is not needed in this application. Instead, you will need to: Use the CMS Devices widget to change the SmartServer to use IMM for LON devices. See (Optional) Switch Off LON Management for more information. Enable IP-852 using the SmartServer LON Configuration page. Doing so allows you to use the SmartServer like an IP-852 router. See (Optional) Set up the IP-852 Configuration Server for more information. To support multiple U60s, configure the SmartServer routers to reduce traffic on the U60 channels by adding an IP-70 channel for the SmartServer backbone and connecting a router for IP-852, as well as a router for each U60, to the IP-70 channel. If you are using the SmartServer for scheduling, then consider using an internal device that is controlled by the scheduler. The IzoT Net Export utility is not needed in this application. If you are only using the SmartServer to access Modbus or BACnet datapoints, then the IzoT Net Export utility is not needed in this application. If you are using LON devices, and the built-in CMS features (i.e., scheduling, alarming, data logging, etc.), then you will need to use the IzoT Net Export utility to export some, or all, of the LON database. IzoT Net Export utility requires that you use IzoT CT 4.2 or a newer version, or IzoT Net Server 4.2 or a newer version.

   
   

Because BACnet and Modbus datapoints are not LON datapoints, they cannot be directly accessed by IzoT CT or IzoT Net Server. However, you

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Because BACnet and Modbus datapoints are not LON datapoints, they cannot be directly accessed by IzoT CT or IzoT Net Server. However, you can use a SmartServer internal device to map the BACnet or Modbus datapoints to LON datapoints so that you can access them with a LON integration tool (e.g., CT Browser). Go to the How do I access BACnet or Modbus datapoints in IzoT CT / IzoT Net Server section for information on using an internal device to map BACnet/Modbus-to-LON datapoints. An example of an IzoT CT network is shown below.

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can use a SmartServer internal device to map the BACnet or Modbus datapoints to LON datapoints so that you can access them with a LON integration tool (e.g., CT Browser). Go to the How do I access BACnet or Modbus datapoints in IzoT CT / IzoT Net Server section for information on using an internal device to map BACnet/Modbus-to-LON datapoints. An example of an IzoT CT network is shown below.

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To use the SmartServer with an IzoT CT network, add a SmartServer IoT device to the SmartServer IP-70 channel backbone. Depending on what type of network interface you are using (IP-852 or RNI), you may need to add one or more routers. All devices in the same subsystem as the SmartServer IoT device, and child subsystems, will be exported with the IzoT Net Export tool (inex). The SmartServer needs to be set to IMM before exporting the database to the SmartServer. Depending on the number of devices on the network, you may need to use more than one SmartServer.

How do I use the SmartServer with IzoT CT, IzoT Net Server, and a BACnet tool?

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1. Enable BACnet using the BACnet Configuration page. See (Optional) Setting up BACnet for more information. 
2. Create a BACnet XIF file (either using device discovery or manually). See (Optional) Creating a BACnet Device Interface (XIF) Definition for more information.
3. Import the BACnet XIF file using the CMS Device Types widget. See the Importing a Device Type section in Defining Device Types for more information.
4. Use the SmartServer CMS to add and provision the BACnet device. See Site Provisioning for more information.
5. Use an internal device to map the BACnet to LON datapoints.

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In IzoT CT /IzoT Net Server:

1. Enable BACnet using the BACnet Configuration page. See (Optional) Setting up BACnet for more information. 
2. Manually create a Modbus XIF file. See (Optional) Creating a Modbus Device Interface (XIF) Definition for more information.
3. Import the Modbus XIF file using the CMS Device Types widget. See the Importing a Device Type section in Defining Device Types for more information.
4. Use the SmartServer CMS to add and provision the Modbus device. See Site Provisioning for more information.
5. Use an internal device to map the Modbus to LON datapoints.

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1. Use an internal device to map the BACnet/Modbus datapoints to LON datapoints, which can be accessed with your LON integration tool. See (Optional) Setting up BACnet for information on how to do the mapping.
2. Use the localDev.exe application from the SmartServer GitHub repository to create an internal device with 64 empty LON Functional Blocks (FBs).

3. Use your integration tool, such as IzoT CT, to dynamically add datapoints to the internal device. If the LON and BACnet/Modbus datapoint types are similar, then you can use a connections (CON) file to do the mapping between the LON and BACnet/Modbus datapoints.
   
   For example, a float datapoint for the BACnet/Modbus translates directly to SNVT_temp_p. You can use shadowConnect.exe (from the SmartServer GitHub repository) if you have similar datapoint types.

   Info
   title Considerations for BAC and MOD files
   There are some limitations for BACnet XIF and Modbus XIF files when using shadowConnect.exe. Additionally, there are limitations for the names of dynamic datapoints added to IzoT CT/IzoT Net Server database. Once you add a dynamic datapoint into IzoT CT/IzoT Net Server, you cannot rename the datapoint. In this case, you must delete the datapoint and add a new datapoint with a new name. See Naming Considerations for BACnet XIF and Modbus XIF Files in the (Optional) Setting Datapoint Names for more information.

   
   

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