(Optional) Creating IAP Resource Definitions (XML)

Owned by Nina Cardillo
08-Jan-2024
4 min read

The SmartServer uses resource definitions to specify profiles and datapoint type definitions.  See Data Model for more information on profiles and datapoint types.  Profiles and types are defined using the ISO/IEC 14908-5 and ISO/IEC 14908-6 standards.  A device interface is defined by one or more profiles, with each profile defining input and output datapoints to exchange data with other devices, and persistent properties to define operational behavior.  There are standard functional profiles defined in ISO/IEC 14908-6 and published at at www.lonmark.org/technology/technical-resources/functional-profile/.  You can create custom resource file sets using the EnOcean IzoT Resource Editor.  This tool produces a resource file set which include at least 4 files (type file -.typ, functional profile -.fpt, language file -.enu for English, and a format file -.fmt).  Tools such as IzoT CT use these files to understand how to present the interface of a LON device defined by an XIF file. 

An XML resource file set is generated by the EnOcean Resource Report Generator based on a LON binary resource file generated by the EnOcean IzoT Resource Editor. This file set is used to define LON functional profiles, network variable types, and configuration property types. 

An XML resource file set used by the SmartServer IoT is categorized by its filename and an embedded set or title tag. The filenames are fps.xml, nvs.xml, cps.xml, enums.xml, and usage.xml.  

For fps.xml, nvs.xml, cps.xml, and enums.xml files, the embedded tag is ldrf/control/set.

For usage.xml files, the embedded tag is usage/control/title. The embedded set or title tag specify the resource file set name, program ID mask, and scope.

A LON XML resource file is identified by its program ID mask and scope, which follows the last space in the resource file set name, program ID mask, and scope.

The SmartServer CMS assigns a resource file type to the resource file based on the resource file name, as follows:

  • fps.xml – profile

  • nvs.xml – network variable type

  • cps.xml – configuration property type

  • enums.xml – enumeration type

The SmartServer CMS extracts the following fields from the resource file:

  • Resource file set version number – for fps.xml, nvs.xml, cps.xml, and enums.xml files, the version tag is ldrf/control/data-version. For usage.xml files, the version tag is usage/control/version.

  • Resource file set name/program ID mask-scope – for fps.xml, nvs.xml, cps.xml, and enums.xml files, the resource file set name/program ID mask-scope tag is ldrf/control/set. For usage.xml files, the resource file set name/program ID mask-scope tag is usage/control/title.

  • Resource file set program ID mask-scope – contained in the resource file name/program ID mask-scope string, following the last space in the string and terminated by the end of the string. For example, the program ID mask and scope for the standard resource file set is 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00-0, and the program ID mask and scope for an example scope 6 resource file set is 8F:FF:51:00:00:00:00:02-6.

  • Resource file set directory – for fps.xml, nvs.xml, cps.xml, and enums.xml files, the resource file set directory tag is ldrf/control/folder. For usage.xml files, calculate the resource file set directory by deleting colons and changing upper case letters to lower case in the program ID mask-scope string. Example: if the program ID mask-scope in usage.xml is 8F:FF:51:00:00:00:00:02-6, the directory is 8ff510000000002-6.

  • Resource file manufacturer ID – contained in bytes 2 through 6 of the program ID mask-scope, which are the fields marked with M in the following program ID mask-scope specification: FM:MM:MM:CC:CC:UU:TT:NN-S.

You can create IAP resource definitions using the IzoT Resource Editor.  The IzoT Resource Editor creates binary and text resource files, and also creates XML resource files with an XML export capability.  To create an IAP resource file set, follow these steps:

  1. Download, install, and start the IzoT Resource Editor.

  2. Create a resource file set as described in the IzoT Resource Editor documentation.

  3. Right-click your resource file set in the navigator and then click Report.

  4. Select a Report Output Location.



  5. Clear the Prepare Locally Generated option, select the XML Target Platform, and then click Next.

  6. Select the resource file set to export and then click Next.



  7. Select the default language and then click Next.



  8. Select Link to https://types.lonmark.org/templates and then click Next.



  9. Clear Automatically Report Referenced and then click Next.



  10. Click Next through the next two dialogs. 

  11. Review the export log for warnings and errors which may require attention, and then click Finish.  

The files generated by the export that must be part of the DTP package are nvs.xml, fps.xml, cps.xml, and enums.xml.  The usage.xml file is not required but is typically included for completeness.

See Devices in the IAP Reference for more information about these files.